18's and 20's

[adrian191 0]

I went to a river in NJ and the water was low and clear. Everyone I asked said they were using flies that were 18 and 20's. In gray,tan, and brown. All i had was 12-16.(still caught a couple). So my question is what patterns can i tie this small. I'm fishing for trout and have been tying for a little over a year. If anyone is in NJ the river I'm talking about is the Ken Lockwood Gorge on the Raritan River.

Any comments will be appreciated

- Adrian

[oldtrout58 0]

When in doubt, I like PTs and GRHEs.

[Fletchfishes 0]

Zebra midge (18-22) behind an olive caddis larva (14-16) consistently does well there for me. Also the RS2 in a 20 seems to be a good producer. Search the web for Shannon's fly shop - they do a fishing report with recommended patterns.

 

Also, the fly tying video producer "tightline productions" on Vimeo has countless very well produced videos and his home water is the KLG.

[two_nymph_rig 0]

Tie up some midges. All you need is a few different colors of thread, a couple different colors of XS wire, and some beads. Tie up any color combinations you want. There is no right or wrong way. Some of my best flies have simply been red, black, or brown thread on a hook to imitate blood midges or black fly larva. I also think the RS2 pattern is a pretty easy tie and is most commonly tied in sizes 18-24

[adrian191 0]

Zebra midge (18-22) behind an olive caddis larva (14-16) consistently does well there for me. Also the RS2 in a 20 seems to be a good producer. Search the web for Shannon's fly shop - they do a fishing report with recommended patterns.

 

Also, the fly tying video producer "tightline productions" on Vimeo has countless very well produced videos and his home water is the KLG.

thanks. i know about shannons and tightline productions. i've only heard great things about rs2's. are you from jersey?

[Philly 0]

You didn't mention whether they were taking dries or nymphs. For size 18 and 20 I tie a bead head soft hackle PT nymphs in natural, brown and olive, a gray one tied from some Arcana chicken tail feathers my niece sent me and green weenies. If you have an old set of ear buds for an IPOD when you strip the coating off the wire you'll find copper, red and green wire fine enough for ribbing these small nymphs. For dries, I have some down sized Usuals, with a CDC rather than a dubbed body tied on straight eyed dry fly hooks. The rest of my midge patterns are tied on 1X or 2X short shrimp/caddis pupae hooks. What this does is allow you to use a hook one or two sizes larger than what you want to tie. If I want to tie a size 22, I use either a size 20 or a size 18 depending on whether the hook is a 1X or 2X short. Bodies are either wrapped CDC or fine thread with a CDC wing. Here's a picture of one that's worked well for me throughout the Northeast though I haven't fished the Gorge yet.

[utyer 0]

Anything you can tie in a size 12 or 14 could be tied in an 18 or 20. But usually when your going that small you want to simplify. Tie midge patterns like the already mentioned Zebra midge, keep them slim and simple. Just a bit of CDC or something for an emerging wing. For a dry fly, I like the Griffith Gnat, or a simple hackle fly usually a dun hackle with a gray or olive body.

 

Just so happens I was fishing those flies and sizes all day. They all produced. Caught and released 15 fish all on flies smaller than 16. It was a mix of Gnats, and black midge pupae.

[adrian191 0]

wissahickon_midge1.jpgYou didn't mention whether they were taking dries or nymphs. For size 18 and 20 I tie a bead head soft hackle PT nymphs in natural, brown and olive, a gray one tied from some Arcana chicken tail feathers my niece sent me and green weenies. If you have an old set of ear buds for an IPOD when you strip the coating off the wire you'll find copper, red and green wire fine enough for ribbing these small nymphs. For dries, I have some down sized Usuals, with a CDC rather than a dubbed body tied on straight eyed dry fly hooks. The rest of my midge patterns are tied on 1X or 2X short shrimp/caddis pupae hooks. What this does is allow you to use a hook one or two sizes larger than what you want to tie. If I want to tie a size 22, I use either a size 20 or a size 18 depending on whether the hook is a 1X or 2X short. Bodies are either wrapped CDC or fine thread with a CDC wing. Here's a picture of one that's worked well for me throughout the Northeast though I haven't fished the Gorge yet.

ohh sorry..there taking nymphs.but i also seen fish rising but no one fished dries.

[sunsignarcher 0]

I do very well with small 20,22 PT's and zebras below an 18,20 SOS in the gorge this time of year.

[Fletchfishes 0]

I'm from NJ originally, live in Boston but have family in Flemington. I fish the gorge a few times a year. Great place.

[stilis 0]

Adrian191, I fished KLG on Sunday morning early before the crowds got there, I have not been there since it was changed into a no kill.

 

For years, I have had great success there with a size 18 RS2 in grey, with a white CDC oiler puff wing tied on a Dai Riki 135 (shh,don't tell my secret). I use it as a dropper, and fish it sunk behind a tungsten beaded something or other.

 

In the slow pool upstream from the Tressel, which always has rising fish, I fish the RS2, in the surface film 2 feet behind a parachute something or other that may or may not match a hatch. If a fish rises around your parachute something or other, set the hook, as it just ate your RS2. This is good for precisely one fish before the pool is ruined, but it is a great parlor trick as guys who have been whipping the water into a froth for an hour see you do it on your first or second cast. Again, lets keep this a secret between us.

[adrian191 0]

Adrian191, I fished KLG on Sunday morning early before the crowds got there, I have not been there since it was changed into a no kill.

 

For years, I have had great success there with a size 18 RS2 in grey, with a white CDC oiler puff wing tied on a Dai Riki 135 (shh,don't tell my secret). I use it as a dropper, and fish it sunk behind a tungsten beaded something or other.

 

In the slow pool upstream from the Tressel, which always has rising fish, I fish the RS2, in the surface film 2 feet behind a parachute something or other that may or may not match a hatch. If a fish rises around your parachute something or other, set the hook, as it just ate your RS2. This is good for precisely one fish before the pool is ruined, but it is a great parlor trick as guys who have been whipping the water into a froth for an hour see you do it on your first or second cast. Again, lets keep this a secret between us.

i'll have to try. thanks. I was there on sunday from 3 to 6 and got only a couple.

[stilis 0]

 

Adrian191, I fished KLG on Sunday morning early before the crowds got there, I have not been there since it was changed into a no kill.

 

For years, I have had great success there with a size 18 RS2 in grey, with a white CDC oiler puff wing tied on a Dai Riki 135 (shh,don't tell my secret). I use it as a dropper, and fish it sunk behind a tungsten beaded something or other.

 

In the slow pool upstream from the Tressel, which always has rising fish, I fish the RS2, in the surface film 2 feet behind a parachute something or other that may or may not match a hatch. If a fish rises around your parachute something or other, set the hook, as it just ate your RS2. This is good for precisely one fish before the pool is ruined, but it is a great parlor trick as guys who have been whipping the water into a froth for an hour see you do it on your first or second cast. Again, lets keep this a secret between us.

i'll have to try. thanks. I was there on sunday from 3 to 6 and got only a couple.

 

I was there from about 6:30 am until 9, I don't like the crowds much, but wanted to catch one of those Kamloops rainbows that Shannons put in. I left for someplace less populated.

[Christopher K 0]

I'd go with the recommended midges, I've also had some luck with caddis in the 16-18 range and BWO's in the 18-20 range are good as well. I haven't fished the area in question but those are all fairly common bugs so the river should have at least one of them.

[flytire 0]

Whatever happened to doing a little investigation by turning over the rocks in the stream you are fishing and discovering what lives there? You may be surprised!

 

Is the midge always the automatic magic answer?

 

Aren't there any fly shops near the Kent Lockwood gorge?

 

Google fly patterns by tyres Aaron Jaspar and Matt Grobert