Docsflies - Archives (May 2006)

21May06 - Oliver Edward's recent article "A Master's Guide to Caddis Larvae" in Fly Tyer's Summer 2006 magazine explains nicely tying and fishing techniques for some of his best caddis patterns. These flies are both realistic and very effective. Two of his patterns I particularly like and have included in my Go2Fly Series are his Hydropsyche Larva and Rhycophila Pupa patterns. The Hydropsyche Larva remains one of my top producers and is found throughout many Pennsylvania streams, often in good numbers. The Rhycophila Pupa is a well designed emerger and also accounts for a high number of my trout catches. I hope this article provides the well deserved recognition Oliver deserves for providing us these top patterns.

Size 16 Oliver Edward's Hydropsyche Larva

Size 16 Oliver Edward's Rychophila Pupa

20May06 - Below are a few trout flies I recently tied. Both beetles are tied in a Crowe-style. The size 16 black beetle is one of my highest producers. Based on experience I prefer fat abdomens. The little olive beetle is an excellent producer for fishing the Yellow Breeches (PA) catch-and-release section. Floating ants can be challenging at times but to improve this I incorporated Bill Skilton's E-Z Sight foam bodies. To make the ant more realistic and durable I tied in the rump first then folded it over towards the eye of the hook. The patterns below work well on eastern trout streams and are a good default when hatches are scarce.

Size 20 Olive deer hair beetle

Size 16 Black deer hair beetle

Size 20 Black foam ant

Size 10 Krystal flash olive woolly bugger

13May06 - Guide Greg Boyd and I drifted the Lehigh River from 8:30 to 2:00. The fishing was slow at first but picked-up towards the end of the drift. The fish were slightly pickier than normal as they were full from engorging themselves on the abundant insects, worms and so forth washed in from recent rains. Greg and I missed several trout but managed to land a total of three fish including a large sucker. More fish would've been caught, but we were chased off by a severe T-and-L storm. Productive flies included emerging caddis and larva patterns. Hatches included small size 18 brown caddis in large numbers and a few large size 10 March Browns.

A Lehigh River brown....

....and sucker.

07May06 - Nancy and I fished Boiling Springs Run (PA) for approximately two hours in the afternoon. The lake and the parking lot for the Run were busy due to the nice weather. Fishing was average as Nancy and I caught 3 fish combined. Fish were caught using a size 16 sinking black beetle, size 16 Barr's Bead Head Net Builder Larva and a size 16 Oliver Edward's Hydropsyche Larva. The largest fish is pictured below.