Rich Strolis shares how to tie one of his winter flies, a little winter stonefly, in this fly tying video tutorial.
Winter Flies or Does It?
I guess it depends on who you ask but for me winter does feel like it is moving along pretty quickly, despite the 2-feet of snow we got this week. Never-the-less it is still winter, so let's talk winter flies. The last few weeks we covered some fun midge patterns that are great winter flies, but let's not forget our little stonefly friends. They are around too and trout like them, so we like them.
Winter Stoneflies
Small Winter Stoneflies, belonging to the family Capniidae (for you Latin lovers), are...well...small, for stoneflies anyway. Typically 7 to 10 mm in length (size 14 to 18) the winter stonefly emerges November through June - keep an eye out for them.
Small Winter Stonefly
Stonefly Identification Please
....slender, brown or blackish with no thoracic or abdominal gills; hindwing pads nearly parallel to body (are you getting all this); dorsal and ventral halves of abdominal segments 1-9 divided laterally by membranous fold (did you count them in the picture? you are now); second tarsal segment much shorter than first (I knew that); 3 ocelli (ok, now you lost me...they are small brown or black stoneflies, right?) I think you get the picture.
Winter Stonefly Material List
Hook: TMC 100 spbl, size 16-20
Thread: UTC 70
Head: Black bead, 2mm
Body: Thread / Mole
Antennae / Legs / Tails: Doug Swisher GX-Wiggly's
Wing Case: Midge diamond braid
Ribbing: X-Small Ultra-Wire
As Rich notes, he's a big fan of Swisher Generation X Wiggly legs developed by Doug Swisher, co-author of fly-fishing best seller Selective Trout
About Selective Trout
Selective Trout: Revised and Expanded has been hailed as the most revolutionary new approach to trout-fly imitation of the twentieth century. Fly Fisherman magazine called it “the most important book on fly fishing of this decade.” Read more...
Enjoy!
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[...] Sir Izaak Walton, the Hare's Ear nymph may represent a mayfly nymph or a caddis larva; or perhaps a stonefly nymph or even crane fly larvae. Who knows, and frankly who cares. All we do know is the Hare's Ear nymph [...]