gurubugger

Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (Whitlock) (#10-16) and Pheasant Tails (#12-20) - both with and without beads - they are deadly patterns!

I use grizzly wet saddle in brown, black, olive and natural, tied in by the tip so the shorter hackle is toward the rear, and pointed to the rear of the fly as well, counter wrapped with wire for durability, and then I often finish the fly with guinea feather as a collar, dyed in the proper color.

Don't forget Dave Whitlock's Red Fox Squirrel Nymph - size #8-18 - it's a killer pattern and has accounted for many trout for me. I've had 50 fish fish days on this pattern - use it when the GRHE isn't producing, and try it with a Pheasant Tail as a dropper - awesome combo!

I've been using a Regal Inex for over 20 years - my wife bought it for me, what a sweetie. I have to say, it has served every need, but for the smallest of flies. I'm considering upgrading the jaws to the stainless version, which hold hook sizes down to #32. It's a fantastic vise, IMO. I'm currently tying Circus Peanuts in size #6 & #8. Great fly, great vise - look out, Louie Lunker!

Well, I was right about that! I've been using this pattern above a Pheasant Tail nymph during Baetis hatches and it has performed very well. I used a faceted titanium bead and medium Ultra wire on a heavy #12 scud hook - really gets down in a hurry and I like that. I've been catching most of my trout on the PT nymph but every 4th or 5th trout takes the caddis pupa. One of them was a nice 17" rainbow that looked like he came out of a pond - super thick fish! Great pattern!

Nice! Really like the look of this nymph - going to add it to my Baetis arsenal ASAP! I bet the trout on the Big Horn will gobble this pattern. Thanks! : )

Excellent photos! Yeah, August was a tough month out here - many of the Yellowstone tributaries are running at 80% of average, or even lower. The Yellowstone at Billings is currently at 63% of average for this time of year. The Madison is much better, with most stretches of the river at or near average flows. It is fishing quite well right now with daily hatches of Baetis and Pseudocloeon mayflies - nymphing is excellent on both the upper and lower river. Dry fly fishing can be good at times, but these mayflies are running from tiny to almost impossible to see. I usually nymph right through these hatches unless I see some big noses sticking up. There are also some large caddis on the lower river right now and I often pick up some nice trout on a hotwire pupa. We are about to see a big change in the weather, which I am looking forward to as the fire season has been horrible with major blazes that have scorched about 30,000 acres in Paradise Valley, Gallatin Canyon and Bear Trap Canyon on the lower Madison.

I really dig the design of this fly and can't wait to try it tomorrow on the lower Madison. I think it will be a great pattern for me and will be a fantastic lead fly on a two fly rig! Thanks!

Just tied a few Circus Peanuts yesterday, in white - this is a pattern that, like the Wooly Bugger, benefits from some experimentation, and one that has produced some very nice trout for me, including a 25" Yellowstone brown trout. One doesn't have to land many trout in that size class to quickly become a fan of this great pattern. One of my favorite big fish flies, I often fish it on a floating line cast to the bank while drifting in a raft or boat, but have also caught many trout on the Circus Peanut on sinking tips or shooting heads at the tails of pools and runs while wading. My favorite colors are olive, white and black.

This pattern was developed by an old fishing buddy, Brett Smith, formerly of Billings, MT. When we first started fishing this fly on the Bighorn it such a hot pattern that we used little else in the cold winter months. I'm twisting up a few today!

I often use Krazy Glue. I've sat in with Dan Delekta on a few tying clinics and he simply coats a short segment of the thread with Krazy Glue, wraps it down, waits a moment and cuts the thread. Perhaps a half-hitch or two, but no whip finish - he does this on all his Delekatble nymphs and so do I. So far I've never had one fail. On large streamers I often use Griff's, Flexament or Hard As Nails. Jim Teeny uses Hard As Nails exclusively - great guy!

Nice conehead-buggers! I tie them that way too- also with rubber legs - a set of two to a side, about a third of the way back from the eye. I often use a collar of peacock herl behind the cone too - it gives the fly sort of a fishy profile and peacock adds a quality that trout sometimes find irresistible. One of my favorite colors is white - I've taken some of my best brown trout on white or white and pink conehead woolly-buggers - and sometimes surprisingly small buggers can take big trout. Taff Price also wrote a great nymph pattern book - Tying & Fishing The Nymph (1995) - one of my favorites, highly recommended!

Don't count this pattern out for trout - I landed a robust 25" Yellowstone brown trout last Sunday on an olive Circus Peanut - this has quickly become my favorite big trout streamer!