what do you guys fish when the little black stones hit the water

[NJfly 0]

I am on the east coast and the little black stones will be here soon. What do you guys find effective for the hatch. I am more curious if any of you fish soft hackles during the hatch. Dry fly fishing here is pretty sporadic at best for them.

[flytire 0]

black pheasant tails

 

[Rocco 0]

I don't normally imitate the little black stones because I learned on the Pere Marquette years ago that mid size ones are often hatching at the same time and they draw savage trout and steelhead hits.

 

My mentors there tied simple black soft hackle stonefly nymphs made with a thin body of black dubbed sparkle material --picked out a bit -- with 3-4 black pheasant tails and 2 turns of short black hen hackle on a sturdy #10 streamer or #8 nymph hook. Fished on the swing they swim much like the original emergers.

 

Rocco

[SBPatt 0]

Ive hit good hatches a few times and had decent luck with a dark #16 CDC & Elk; added a bit of orange foam as an indicator since I had trouble picking them out on the water.

 

Regards,

Scott

[tjm 0]

I like Flytire's choice. That is one I'll try.

That said I usually turn to a favorite streamer or larger soft hackle instead of trying to get the size and color just right, stone imitations have never done well for me personally.

[redietz 0]

I am more curious if any of you fish soft hackles during the hatch.

Yes. Size 18 Light Spanish Needle.

[Flicted 0]

When the little black stones hit the water I tell the darn grandkids to stop throwing rocks and I move upstream.

[ihang10 0]

.

[rstaight 0]

"When the little black stones hit the water I tell the darn grandkids to stop throwing rocks and I move upstream."

 

Knew it was coming. The people on this forum rarely disappoint.

[NJfly 0]

"When the little black stones hit the water I tell the darn grandkids to stop throwing rocks and I move upstream."

 

Knew it was coming. The people on this forum rarely disappoint.

 

That is pretty tame for a message board, lol. Thanks guys i appreciate the responses, i am a new tyer and found a cool soft hackle lbs from john collins on youtube that should work well.

[BobHRAH 0]

Black Copper Johns in appropriate size?

 

Thanks, Bob H

[Flicted 0]

The very few times I found them in the Black Hills, I did well with #10 and #12 Montana Nymph and Black Caddis.

[spiralspey 0]

Some streams around me have good hatches. I have had some luck drifting black hare's ears close the banks where the nymphs crawl out to emerge. On warm sunny days the bugs get active and there is often some decent surface action. Again, it's usually tight to the bank. I use a black bodied elk hair caddis.

[rockworm 0]

This is a great thread! The first insects I have seen come off the water around here (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) are the small black- and small brown stoneflies. (There are probably some early midge hatches as well, but the stones are so easy to see against the snow-covered banks.) Regrettably, I haven't yet had a chance to fish these hatches. Maybe this year! The flies suggested in this post so far all seem to fit the bill and I am tying a couple of each of them. I wish someone would take this idea and run an early black stone swap.

[Flicted 0]

Rockworm - Fish a Pheasant Tail Nymph with a Zebra Midge or Emerger as a dropper.