On The Fly

"Fly tying is a school from which we never graduate"

TYING NEWS
    The Oregon Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers held its 17th annual NW Fly Tiers Expo on Saturday March 26th in Eugene, OR. More than 175 of the best tiers from all over the country demonstrated their skills and talent. Over a dozen tiers from the RFF were invited this year. It was a great time as always. So much to learn, so little time.

    The Southern Oregon Fly Tiers held their monthly meeting Thursday, March 24th at the Rogue River Library. Thirteen members attended the 2 hour session which included a fly exchange, a raffle, a mystery fly challenge by Rusty Randall, and a demo of dry fly techniques by Loren Black. It's great fun, join us when you can.

    The fly tying community morns the loss of one of the greats, Poul Jorgensen passed away in his sleep on November 29, 2004 at his home on the bank of the Willowemoc Creek in Roscoe, NY. Poul passionately studied fly tying in Chicago during the 60's and eventually left his job as a mechanical engineer in 1969 to make fly tying his full-time profession. As a fly tying author, Poul wrote many books and created numerous videos. Early in my tying experience I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of his 1976 book, Modern Fly Dressings for the Practical Angler. I continue to build on those teachings today. Poul's innovation never stopped as he remained on the cutting edge of tying throughout his life. He could tie any style or category of fishing fly and explain and demonstrate his techniques for successful construction to others.

    Over the years he was responsible for promoting and developing substitute materials for endangered and protected bird and animal species. Personally he shared his knowledge with everyone who requested it. There was always time to answer a question or share a story. He continued providing fly instruction to students of all ages and skill levels. Having been recognized and received many honors over the years worldwide, he considered his induction into the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame personally his most important. Poul Jorgensen is fly fishing history, a history that will live on.

PATTERN OF THE MONTH -
by Poul Jorgensen, Large Black Stonefly Nymph

Hook -3X long salmon hook, size 2 - 6.
Thread - Black 6-0.
Underbody: Lead wire (.025") secured on either side of the shank.
Tail: Brownish-black goose biots, 1/3 body length.
Body: Brownish-black seal sub dubbing.
Rib: Dark brown or black larva lace
Wing Cases: Two folds of black Swiss Straw, a little wider than the body.
Legs: Guard hairs with underfur from the back of a rabbit, dyed black
Antenna: Brownish-black goose biots, 1/5 body length.
Head: Black tying thread and small remainder of front wing case.

Tying Instructions:
Step 1: Start by wrapping a thread base on the hook shank to a point above the barb.
Step 2: Double a short length of lead wire to shape of a hairpin and cut it to a length that will reach from above the hook point to 1/8" behind the eye. Tie it on the hook shank with the loop forward toward the eye and the lead running along each side of the hook.
Step 3: Now roll a very small amount of the seal dubbing on the tying thread and form a small ball directly above the hook barb.
Step 4: For the tail, tie in two goose biots 1/3 the body length. Fasten them directly on each side of the shank between the lead wire and the fur ball. Wind the thread up against the fur ball to splay the biots at the proper angle.
Step 5: Wind the thread to the middle and tie in the larva lace rib material under the shank. Wind the thread back to the fur ball binding the rib under the hook in the process.
Step 6: Draw out a tapered length of seal dubbing and roll a point in the end. Tie in the pointed end under the shank in front of the fur ball. Spiral the dubbing counterclockwise around the thread and holding them together wind to form a slender tapered body 2/3 body length.
Step 7: Now wind the ribbing forward in fairly close spirals and tie it off in front of the body. Make sure you leave space equal to 1/3 body length for wing cases and leg sections
Step 8: Tie in the two goose biot antennae. They should sit in an open V shape and be 1/5 the body length.
Step 9: Select a 3" length of black Swiss Straw. This material is always wrinkled and must be unraveled and refolded so it's a little wider than the front of the body. Tie it in flat against the body with the long end towards the rear. Trim the surplus and apply a sparse amount of dubbing to cover the tie-in.
Step 10: Hold the Swiss Straw flat on top of the dubbed body and let it project to the rear. Place your dubbing needle on top of the wing material at a position that is 1/3 of the dubbed body length from the front. Fold the material over the needle to form the first wing case. Tie it down directly in front of the body
Step 11: Pull the remainder of the wing case material to the rear and tie it down in front of the first wing case. Then form a dubbing loop for the leg section.
Step 12: Cut the rabbit fur and insert it into the dubbing loop. Spin the loop into a fur chenille and wind it forward stroking the fur back on every turn. Separate the fur on top and pull it down each side.
Step 13: Place your dubbing needle on the wing case material at a point even with the middle of the first wing case. Fold the material over the needle and tie it down in front of the fur leg section. Add some additional thread winding and tie off with a whip finish. Trim off the surplus wing case material close to the tie-off windings but leave enough to represent the head. Head cement and you're done.

    Stonefly nymphs are generally flat throughout their bodies and have long, segmented abdomens with two tails. They are easily distinguished from other nymphs because of their two marked wing cases. The nymph also has two antennae in the front. The first and most important consideration before starting to tie this pattern is to evaluate the proportions. This is perhaps more critical for stoneflies than any other insects because of their unique structure. Study a drawing or picture before you get started.

    There is one more important factor that makes stoneflies different from other nymphs. They have a smooth outer shell without hairy filaments, as apposed to the mayfly with its breathing gills along each side of the abdomen. The hatching period starts in spring and lasts well into the summer months. The nymph is best fished in the early morning hours when they migrate to the shallow areas of the river to hatch. Tie some up, give them a test flight, and let me know how you do.

TYING TIPS - Stonefly variations
    I've chosen this large black pattern for the tying instructions to give you the best possible visual details while learning the concept. Once learned well and practiced this same pattern can be applied to any stonefly nymph species. By simply varying the hook size and shape, or the material colors, you can match the natural in any area you choose to fish. Just make sure the proportions stay consistent as the hook sizes change.

Tie One On,
Dan Kellogg (you can contact me at FLYGUY@EZNORTHWEST.COM)