Stone Clinger Nymphs

[mike_richardson]

I had just watched a video last night sent to me by a fellow PAFF member. In this English video the tyer created one of these and used small rubber legs and added heat from a cauter gun to the legs to get them to bend. When i checked another online forum the guy tied the same pattern, but used j:son mayfly legs.

I am sending out a hairline order in the next few days. Has anyone ever used the J:Son products. They are a bit pricey but seem they would cut back on time.

I have nothing in my arsenal that has the profile of these clingers and think they could really put fish in my net.

 

[attackone]

use sewing thread, coat them in super glue and bend them how u want

 

[sandfly]

use thinned goop on thread, super glue makes em to stiff, you want some movement with them..

 

[lv2nymph]

Are you talking about these guys?

The tyer didn't happen to be Oliver Edwards ?

 

[David]

take the rubber legs and put a knot in them (or turkey feathers).

 

[DanW]

While those j:son mayfly legs "look" like insect legs, as sandfly said, you want some motion in them. I wonder just how flexible they are.

I do feel I should add that there was a time when I tried to tie flies as realistic looking as possible. But over the years I realized flies that are suggestive of the insect you're imitating work just as well, if not better, than a fly that looks exactly like the insect. I think it was one successful day when I had caught several fish on the same GR Hares Ear and that poor fly was so chewed up there was only a little dubbing left and a few frayed strands of the peacock herl I use for the wing case (a Gary Borger tip), and it was still catching fish. That was when I realized it wasn't worth the time or effort to try making an exact copy of the insect. Color and size/proportions are what is really important. A little picked out dubbing at the thorax does a good enough job of suggesting legs instead of very real looking rubber legs that may not move anything like real insect legs in the water. IMHO, flies that look exactly like the insect are more attractive to fisherman than fish.

That said, if you enjoy spending time at the vice to make a fly as realistic looking as possible then by all means go for it. It's just my opinion that it isn't necessary to catch fish.

 

[Chooch]

While I like to make my nymphs as realistic as possible, movement will always trump realism. The thing I don't like about the legs in the picture is they are just too stiff. Not only do they not move, but I also do not think they would feel "real" to a trout. Further, I do not like flies with stiff materials because I believe they offer resistance to getting in a trout's mouth. To each his own I guess.

 

[mike_richardson]

The main reason i want to tie these, is beacause how many guys have the profile of these nymphs in thier boxes. Most of the guys your will see on the stream will have your typical flies with slight to no tapers, Rarely do I have any fly with the triangular look to them.

I am definetly interested in learning as much as i can on the european methods. I will let you all know how these J:Son legs turn out.

 

[PennKev]

lv2nymph wrote:
Are you talking about these guys?

The tyer didn't happen to be Oliver Edwards ?

In my opinion, the legs on those flies are the least realistic looking parts and kinda stand out like a sore thumb.

In my experience, trying to imitate legs that closely on actual fishing flies is not worth the effort. I have done much better with more impressionistic methods like pulling a soft hackle feather over the thorax and ribbing with thread, palmering a hackle, or just tying in some soft hackle or PT tail fibers at the front of the thorax.

Mayfly and stonelfly nymphs are complex critters and despite our best efforts our attempts at exact replication often result in less realistic, although anatomically correct, flies.

Also, I don't buy the "movement" argument when selecting materails for typical nymphs used for trout. Unless we're talking marabou, cdc, or oversized rubber legs, the materals we tie with just don't provide much movement in the lengths used to tie a size 12 or smaller fly. Even the materials I mentioned don't actualy move all that much when tying in those sizes. Rather i think we should select materials and methods that *suggest* movement. Translucency, color, and creating the look of what would be the blurred outline of real life moving legs, fins, and gills is what I go for.

On the other hand, a big nymph like a size 8 stone on a 3x long hook, or big hex nymph is a great opportunity to incorporate movement.

Kev

 

[lv2nymph]

I agree with the fact you don't have to tie exact imitations to catch fish, and that a general size and shape will work. This style nymph is not the only one I tie and fish, I find myself wanting to tie this style from time to time and I do enjoy the time spent making them. Whether the fact you like the way it looks or not it's produced fish for me when other nymphs have not.The fact is this particular pattern does indeed catch trout alot of trout actually, I'm not trying to change anyones mind about this, tying is a very personal thing,we all like what we like.

 

[mike_richardson]

lv2Nymph

Those are the exact flies I was looking for. I ordered the osteritch hearl, the nymph legs, and mono eyes (i dont feel like burning myself ) what is the feather that you apply glue to, and what material gets folded back over for the head? want to be sure i have all i need. if you can give me a rough recipe that would be great. i ordered the chewee skin as well. in the demonstration he twists the osteritch around this and then wraps for durability. i ordered olive and brown for osteritch, any other colors you can think of.

Thanks for the input!

 

[lv2nymph]

Pm sent Mike.

 

[LongLineRelease]

You can also form a joint in rubber legs with a dot of zap-a-gap. Stretch out the leg, touch the back side with zap a gap, Hold for a count of 5, and slowly release. The leg will have a kink in it, but remain flexible.

 

[OldLefty]

Fly-tying is a game of creativity and compromise and the fly-tyer has the freedom to choose from many options. We can tie to suggest or we can tie to imitate. There's a bunch of space in between. I like to suggest particular characteristics of the particular nymph I'm tying to represent a specific critter.

There are some nymphs which have a more pronounced taper to their abdomen than others. Some have very prominent gills while others have robust legs. Some are very flat while others are somewhat flat.

While I really find Oliver Edwards' nymphs appealing to the eye I don't believe they produce more fish than some other ties. One comment I must make is directed to something that was said earlier. I believe size, shape and color are important. I also believe that incorporating materials that move/can be moved by the current can enhance the effectiveness of a pattern; however, I believe that the movement should be in the area of the nymph where the trout are accustomed to see that movement as in gills and legs. In larger patterns enhancement can be in the form of an articulated (wiggle) nymph pattern. Bottom line is, it's up to the tyer/fisher. We have a common goal in this pursuit: to fool the trout!

So much of this is tyer/fisher speculation and using a little logic.
I've included an example of a real Epeorus pleuralis nymph and an imitation.

 

[Fredrick]

Great tie I'm still waiting on that book Dave :-D

 

[lv2nymph]

Yep, good looking tie Dave.

 

[Leteras]

Here are some stones I tied up for the Cabin Fever Show last Sunday.

 

[lv2nymph]

They look great Lateras. I remember when these were first posted.

 

[mooney4]

Count me in on one of those books Dave!!! Hahahahah

 

[gfen]

Fish eat what's alive, they don't want carrion. Your flies are wonderfully inert little specimins of non-life. They don't have nearly the amount of draw as OldLefty's example which lack the photorealistic touches to them but make upf or it in fibers that will move and pulse in the water, hold tiny bubbles of air, and generally look like something alive.

Tying lifelike bugs isn't something new, its simply somehting that didn't work so people went bzck to wrapping a feather on a hook.

Your dealing with a fish that has a brain the size of a pea. Don't overthink it.