Split wing case BWO nymph

Materials needed:
Hook:  TMC 200R sizes #16-22 Any 2x or 3x long hook shank nymph hook can be used.
Thread:  UNI thread, light olive.
Tail:  Mallard flank feather dyed lemon.
Body:  Fine blue wing olive dubbing.
Rib:  Tippet.  I am using 6x tippet for this size #18 hook.
Wing case:  Black goose biots over olive razor foam.
Thorax:  Fine blue wing olive dubbing.
Legs:  Mallard flank feather dyed lemon.

Place your hook in your vice.

Start your thread.

Trim your thread, and wrap to the start of the hook gap.

Wrap 2-3 wraps of thread to build up a bump to tie your tail in front of.

Tie in your tail, and wrap your thread forward.

Stop wrapping your thread when you reach where your thorax should start, and clip the tag.

Tie in your rib.  Start tying it in where you ended your thread wraps.

Wrap your thread over your rib almost to the tail.

Always leave enough room to wrap one wrap of dubbing behind the start of your rib.

Dub a small amount of BWO dubbing onto your thread.

Build a tapered body with your dubbed thread.

Wrap your rib forward, tie it off, and trim the tag end.

Select 2 black goose biots, and tie them in.

Tie in your your goose biot on the top/side of the hook shank.

Tie in your other goose biot.

Tie in some olive razor foam.

Dub some more BWO dubbing onto your thread.

Build a thorax with your dubbed thread.

Cut a section of mallard flank feather to tie in as legs.

I like to keep the mallard flank feather fibers attached to the stem.  You can tie in both sets of legs at the same time that way.  They are also easier to work with.

Tie in your legs.

Stretch your razor foam over the thorax, and tie it off, and trim the tag.

Pull a goose biot across the thorax, and tie it off.

Pull the other goose biot over the thorax, and clip the tag ends.

Apply head cement directly to the thread, and whip finish.

Hot Creek 1-24-2013

They are still hitting emergers, RS2's for the most part....  Mostly small fish, but it was pretty non-stop.

Perch fry

I have been dead drifting this perch fry lately, and catching many fish with it.  Even in places where perch fry aren't really around.  When wet, this pattern looks amazingly realistic due to the transparent effect given by the dubbing.

Materials Needed:
Hook:  TMC 5263
Thread:  Black UNI 6/0
Tail:  Olive brown marabou
Rib:  Fine copper wire
Body:  Light olive UV ice dubbing, with some black UV ice dubbing mixed in.
Gills:  Red floss

Place your hook in the vise.

Wrap 10-20 wraps of .10 lead wire (optional).

Make sure to leave enough room to tie in your gills, and whip finish...

Start your thread just behind your lead wraps.

Wrap your thread across the lead wraps as shown, and wrap a few thread wraps around the hook shank in front of the lead wraps.

This will lock the lead wraps in place, and allow you to tightly wrap your thread around them without separating the wraps.

Wrap your thread across the lead wraps again.

Wrap a few more wraps over the lead wraps to lock them in place.

Tie in your marabou tail.  It should be the length of the hook shank.

Make a dubbing loop with your thread.

Put the dubbing loop in your material clip.

Tie in your copper wire, and put it in your material clip...

Get some light olive UV ICE DUB and mix in a few strands of black UV ICE DUB.

Wax your dubbing loop.

Put your dubbing inside of the loop.  The wax will hold the dubbing in place.

Use a dubbing loop twister to finish your dubbing loop.

Using a dubbing brush, brush out the fibers.

Wrap your dubbed loop forward.  With every wrap, pull back the dubbing fibers.

You should have this when you are finished.

 Pull the fibers on the top and bottom so they are standing straight up and down, then wrap your copper wire forward and tie it off.  Try not to trap too many of the dubbing fibers.

Cut a piece of red floss.

Tie the floss in, and leave a little tag.  Wrap about 3 wraps of floss just in front of the head.

Whip finish.

Using your bodkin pull fibers out from under your ribbing.

Lower Owens 1-16-2013

I had a great day on the lower Owens last Wednesday.  I caught around 30 fish in about 3 hours.  Nothing too big, but it was really fun.  At one point I bent over to untangle my line from waders, my indicator was 3 feet away from me and dragging.  When I stood up I had a fish on.  Pretty amazing day!