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Montana Nymph derby
Post 10 Nov 2019, 10:46 • #1 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
Big (almost) black stonefly nymphs are important flies in the Rocky Mountains. This is the infamous Salmon Fly as a third-year nymph. The nymphs live three seasons before hatching, getting bigger every season, so at any given time they'll be there, from small to big.

The Model:

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Charlie Brooks' imitation: ...this one actually tied by Brooks
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...what else? Any photos? My camera is on the fritz so I don't have an image I want to use just yet. Maybe later this week. What do you have? What do you use?


..........and here's the adult. We could have those too.

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Re: Montana Nymph derby
Post 10 Nov 2019, 12:35 • #2 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
Cal Bird's Bird Stonefly
...my favorite adult imitation--not counting my own.

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Re: Montana Nymph derby
Post 12 Nov 2019, 06:40 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/29/09
Posts: 906
Location: US-MI
Great photos Pitt. Have only had the pleasure of finding this hatch on one trip and thought it was awesome. Spent so much time enjoying the scenery and the fishing that I did not take many photographs. Salmon fly catching a ride on the raft and rod used from that adventure both shown below. Dry fly pattern that I used the most out west was a foam version from Montana Fly Co.

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Locally our largest native stone is yellow. Have a nymph pattern I tie which worked well early in this hatch last season. Will tie a yellow version of Mr. Brooks pattern to give it a go next year.


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Re: Montana Nymph derby
Post 12 Nov 2019, 08:26 • #4 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
Cool. The big black salmon fly nymphs are vegetarian detritus eaters that need clean cold well oxegenated water. Golden stones are carnivorous and can live in warmer waters. So they're more widespread.


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Re: Montana Nymph derby
Post 12 Nov 2019, 08:34 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
Posts: 2327
Location: US-IL
I just discovered there are stoneflies in Illinois.We have tons of May flies caddis flies etc.I hook up with some big carp dragging brown nymphs or buggers across the bottom.I tie some micro rung jigs for my wife and grandson to tip with bait.Brown and orange were the top color this last season.Euro nymphing with bait in ponds.The panfish liked them but so did the carp and bass as we had many break offs on 6lb Steen which is tough to break.Even had a rod break graphite of course.Been digging deep into. any data base about local insects.


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Re: Montana Nymph derby
Post 12 Nov 2019, 14:00 • #6 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
I have a lot of patterns. Most of them are good flies to me because they're my creations and they work just as well as the competition. A few work better. This one is like black magic. This is the most effective fish catching son of a gun I've ever come up with--in my home waters anyway. Any where in the Rocky Mountains were you can find trout.

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Re: Montana Nymph derby
Post 12 Nov 2019, 16:58 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
Posts: 2327
Location: US-IL
Looks similar to the nymphs i saw in the database, they were a muted orange and black.When i was kid we would flip rocks looking for hellgrammites.They give quite a bite and rarely made it more than 1 drift under a float without getting eaten.Every fly i have tried along with lifelike plastics just dont work very well.Might get a follow but i believe there are too many of the naturals and the fish are just mot interested.


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Re: Montana Nymph derby
Post 12 Nov 2019, 19:32 • #8 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
:=)) That's feeshun. The Golden Stone above has been perhaps my single best all around fly.

Someone asked me for a material list.
rubber legs
a body snipped from a bass tube
flat not-woven nylon thread that spreads out flat as you wind it
bead
hopper hook
fabric cement
ca glue

skewer a body blank (snipped from bass tube) onto a horizontal extra-thin beading needle. A size #10 beading needle works well. Dimple the body loosely with flat nylon thread. Whip finish loosely at roughly the rear end of the thorax area. Slide it off the needle. Put a bead on a down eye hopper hook. Wrap shank. Add some bright gold tinsely fuzz to the shank. Now loosely (loosely) lash on the body with a spot or two of CA glue at two wrap points, fore and aft.


Now sew in some rubberlegs with the following rubberleg needle and rubberleg stitch. Wet the body with fabric cement to keep the loose flat nylon wraps in place. Put it on waxed paper until the fabric cement is tack free.

World famous rubber leg needle (you have to make one)
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Internationally renowned rubberleg stitch
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To make a rubberleg needle put one needle vertically in the vise with the point up. Heat the eye of another needle with a cigarette lighter. Push it down onto the vertical needle with needle nose pliers holding the needle (or hold the hot needle with your fingers and cuss) while pushing the red hot eye onto the needle with the empty barrel of a thread bobbin.

Now you have a rubberleg needle. You can use it to sew rubber legs into closed cell foam hoppers, open cell foam nymphs and bass tube nymphs, also using the equally world famous rubberleg stitch. So far known only to me?


Last edited by pittendrigh on 12 Nov 2019, 22:25, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Montana Nymph derby
Post 12 Nov 2019, 20:44 • #9 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/29/09
Posts: 906
Location: US-MI
Appreciate your tips posted. So with the heated needle eye you are able to widen the needle opening to a width that will accommodate the size of the legs you will be applying?


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Re: Montana Nymph derby
Post 12 Nov 2019, 21:03 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
Posts: 2327
Location: US-IL
Nice job with the needle Pitt.Boat building,fly tying and now some black smithing along with your technical talents.I think i saw your fly somewhere else now that you mention the body material.


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Re: Montana Nymph derby
Post 12 Nov 2019, 21:11 • #11 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
Yes the idea is to widen the needle eye so it's big enough to see rubberlegs. Spanflex is the strongest.


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