FLYMPH FORUM

This is one of my all-time early spring favorites when the fish are not looking up. Both the Beaverkill and Lackawaxen are loaded with rhyacophilla and hydropsyche larvae ..... The real trick is to get them down deep on the bottom where they live. I use two laps of sticky back lead tape on the shank, plus a dark tungsten bead for the head.
This group in the picture is tied with some special tungsten beads that are shaped like an insects head; they were sent to me by a friend and I figured to use them here.

Dana

I had a couple of volunteers for the dinner table, here are the stomach contents:

John
If you mean the strips of rubber, yes. A very long time ago, we used rubber bands wound around the hook shank, then colored with a permanent marker. This aforementioned pattern tied on the Mustad 37160, was big in Pennsylvania during the mid 1970’s......

Dana

Really nice Dana! Is that your own custom dubbing blend? Love the flies.

Ray
No - in the 1980s, I bought these pre-made dubbing brushes consisting of two thin strands of copper wire twisted with green dubbing. They were recently rediscovered while I was digging through of my bins of material. Next time I go into my apartment in the city I’ll take some pictures and post them!

Dana

Dubbing brushes are a great idea for a bottom bouncer pattern. The wire core adds a bit more weight to ensure the fly sinks quickly.

Gives me incentive to pull out the dubbing twister I made several years ago.