Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'baetis'.
Found 6 results
-
Video on why and how to tie the Midge-May Be: https://youtu.be/qk5DegDRtnU A midge to Baetis crossover pattern with trident tails like seen on Baetis mayflies but tied with a downwing like a midge. The Midge-May Be has a body profile that suggests both insects--that is--- a segmented yet thin abdomen leading up to a leggy thorax. The fly also introduces a new wing material, CPE, that has a milky translucency like that seen on both naturals, yet is durable and tear-resistant. Besides being a crossover pattern that has features of two insect families, the Midge-May Be is also designed to lay flat down in a depression it makes on the water surface as well as dimpling the surface film--like the phantom midge does in the video. The Baetis-like tails are thought cross over to look like the legs of a midge--midges who hold their front legs out in front of them like antennas. The tail/legs are thought important to the flies performance is that the tails and palmered fly body press into the film, depressing it and, at the same time dimpling it. Depression and dimpling of the film is thought to be an early visual clue to a trout that food may be floating towards them. Recipe Hook: I use a wide-gape dry-fly hook. Like a Firehole 419 light wire 2x gape hook or a Tiemco 100 sp-bl heavy wire 1.5x gape hook. Hook Size: Because the Midge-May Be is a midge and Baetis mayfly crossover need hook that spans the size of both those insect families. In the Central Rockies, river-based midges roughly span a size from 18 on down. Baetis span a size range of about 16-24. The crossover is about size 20 but can be a size 18 in the spring when the hatching insects tend to be larger. In the Fall, If needed, I fish it in a size 22 or 24. I don't tie this fly below size 24, because such small hooks often require playing the fish to exhaustion to land it. Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk 20D black. I keep the body as thin as possible because midges and Baetis both have a thin abdomen tapering slightly up to a rounded leggy Thorax. I tie in the thread and wind it using side by side wraps back the hook bend where I lash in the tails. Tails: I cut off three straight hairs from patch of moose body, even the tips up, and lash them at the hook bend projecting out at a length equal to the hook shank. I then pass the thread between hairs and pull to flair them out into a trident-like array. The tails are important to this flies performance. First of all, the tails act as outriggers to help the fly land upright on the surface film as well as by adding flotation help keep the fly floating parallel to the water surface. Second, the tails suggest midge legs or Baetis tails-- a key crossover feature because while midges do not have tails-- many species hold their front legs out front of them in an antenna-like way. In any case, trout don't seem to care/know which end is which on a tiny fly, nor can they count the number of tails/legs so its not unreasonable to expect they could be taken either as tails or legs. Finally, the tails/legs are thought important to the flies performance in that the tails press into the film, depressing and dimpling it making an early clue to a trout that food may be floating towards them. The palmered hackle on the fly body, tied in next, adds to the dimpling effect. Body: Palmered grizzly hackle trimmed flat-- reverse Mohawk style -- so fly is lays flat and low down in a depression its made in the film --as well as further dimpling the film -- again as shown in the video-- common for midges and mayflies lay low in water. The stem of the palmered hackle makes for a segmented abdomen like seen on both midges and mayflies. Further, the palmered hackle trimmed flat sitting under the translucent wing used here makes for a diffusely-lit fuzzy bodied fly-- which by the response of the fish--is thought to be alluring to trout. Wing: For wing material, I use strips cut from a frosted CPE (chlorinated polyethylene) bag. You can buy 4 mil thick bags from Ebay for $9/100. CPE is a durable, tear-resistant lightweight plastic. CPE's frosting lets a diffuse light through unto palmered hackle-- lighting up the body like would happen on the naturals. If needed, I use a strip cut from the bags welded seam to make a stiffer doubled wing. The strip is cut to about 2mm wide and 10-15 mm long for ease of handling. Before lashing in the wing, I make several winds of thread just behind the hook eye to make a platform for the wing so that it is not wedged upward by the thickness of the palmered hackle. This platform allows the wing such to project more or less parallel to the the flat-cut hackle and hook shank. Trim the wing into a V-shape and a length just short of hook bend after lashing it in. Double Whip finish.
-
The WD40 was originally designed by Mark Engler. Word on the street says that he designed this while working in a fly shop in the west. He made a pattern that was relatively easy to tie, and worked well in small sizes, which was what was needed on these small fly streams. This fly became so popular at his local fly shop, that he could not keep up with the demand of tying it. So the shop quickly turned to others to tie this fly, and instantly the fly became a world wide success, stocked in all fly shops in the United States, and later the world. So this fly originally uses Wood Duck (the W.D. part of the name). However, wood duck is very expensive for a small amount of it. Also I find that the pattern on it is finer, and softer than Mallard Flank. So I use the less expensive and easier to find mallard flank for this fly. Not only is it more readily available and less expensive than wood duck, it also comes in a wider range of colors. For this specific fly I used the one died to look like wood duck, however you can find this in gray, brown, olive, yellow, exc. The list goes on and on. These range of colors allow you to tie this fly in many colors to mimic your local bug species. So maybe I should call the fly the MF40? LOL So as always I am listing the materials I used on this fly. Hook: Daiichi 1130 in size 18 Thread: Veevus 10/0 in brown Tail/wingcase: Wood Duck Gold Mallard Flank Ribbing: Small/Gold Ultra Wire Dubbing: Brown Hareline Rabbit Dubbing Head Cement: Hard as hull
-
This WD40 variation is one of my favorites. I like heavy flies for lead flies, and tying it with a Tungsten bead really helps it get down deep. Also the flashiness of the Evil Olive fly helps to attract fish a bit more, when flash might be needed. Slightly stained water or when the fish just aren't as picky. Dropping a small midge, traditional WD40 or even an emerger on the back end of this fly helps get the fish that are a little less anxious to bite. So as always I am listing what materials I used on this fly below the video. Also keep in mind that the list of materials here are just suggestions, and ones I used on this specific fly. That does not mean you have to use these exact colors or products. Experiment, and come up with your own version of this pattern if you want. Or use a different hook, or different thread. These are the materials I find work best, but get creative, or just use what you have. Hook: Firehole Sticks #316 in size 14 Hook: Daiichi 1120 Bead: 2.8mm/Gold Tungsten Bead Thread: Veevus 10/0 in Olive Wire: UTC Ultrawire Small/Gold Tail/Wingcase: Mallard Flank Dubbing: Peacock Ice Dub Legs: Pearl Krystal Flash Resin: Solarez "Thin Hard"
- 2 replies
-
- evil olive
- fly tying
-
(and 3 more)
Tagged with:
-
These are quite popular mayfly (baetis) patterns because they sink quickly due to the two beads. Where I was fishing on the Animas, the water was very murky, and I had to get deep to reach them. The trout were looking for mayfly nymphs, and this worked great. Also the flashabou back really adds to the flash and noticeability of this fly. Hook: Umpqua U101 size 18 Tail: Michrofibbets Weight: 2 quantity of 2mm sized brass beads Thread: Ultra Thread 70 dark brown Rib: Ultra Wire - small - dark olive Thorax: super fine dubbing - brown Legs: Partridge neck feather Thorax casing: Flashabou Adhesive: Solarez UV Curing Resin - Bone Dry formula
-
The WD-40 Is a very proven pattern for fishing streams and rivers for trout. It can be used as a BWO Baetis emerger or even a very effective searching pattern. The trout seem to not be able to say no to this fly! Its one of those patterns that just works, and is fairly easy to tie. You only need mallard flank feather, thread, and some type of fine dubbing. Hook: Umpqua U202 size 18 (but you can use any curved hook in a wide range of sizes). Wing/Tail: Mallard Flank Casing: Super Dry Dubbing Thread: 8/0 brown/olive thread (commonly tied olive, black, brown, and gray) Music: Sunny, Happiness - Bensound.com
- 18 replies
-
- WD 40fly tying
- nymph
-
(and 3 more)
Tagged with:
-
Can't find aquatic entomologists locally. What should I do?
leftyangler posted a topic in Entomology
I want to identify mayfly in my area. Having problems to ID and that affects my confidence during the already technical fall baetis hatch at local spring creeks. I'm sure attached are within "Baetidae". But as you can see, these are not typical "dark olive", which we usually fish for at this time of year. What we typically call BWO around here are, regardless of technical latin or classification, dark-olive and sizes 20 & 22. But these are gray, light gray, or even light olive body. One even has somewhat reddish/pinkish abdomen! And majority of these are size 24. Another problem is that I can't find aquatic entomologists around here (quite a shame as our area is one of top fly-fishing destinations in Montana, if not entire US.....). What should I do? I know Troutnut and Westfly websites. Is there anybody I can send my pics and viral samples?- 5 replies
-
- spring creek
- baetis
-
(and 2 more)
Tagged with: