Beginner Fly Tying: Cold Weather Flies

As noted in the January issue of Streamlines, beginner fly tying sessions this year will focus on the use of alternative materials in tying similar, or variant, fly patterns. People who attended our January class learned to tie two variants of the Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, commonly known as the GRHE. 

At our February beginner class we will again look at the diversity of wet fly patterns that can be tied using the same steps to create three cold weather fly patterns applicable to fishing regional, free stone, and limestone streams and rivers. We look forward to having a good turnout on February 18th, when our group learns to tie a green caddis larvae, red fox squirrel nymph, and the muskrat nymph.  Tying instructions for each are below.

Join us at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18th, at Trinity United Methodist Church, Room 207. As always, we welcome club members who have never tied an artificial fly to join our class. Materials provided to all who attend. Vises and tying equipment can be loaned to those who need them. Kindly let us also know (dfine1443@gmail.com) if you will require a vise and tools for the tying session.

Tying steps for patterns:

1. Muskrat Nymph

Courtesy of Tightline Video

  • Size 12-18 – wet fly hook
  • Thread – black 70 denier
  • Muskrat gray dubbing
  • Wing – partridge feather
  • Head- peacock herl

Tying steps:

  • Pinch down hook barb, place hook in vise
  • Start thread behind hook eye and wrap to the bend of the hook
  • Dub the thread, and then build a slender body from the bend of the hook toward the hook eye stopping ~1/8” before the hook eye
  • Tie in the hackle feather behind the hook eye with the dull side down (butt facing forward). (As you secure the hackle in place the thread wraps should encompass the entire feather around the hook shank. (This may take several attempts to get the feel for how many and how tight the initial thread wraps should be.)
  • Gently pull the hackle using the stem to draw it forward. The feather tips should not extend beyond the hook point. 
  • *Spin thread to open to loosen the strands, and tie in a length of peacock.
  • *Wrap the peacock forward 1 ½-2 turns carrying the thread with it. Then finish off the head, whip finish the thread wraps and trim remaining peacock. 
  • Trim some of the hackle fibers on the top of the hook such that only the fibers on the underside remain. (The hackle fibers on the underside now represent the legs of the emerging nymph). 

*the insertion of the peacock herl collar is optional, as other fly tyers eliminate this step using a simple dubbed head. 

Pattern Diversity:

  • Substitute dark olive, light olive or tan dubbing for the muskrat grey dubbing
  • Use an alternate soft hackle in place of partridge for the ‘beard’ on the fly pattern. 

2. Red Fox Squirrel Nymph

Courtesy of Whitlock Fishing | Tightline Video

Materials:

  • 2XL nymph hook – size 10-16
  • Thread – black or orange 70 denier or 8/0 (head of fly is orange)
  • Lead or copper wire = hook diameter ~0.15
  • Ribbing – gold oval tinsel or orange-pearl flashabou
  • Tail – tuft of guard hairs from red fox squirrel and underfur
  • Hackle – hen cape
  • Dubbing – mix squirrel fur +antron, sparkle yarn or Aunt Lydia’s rug yarn (Whitlock’s blend) (note that the abdomen is lighter and the collar is darker dubbing)

Tying steps:

  • Weight the hook shank with lead or copper wire (the instructor secures the lead wire ~1/8” behind the eye with tying thread, then as the wire is wrapped toward the rear, it carries the thread wraps along with it. Thus, the thread is underneath the lead but secures the thread both at the head and further down the hook shank). 
  • Tie in tail ~ ½ length of hook shank
  • Mix squirrel fur with the dubbing and dub a small ball at the rear of the hook
  • Tie in ribbing in front of the dubbing and pull to the side
  • Continue to dub the abdomen forward in a tapered body 
  • Counter-wrap the ribbing over the dubbed abdomen. Clip off the excess wire.
  • Tie in the hackle feather and trim
  • Whip finish (using the red/orange thread), from the wing forward, and cement wraps using Sally Hanson (HardAsNails).

Diversity of Patterns:

  • Consider using the above tying steps while substituting:
    • Rabbit fur dubbing or a blend of dubbing containing Antron (i.e. Haretron) instead of red fox squirrel dubbing
    • Substitute partridge or wood duck for the hen hackle 
    • Replace squirrel guard-hair fiber tail with ginger Zlon 

3. Green Caddis Larvae

Courtesy of Tightline Video

Hook – size 14 – emerger hook (size 16 preferred for fishing)

Lead wire – 0.012

Brown thread – 70 denier

Ribbing – fine green wire

Dubbing – (Australian possum preferred) in light olive or rusty brown for abdomen, dark brown or black for head

Tying Steps–

  • Insert hook in vise after pinching down barb
  • Put 1 drop of super glue (Zap-a-gap) on the hook shank, just slightly behind the hook eye. 
  • Wrap the shank with lead wire starting mid shank and continuing to the start of the hook bend. Push the lead wire forward over the section where the glue was applied. (The super glue helps hold the wire in place.)
  • Attach thread behind the wire, and wrap the thread ¾ around the bend of the hook
  • Tie in section of green wire at the hook bend and set it to the side
  • Dub thread and wrap the abdomen with the dubbing, forward toward the head stopping immediately in front of where the lead wire was attached.
  • Counter wrap the wire forward in segmenting the body securing it slightly behind the hook eye.
  • Build a collar with dark dubbing and whip finish the head of the fly. Apply head cement. 
  • Use a stiff brush* to loosen the dubbing on the abdomen. 

*I use a small caliber gun barrel cleaning brush to rough up the dubbing. 

Pattern diversity:

  • Substitute light brown or tan dubbing for the light olive.
  • Substitute copper or black wire for ribbing – consider a ribbing color which contrasts with the abdomen.
  • Tie this pattern in several hook sizes, which correspond to the size of the caddis pupae in the stream/river and/or the mature caddisflies hatching at that time of the year. 
  • In selecting your caddisfly imitation, follow “on line” hatching charts found on the internet with respect to when and where you plan to fish. 

By Don Fine