The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

This thread discusses the Content article: September Fly of the Month

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Hey Phil - did you tie those for Janet at her shop? I seem to remember her talking about trying to find a good little yellow stone pattern.

-Greg

Nope. That is my pattern. Been tying it for a couple of years now. Great little pattern!

oh sure! where were you last year?! :P

Sort of a trude style isn't it? I've been using a very similar pattern (minus the underwing). Instead of the deer hair, I've got a light dun snowshoe rabbit foot for the wing. To me, it seems to float much better, hold up to more abuse, and is more visible.

Very nice upgrade to that pattern!

just got my first foot of the stuff not long ago. Best spot for it I've found so far, though I haven't tied up any of Harry's caddis

I take it that "flash sheeting" is a purchased material. I have this sort of irridescent plastic sheet that's for gift wrapping that looks like it might work. I've never tied an underwing (or shaped plastic wings for that matter). Is it something you do on a lot of you stone immitations? What was the inspiration?

I do use that a lot on my stones. Frequently either that flash sheeting that I've bought in craft stores, or Krystal Flash. I like it for the flash that it brings to the wing. The inspiration came to me whie examining stoneflies streamside in Montana and realizing the wing has similar properties. It does seem to work, as this pattern has done very well for me over time in quite a number of waters. I think almost as importatnt, if not more so is the midge hackle. I can skate and move the fly tied in this fashion. Can't do that with a bullethead.

Hackle: Two Whiting Midge Saddles sized approximately 2 hook sizes undersized
Tie in Midge Saddles. Prepare the hackle by stripping a few barbs off the stem, with a few extra stripped off the bottom of the feather. Tie in the hackle dry fly style....shony side back and dull side forward. Wind 3 to 4 wraps with both hackles concurrently to the head and tie off.

Sorry to pester but... "go try it at the vice!"

I understand the stripping of a couple barbs to make the first wrap bed down easier, but why 2 of the same hackle? (2x 3-4 wraps vs 1x 6-8 wraps) I've tied 2 on an Adams but they were different colored and on a couple bushy buggers I've palmered 2.

Also, if you tie the shiny side forward the barbs sort of lay back a little bit but is it enough to make it dive? I haven't been paying that attention to that

Betty mentioned the Hornberg 1 2 3 to me last season at pyramid (really odd fly, sort of streamerish but with that hackled head). Is this one that you'd tie shiny side forward?

Trick with winding two hackles at once is they have to be married together. If they refuse, wrap one at a time. Two hackles can be placed much tighter on the hook that just one and offer a more bushy result. Not critical, unless you're fishing heavy water, and then it is important! Little Yellow Stones often live in heavy water. So the extra barbs are important in my book. You probably won't be able to tie 6-8 wraps in the same space as two hackles wound 3-4 times. Takes practice!

Probably not critical to tie one way or the other (dry fly style vs wet fly style if you're using good dry fly hackles. Both will result in good floatability. But it is a dry fly so you're supposed to tie it dry fly style!

Phil