Different nymph tactic

Over the last year I have been trying a new (to me) tactic for fishing
nymphs. Its actually a different way to tie nymphs, but it effects the way
the fly is fished. Typically one ties PTs and GRHEs using some sort of
feather or perhaps fur for the wingcase. Substituting a buoyant closed-cell
foam for the more traditional wingcase materials changes the fly in two
ways: the fly will tend to float and the wingcase can be made in a
multitude of colors, either blending or contrasting with the fly. The
ability for the fly to float off of the bottom of the stream needs to be,
IME, offset by more weight on the tippet. When done properly I think the fly
moves through the current and just off the bottom, where you need to be.
Using contrasting wingcase colors, such as yellow, red, orange, or pink
seems to give the fly additional attractant properties. I have tried this
fly/tactic in CA, MT, WA, TN, NC, and AK and have good (for me) success with
it.

Here is a link to a page with a short article and tying instructions. (this
is also a good web site with lots of info for anyone fly fishing the
Sierras)
http://stevenojai.tripod.com/kernem.htm
The fly shown is known in SoCal as a Kern River Emerger and credit is given
to Guy Jeans, who runs a FF shop in Kernville, CA, as the originator and
proponent of the fly. BTW, when in the Kern River area, you could do a lot
worse than Guy and his gang when seeking guides and/or guidance for fishing
the Kern River. His shop is Kern River Outfitters...(All usual disclaimers
are hereby incorporated, yadda, yadda,....).


Anyone else tried a this or a similar method?


Danl

Substituting a buoyant closed-cell
foam for the more traditional wingcase materials changes the fly in two
ways: the fly will tend to float and the wingcase can be made in a
multitude of colors, either blending or contrasting with the fly. The
ability for the fly to float off of the bottom of the stream needs to be,

The link you posted didn't work for me, but this does seem like a
good idea.

I tried making whole nymphs from closed cell foam, with the
same idea: weight on the leader would take it down, buoyancy
in the fly would drift it naturally, a tad off the bottom.
But the flies I made were too buoyant. Wing cases only might
be just the ticket.

My foam nymph experiments eventually led to the Marshmallow Nymph,
which is one of the best fish-catching flies I make. Marshmallows are
made with open cell foam, which soaks up water like a sponge......but
it still retains a few air bubbles here and there, which does give the
nymph
a little residual buoyancy--which is similar in concept to what you're
trying
to do.

"salmobytes" wrote in message
ups.com...
The link you posted didn't work for me, but this does seem like a
good idea.


Hmmm....try this

http://stevenojai.tripod.com/flybox.htm



I tried making whole nymphs from closed cell foam, with the
same idea: weight on the leader would take it down, buoyancy
in the fly would drift it naturally, a tad off the bottom.
But the flies I made were too buoyant. Wing cases only might
be just the ticket.

My foam nymph experiments eventually led to the Marshmallow Nymph,
which is one of the best fish-catching flies I make. Marshmallows are
made with open cell foam, which soaks up water like a sponge......but
it still retains a few air bubbles here and there, which does give the
nymph
a little residual buoyancy--which is similar in concept to what you're
trying
to do.


I've tried your Marshmallows, but I couldn't get the hang of tying them. I'm
not very accomplished at the vise ( at some vices, its another story...) I
should give them another try.

Danl

On Feb 24, 12:38 pm, "Danl" danlfinn@*remove this*intergate.com
wrote:
"salmobytes" wrote in message

ups.com...

The link you posted didn't work for me, but this does seem like a
good idea.

Hmmm....try this

http://stevenojai.tripod.com/flybox.htm

I tried making whole nymphs from closed cell foam, with the
same idea: weight on the leader would take it down, buoyancy
in the fly would drift it naturally, a tad off the bottom.
But the flies I made were too buoyant. Wing cases only might
be just the ticket.

My foam nymph experiments eventually led to the Marshmallow Nymph,
which is one of the best fish-catching flies I make. Marshmallows are
made with open cell foam, which soaks up water like a sponge......but
it still retains a few air bubbles here and there, which does give the
nymph
a little residual buoyancy--which is similar in concept to what you're
trying
to do.

I've tried your Marshmallows, but I couldn't get the hang of tying them. I'm
not very accomplished at the vise ( at some vices, its another story...) I
should give them another try.

Danl

On Feb 25, 4:59 am, "Danl" danlfinn@*remove this*intergate.com
wrote:
[snipp]
Using contrasting wingcase colors, such as yellow, red, orange, or pink
seems to give the fly additional attractant properties. I have tried this
fly/tactic in CA, MT, WA, TN, NC, and AK and have good (for me) success with
it.

"Hot spot" dubbed thoraces on oherwise drab looking flys have been
used
quite a bit in the UK and I dare say other places.

Steve

"Danl" danlfinn@*remove this*intergate.com wrote in message
...
snip
Anyone else tried a this or a similar method?


Danl

Here's one I have used many times on Western Mass and CT streams (like the
Farmington).

http://gula.org/roffswaps/recipe.php?page=DD2003&id=7

That's a good example, Stan. To be clear, I didn't think I found something
new under the sun. Foam wing emergers are very popular on, for instance, the
San Juan. I have found that, for me, the combination of a foam wing case and
a brightly colored wing case seems to be a good combination.

BTW, I met Marla on my one-and-only trip to the Farmington. Seemed like a
knowledgeable lady.


Danl


"Stan Gula" wrote in message
news:rh7Eh.1334$RN6.1165@trndny07...
"Danl" danlfinn@*remove this*intergate.com wrote in message
...
snip
Anyone else tried a this or a similar method?


Danl

Here's one I have used many times on Western Mass and CT streams (like the
Farmington).

http://gula.org/roffswaps/recipe.php?page=DD2003&id=7

On Feb 25, 9:53 am, "Danl" danlfinn@*remove this*intergate.com
wrote:
That's a good example, Stan. To be clear, I didn't think I found something
new under the sun. Foam wing emergers are very popular on, for instance, the
San Juan. I have found that, for me, the combination of a foam wing case and
a brightly colored wing case seems to be a good combination.

BTW, I met Marla on my one-and-only trip to the Farmington. Seemed like a
knowledgeable lady.

Danl

"Stan Gula" wrote in message

news:rh7Eh.1334$RN6.1165@trndny07...



"Danl" danlfinn@*remove this*intergate.com wrote in message
...
snip
Anyone else tried a this or a similar method?

Danl

Here's one I have used many times on Western Mass and CT streams (like the
Farmington).

http://gula.org/roffswaps/recipe.php?page=DD2003&id=7- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have used the jailbird and some cariations of it with success, but
my favorite flies of this type are emergers fished in the film. I
began tying some with a foam thorax, so that the body of the fly would
sink and the thorax would float in the film. Since then, I have gone
to a fur thorax with either a CDC or Hare's Foot wing.

Last season we had a very spotty Hendrickson hatch in this area, but I
had reasonably good success fishing an emerger pattern that I learned
from Dan Trela, a well known local tyer and rodmaker. The pattern
consists of a very sparse trailing shuck of brown Z-Lon, a brown Larva
Lace body, with a thorax of brown synthetic dubbing. Dan favors CDC
for the wing, but I prefer Hare's Foot for the larger emergers, such
as the Hendrickson. This is tied on a Tiemco 200R or similar hook,
with the front 1/3 of the hook bent, so that the body hangs down at
about 45 degrees. The thorax and wing were treated with Floatant, and
the result was a highly visible wing above the water, with the body
below the surface.

Rather than fishing to rising fish, ( there weren't many), I fished
the water, and had very good results, including a couple of really
nice browns on the Farmington.

On Feb 25, 7:53 am, "Danl" danlfinn@*remove this*intergate.com
wrote:
That's a good example, Stan. To be clear, I didn't think I found something
new under the sun.

The earliest example I can think of appeared in a book called
the "Gordon Garland," first published in the early 1960's sometime.
I have a first edition....think it was later republished by Gingrich
under a
different name. Had something to do with Theodore Gordon Fly Fishers
Club
in New Yawk.

It was an anthology of sorts, that included an Ernie Schwiebert
chapter about
"Cracker Barrel Discourses" ......about fly tying with various
luminaries.
One of those guys came up with an emerger that had a round styrofoam
ball encased in bit of panty hose.......so the nymph would suspend
just
below the surface. I tried it. It worked, sort of. Closed cell foam
seems
like the same thing, but more better.

"Danl" danlfinn@*remove this*intergate.com wrote in message
...
Over the last year I have been trying a new (to me) tactic for fishing
nymphs. Its actually a different way to tie nymphs, but it effects the way
the fly is fished. Typically one ties PTs and GRHEs using some sort of
feather or perhaps fur for the wingcase. Substituting a buoyant
closed-cell foam for the more traditional wingcase materials changes the
fly in two ways: the fly will tend to float and the wingcase can be made
in a multitude of colors, either blending or contrasting with the fly. The
ability for the fly to float off of the bottom of the stream needs to be,
IME, offset by more weight on the tippet. When done properly I think the
fly moves through the current and just off the bottom, where you need to
be. Using contrasting wingcase colors, such as yellow, red, orange, or
pink seems to give the fly additional attractant properties. I have tried
this fly/tactic in CA, MT, WA, TN, NC, and AK and have good (for me)
success with it.

Here is a link to a page with a short article and tying instructions.
(this is also a good web site with lots of info for anyone fly fishing the
Sierras)
http://stevenojai.tripod.com/kernem.htm
The fly shown is known in SoCal as a Kern River Emerger and credit is
given to Guy Jeans, who runs a FF shop in Kernville, CA, as the originator
and proponent of the fly. BTW, when in the Kern River area, you could do a
lot worse than Guy and his gang when seeking guides and/or guidance for
fishing the Kern River. His shop is Kern River Outfitters...(All usual
disclaimers are hereby incorporated, yadda, yadda,....).


Anyone else tried a this or a similar method?


Danl

Hi Danl,

Like the concept and will try the tactic rather than weighting my nymphs
when tying the next batch of GRHEs.

On another note. The Kern Emerger shown on your link looked like a "cool"
fly to tie. I did so at Bass Pro yesterday during
their "vendor show" while representing the Dallas Fly Fishers. We also did
an impromptu casting clinic where I hope I did not pass on too many bad
casting habits. But, tying the KE was a success with the crowd who liked the
colorful nature of the fly and the kids kept hanging around for their turn
to take one home.

Guy