Pogo nymph soft hackle.

[hankaye]

Mataura mayfly, Howdy;

Jeff, great photo field trip... Happy to hear that the experiment worked
in a favoriable fashion.

hank

[DUBBN]

The first time I looked at the pattern I thought "What The Heck". The more I loook at it, the more I like it. I have to give this a try . Thanks Jeff!

Yes, I am quoting myself. When you are as attractive as I am, you get free passes to do these things all the time.

I could not see the forest for the trees as far as this pattern goes. I have been tying foam back emergers/nymphs for years, but for the life of me the addition of your Soft Hackle collar threw me for a loop. I looked at the Pogo as almost "alien" looking. Now it looks to me like an old friend that has a new hair style.

I quit buying different color foams (for wing cases) years ago. I only use White and color it with a permanent marker now. I will throw a collar on some of my BWO foam backs (sizes 22-18) and give them a try. Not with your fishing tecnique, but pattern tecnique.

On a float yesterday, a split wingcase emerger was a very productive pattern for me. Can't wait to add a collar to it.

[DUBBN]

My attempt at using your Pogo technique on my split cased baetis, size 20.

[Mataura mayfly]

Dang Wayne, that is a fine first attempt!
So that is foam used in the wingcase? What size foam did you use for a wee #20? I vary thickness between 1/8-3/16" depending on how much bulk I want or how buoyant I want the fly to be. On the same size/ type of hook you can get two different looking flies depending on the thickness of foam used.
I have not tried down below size 18 hooks...... and not many of those! Usual ties are on a #14-16 for me.

[DUBBN]

Yes, that is the plain Jane white foam. If I had to guess I would say it is 3/16" thick. It could be 4 feet thick and it wouldnt matter. I trim it to the thickness I want anyhow.

[Mataura mayfly]

Yes, that is the plain Jane white foam. If I had to guess I would say it is 3/16" thick. It could be 4 feet thick and it wouldnt matter. I trim it to the thickness I want anyhow.

Great idea, trimming the thickness to suit. You could even taper the thickness to be finer at the tie in and tie off points. Nice work.
The marker pen colouring give a much nice mottled effect as well. Hope this proves a killing pattern for you.

[DUBBN]

Size 24 Pogo variation, tied on a Tiemco 2488



It actually accounted for a couple nice fish for me last Saturday. I tied 4 up and fished 2 , gave the third to my buddy. This is the last of the lot.

Sorry about the picture quality.

[Mataura mayfly]

Nice Wayne!
Beats me how you get 'em that damn tiny. I struggle with a size #18 and most I fish are #14-16.

So how were you fishing/presenting them? Upstream, across and down, swung, stripped, chuck & hope or to sighted fish, droppered off a weighted nymph???????

[DUBBN]

Last years drought, and this Winters extreme cold temperatures has really lowered the river levels. This is normally the lowest levels of the year, but it is scarey to see what little water is actually in the Freestone rivers around here. For the last 6 weeks, I have been doing more sight fshing than anything else. There are fish still holding in deepr runs, but this year I have found more fish in shallow water. Probably due to the drought.

When the trout are holding/feeding in the shallower water they have become become very nervous. I usually onle get one cast to them. If theres drag or out of their very tiny feeding lane, it seems to spook them off, or just clamp their mouths shut.

I am upstream/quartering nymphing. An attractor pattern like a Little Black Stone Nymph or an egg, with a Soft Hackle trailing that. Off the SH, I drop my micro patterns. Usually a Midge Pupa, or a baetis nymph. This Winter the trout have preferred that micro pattern in a size 24. Most years I do not have to go smaller than 20. Simple thread midges, WD-40's and 50's, Rainbow Warriors, and the such have been working well. Your Pogo fit in nicely. I tyed it with Benecchi Tobacco colored thread, and light Brown hares fur. It fit the color of some of the baetis nymphs I had found earlier.

Most every trip I have caught a fish or two on the attractor. Guess thats why it's called an "attractor". Each trip I have caught quite a few fish on the Peacock and Partridge or a Muskrat Flymph, but most of those fish have come out of the deeper holes and runs. That being said, I still get my fair share of trout out of those types of water with the micro patterns.

Speaking of weather, I am looking out the window at a nice rainstorm. I hope it is dumping lots of snow in the mountains. Last week I fished in almost 60 degree, blue sky weather. Today, I am trying to talk myself into fishing in 35 degree rain/snow weather. I better have a cup of coffee and mull it over. I only have an hour to decide.

Sorry to ramble on.

[letumgo]

Wayne - Let's go fishing together. You on your end, and me on my end. We can compare reports in a few hours. See you later. I'm going fishing.