FLYMPH FORUM

One of a few versions of the Killer Bug I've been working on.

Hook:Mustad R50U #14
Thread: Pearsall's silk thread in Salmonberry
Tail: couple fibers from a light speckled dun
Rib: dark copper wire
Body: a mix of tan, pink, cream mohair yarn twisted and wrapped
Hackle: light speckled dun hen hackle


https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GTq3 ... lerwet.jpg

Old Hat, Howdy;

Mighty fine tye ....

hank

A trout torpedo.

A trout torpedo.

Carl, it seems like we spend a lot of time talking about slender, delicate bodies with lively materials, but I was wondering about these robust versions recently. My initial reaction was that maybe out West these make more sense on bigger water, which makes absolutely no entomological sense at all. It's just that the bigger Western waters and larger trout are foreign to me and maybe this construction is better suited there. I realize the nonsense in the thinking, but besides beetle patterns, we just don't see this body style often. Perhaps we should, especially when you're looking at a Killer Bug variation. I have a few tied fat, very much like this (nymphs) that are exceptionally effective, and no doubt this will be as well. It's a nice tie, and food for thought as well. Can we see the other versions?

w

William,

I don't have many with these fat smooth bodies in my boxes. But there are a few to offer the fish. I tend to use them on stoneflies, some caddis (especially fall caddis) and scud patterns. I was fishing this pattern quite a bit this early spring for steelhead in a #8. Just as an experiment. No steelhead, but it accounted for a lot of bull and rainbow trout in the #8 size. Even caught one rainbow that was a whopping 3" on the #8 of this pattern. The system I am fishing has little to no scuds and they are definitely not #8 so I don't know what the fish were taking it for other than it looked like a plump winter morsel.

I will post the other variations as soon as I can get them photographed.

In a size 8 I can see the trout taking it for a Cranefly larva. I dont have to venture very far to see it as a Stone nymph instar either. Very cool pattern.

These flymphs were in Pete Hidy's wallet. Not exactly the same, but fairly wide-bodied.

I like this a lot. "Fat" bodies tend to get underrated IMHO, as there are several larval/grub-like things that trout see on a fairly regular basis. DUBBN's observation about the cranefly larva is spot on, especially if both the tail and hackle collar were shortened a bit. Nicely done, Carl.

William,

I have a very similar pattern that works quite well for me, in size 14, and in small eastern streams.