Here’s a little peek into my primary fly box I carry with me on the creek. It contains a variety of dries and nymphs, some of which consist of highly classified color combinations. I can fit enough into this little box to keep me fishing for days. I always have liked a minimalist approach to fly fishing. So, how big is your fly box?
Most of the dry flies tend to be of the parachute or sparkle dun variety and nymphs are a combination of bead and non-beadhead types.
In my latest fly fishing report, “New Flies, Broken Bones, and Brook Trout”, I mentioned the use of some new flies. These included flies tied by Tyler Legg of Tar Heel Fly Fishing, which are the Extended Body Inchworm and the Vinyl Rib Stone
Extended Body Inchworm
Summer is a great time of year to fly fish with terrestrial patterns including imitations of the inchworm. Tyler’s version is a nice foam bodied design with excellent visibility on the water. When I set out to try the EBI, I decided that catching or not catching fish wouldn’t be a factor in any sort of critique. Not that I’m actually qualified to critique anything in the first place, but even the best lures can fail to catch finicky fish from time to time. The EBI provides great visibility on the water, and casts exceptionally well. This combination truly makes it a joy to fish making it more like floating a small piece of artwork through the riffles, with the added anticipation of the site and sounds of an anxious fish popping the surface. As I mentioned, flotation is good, and the visibility continues, even when pulled under the surface by varying currents. I did apply some gel floatant to the Inchworm, but it may not really be necessary.
Extended Body Inchworm On The Water. Unfortunately I forgot my good camera!
Key Points of The Extended Body Inchworm
A Little Evidence. Brook Trout on EBI
Tyler’s Extended Body Inchworm is available at Casters Fly Shop
Mr. Legg’s other fly I had intended to try was the Vinyl Rib Stone. Ultimately I was unable to give it a fair test on the last trip, but I did not want to leave it unmentioned. This Stonefly imitator is very well tied, and if you are looking for a large stonefly nymph imitator that is heavy and will get down deep in a hurry, this fly would certainly not be a bad choice at all. I have a few really deep pools I hope to try it out in soon.
The Vinyl Rib Stone
The Vinyl Rib Stone is also available at Casters Fly Shop.
I read a lot about fly fishing purists and their refusal to use certain types of flies or lures in their fishing endeavors. Two of the most commonly debated flies are the San Juan Worm and the Egg pattern.
I consider myself to be at least a semi-purist( I guess that’s similar to being semi-pro ). I say that because I have never used the egg pattern, but on a recent fly fishing trip to Pisgah National Forest, I gave the San Juan worm a try. In fact I used the San Juan worm with a Red fox nymph dropper. I have to say that the Rainbow trout I caught on this setup were all taken with the nymph dropper and none on the San Juan Worm. That being the case, granted this was only one outing, the San Juan did not prove itself to be so effective that it should be considered too easy to catch fish with. It was no magic bullet in this case.
Rainbow trout caught and released on Red Fox nymph dropper.
I’m sure it will work, but on this trip it did not work for me even when fished without a nymph dropper. Some of the hang up may be that the San Juan is very easy to tie, requiring very little fly tying skill to produce. If we can tie flies to imitate other natural creatures like grasshoppers, mayflies, caddis flies, and insects in various stages of maturity, then why should a worm be any different?
I haven’t tried the egg pattern, and more than likely I won’t. That’s the semi-purist in me I suppose. There the again, the egg pattern is one of those extremely easy, quick tying, low skill lures. It’s my belief that that is where the disdain for lures of this type really begins. Tying traditional and newer more contemporary flies can take a lot of skill as well as preserving the traditions of fly tying that began several hundred years ago. My opinion, use whatever lure you like as long as it falls with the legal to use category for the designated stream you are fishing.