Little Early Stoneflies

[Fishidiot]

I've been seeing little black stones all over the place in recent weeks. I suppose the nice water flows and unseasonably warm temps probably has something to do with it. Of course, these guys are a staple for early season fishing and I've always seen some of these "snow flies" in mid winter.....but this year they seem to me to be unusually early and abundant. Saw some fish rising to them today, so did some tying tonight after dinner. The ones I saw today were small, about #22s although there were some big ones mixed in so tied up a few in #16. I think the key with these flies is to maintain a very narrow profile. These guys are just black hackle palmered over a black thread body and topped with a single gray hackle tip "jassid" style. Here's hoping you're seeing these guys too - a great harbinger of spring.

 

[FrequentTyer]

Looks like a nice pattern!

 

[Fishidiot]

Thanks.
I think the photo creates the appearance that they're thicker than they actually are. I try to tie these flies very narrow and very sparse.

 

[blackandgold4ever05]

Very nice pattern!

 

[outsider]

I tie some of my stoneflies using the same pattern, with a darker wing.

 

[Stogie26]

looks like a perfect pattern for winter stoneflies

 

[1wt]

Excellent! Where do you get your tan hackle from?

 

[Fishidiot]

1wt wrote:
Excellent! Where do you get your tan hackle from?

Thanks. I have no idea where the hackle came from. My necks are so old they have lost their original bags/labels etc.

 

[just_jon]

FI - Wondering how you fish these. I have fished a similar pattern (black hackle tipe wing) for many years and generally had success only when skating them. Always wondered if others fished it the same way.

 

[Fishidiot]

JJ,
These are dries and I've done well fishing them both dead drift and skated. Little stones, in my experience, are big "skaters" and are often taken with a splashy rise......but this isn't always the case.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Fishidiot - Your ties are always enjoyable to see. I really like the thought that goes into them.

Not to belittle your pattern, rather to validate your thinking - this fly was tied by someone I knew out this way, and it was the best he could come up with to match the tiny black stoneflies we call "snowflies". This picture was taken about a decade ago, but the pattern was a good bit older than that - long before digital cameras and the internet came into popular use...

 

[YoughnessMonster]

Very simple looking. Have to give it a try

 

[blackandgold4ever05]

I have a dun colored neck that I think the tips would work decently for these wings?

 

[Fishidiot]

HA,
Thanks - the pattern you posted is a better picture of what is essentially a similar fly. I trim the hackle a bit on the underside to try and effect a "flatter" float.

Blackandgold,
Dun tips would probably be fine I suppose. Little stones tend to be very dark and very slender but if you scrutinize them carefully, you'll note their wings often tend toward the gray tones.