Pogo nymph soft hackle.

[Mataura mayfly]

No ramble Wayne, I enjoyed your story and it helped explain one question I had.
In my mind I was relating fishing a #24 Pogo over here, in about 8' of depth and 11-15 cubic meters per second flow rate. I imagined a #24 would not be able to "pogo" in such conditions and the flow would over rule the foams ability to rise.
You are obviously fishing skinnier water and that explains how your wee fly would work.

I got an email from a forum member yesterday that eluded to the 26cm of snow a storm dumped in his front yard and how he had to shovel their walk....... be lucky you can consider fishing at all!

[DUBBN]

Most anglers that I have chatted with believe a fishes metabolism slows way down in the Winter. So much so that the fish seeks deep holes and will not move more than a few inches to eat a midge larva. I disagree. No matter how cold the winters get here, I have always been able to find fish in riffles and troughs. They are there for one reason. To feed. Perhaps the trout I chase are stupid, but I have a feeling they are placing thirselves in a position to take in more calories than they expell in the slightly faster water. I do not know if your pattern is "pogoing" or not as it drifts by. I do know it has a good profile for either a baetis nymph, or a stuck in the shuck midge. In the slightly faster water, sometimes, thats all I need.

Jeff, these really are just my opinions. I can't prove my hunches one way or the other. I can't even defend them in an arguement.

[redietz]

Most anglers that I have chatted with believe a fishes metabolism slows way down in the Winter. So much so that the fish seeks deep holes and will not move more than a few inches to eat a midge larva. I disagree. No matter how cold the winters get here, I have always been able to find fish in riffles and troughs. They are there for one reason. To feed.

I've noticed something similar. I've taken quite a few winter trout in water only a foot or so deep, and have come to the same conclusion: they're there to feed. This makes them relatively easy to catch, as compared to the ones (and I'm sure they exist) that prefer to laze away in deeper water. And in a foot of water, you're always in the right place in the column.

In my experience, though, it's not so much riffles as shallow soft water; place you'd never see a trout in the summer.

[crazy4oldcars]

I tried a few the other night, and just couldn't get that thick, high-profile thorax that you did. Mine ended up looking more like a PT Nymph with a foam wing case. How are you getting that much build-up on the thorax?

Thanks,

Kirk

[Mataura mayfly]

I tried a few the other night, and just couldn't get that thick, high-profile thorax that you did. Mine ended up looking more like a PT Nymph with a foam wing case. How are you getting that much build-up on the thorax?

Thanks,

Kirk

Kirk,
I start with using thick foam, say 5mm or 3/16th" on #14-16 1XL, say 6mm or 1/4" wide and 3mm or 1/8th" for #16 standard or #18 1XL, a little thinner. Tie in point of the foam is clipped to a point and tied in front of the abdomen, wrapping toward the eye so as to bulk the thorax a little with the tie in. The thread is then returned to the base of the foam "post" (at this stage the foam is sticking up from the hook shank in front of the abdomen like a parachute post), thorax is noodle dubbed on the thread, wrapped short but rather full with a fur containing good guard hairs that does not easily crush and retains a bulky- springy effect, ensuring to leave a good distance from the front of the thorax to the back of the hook eye- to tie off the foam and wrap the hackle.
Then bring the foam over the thorax, but DO NOT pull it tight, it must lay loose over the thorax- retaining all the original loft of the open cells of the foam. Sometimes, to get that really "full" effect, I will pinch the foam lightly between thumb and first finger of my left hand (off hand- right if you tie left handed ) and actually ease the foam back a little, then wrap in over the foam, in front of the hold point of thumb/finger to tie it in place. Throw 3-4 tight wraps over, trim excess foam, wrap some more to trap down the bulge where the foam has been cut and you should be ready to wrap the hackle as per normal.

Often when using foam in similar ways, there is a desire to pull the foam over the thorax toward/over the hook eye with the right hand and hold it in place under tension while we flick the bobbin holder over the hook shank a couple of times with our left hand to hold it there. This will flatten the thorax and compress the open cells of the foam, leading to a neater, flatter more regular looking wingcase- but less floatation or illusion of swelling wing buds about to break free.

Hope this helped? If not I may be able to cobble up a shot by shot photo series........ but I can possibly explain it better than my crappy photos could!

[Old Hat]

I take trout all winter long while steelheading. These are not eating midges but #6-#8 flymphs in top 2-3 feet of the water's surface.

[crazy4oldcars]

Thanks MM, that does it. The reason mine were flattening is because I WAS tying a PT Nymph! I was pulling the foam tight and crushing everything down. Using the tie-in tag to bulk it up will help as well.

Regards,

Kirk