La Fontaine’s Sparkle Pupa’s (don’t overdress the antron shroud)

The La Fontaine Sparkle Pupa and Emergent Sparkle Pupa are considered Caddis Pupa staples by many, but try as I may, I almost always over dress them and defeat the intended purpose of an air bubble shroud. I photographed two of my flies I tied last year and included a pupa tied by Deadhead. His is correct and mine are overdressed. Do mine work? They seem to, but never as well as a Bead Head Pupa like the Harriet. So, do not over dress this pattern I think my thorax and wing are ok, but the antron or z-lon shroud are overdone on the top one and just passable on the green one.  

Emergent Sparkle Pupa ~ G. Muncy

Emergent Sparkle Pupa ~ G. Muncy

 

 LaFontaine’s Sparkle Pupa

hook: size 10-18 Tiemco 3769 or other 2x heavy nymph hook
thread: 6/0 UNI, brown
head: tan or beige antron dubbing.
wing: elk hair
body: antron yarn (or dubbing), amber, amber/ginger mix, or gray
pupa case: amber antron
body: amber antron
tail: antron yarn, clear or white

LaFontaine's Sparkle Pupa ~ Deadhead @ Roughfisher.com

Placehook in vise and wrap thread to hook bend. Tie in white antron yarn, leaving the length of fibers about one hook length as the tail. Wrap thread to mid-hook and tie in two bunches of amber antron yarn, one on top and one on bottom of hook shank. Wrap thread back to hook bend. Tie in another piece of amber antron yarn. Wrap thread forward to 2/3 of hook length. Wrap (palmer) the antron yarn around the hook, 2/3 of the length, building a body. Tie off and trim. Pull amber antron forward, over the the top and bottom of the hook shank, to form the pupa case, making sure to leave a pocket around the hook shank. Tie off and trim. Take a small pinch of elk hair, clean the underfur, and stack. Tie in as the wing, one hook length. Trim. Add beige/tan dubbing and wrap to just behind the hook eye. Whip finish, forming a slight head with the thread. Tie off and epoxy the threads.

Using antron yarn to form a pupa case is unique, as it simulates a trapped gas bubble often found in emerging caddis pupae.    

http://www.roughfisher.com/    http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1059993

Bloody Mary Nymph (dropper pattern)

Bloody Mary Nymph ~ G. Muncy

Originally tied by Darryl Smoot of Yakima.

(These tying instructions courtesy of: http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=10668
“~Add bead
~Tie in Biot tails
~Tie in one strand of peacock herl
~Tie in Red Floss and build body
~Tie off and whip finish/half hitch
~Coat body with thick-ish tying cement (I have not done this and it might be good idea or wrap with thin copper wire)
~Wrap Peacock over wet cement to set and lock in place
~Using the rest of that strand or by tying in another, build thorax of peacock herl
~Tie off and let dry
~Tie in collar hackle (Cheap India Hen back or whatever)  (I used Starling hackle here)
~Wrap hackle (I tend to over hackle,… probably just need a couple wraps)
~Tie off and whip finish
~Go fish. I dead drift mine like a regular nymph most often, but it works well swung in the wet fly manner too. Enjoy.”

Use this pattern like you would a Pheasant Tail Nymph, Copper John, Lightning Bug, Hare’s Ear, Zug Bug……….I have had more success using this as a dropper rather than alone. This makes me think it is more presentation than anything.

Valentine’s Day Reminder (4 days to plan something…at least a card)

V DAy Reminder

So, do you have something planned? Probably too late for a reservation some place she’d like to go, so a Class B, Second Choice place will have to do at this point. A card? You have to remember to buy that card Friday or Saturday morning; the pickings will be slim. At least spend five minutes selecting the card, and maybe this year don’t make it a humorous card. Flowers? Sure, that will be the day. But candy that you will be sure to like. My only deal is the Portland Fly Fishing Show is this coming weekend…I could go on Sunday, I guess. Well, my reminder will help you keep the day on the mind…so do something.

Biofilament (now you see it….later you won’t; innovation for the habitat)

Recently, at the Portland Sportsman’s Show, I met Wayne Black, the Manager of Bioline of Portland, Oregon. Wayne was helpful in providing materials on the revolutionary fishing line. Originally, the Wayne and his associate, Pat Ferguson provided degrading suture materials for medicine. They took that technology and converted the fine tuned process into Bioline. The whole operation is now devoted to the development and sales of Bioline. The line remains 100% effective on your spool for upto 1 year and then the degrading process starts. Within 5 years the material is 99% goner’s along with the spool it came on. That is compared to the hundreds of years it would take regular mono to degrade. I used some as tippet material this weekend and found it to tie knots just fine and to have low memory. It seemed thicker than my usual line, but it seemed to fish just fine. It is going to come in 4#, 6,8,10,12 and 20# spools at prices commensurate to say fluoro spools but for more line: 210 yards.

   Wayne said the company is working on distributors now. Perhaps this is the wave for the future. How nice for drift fisherman to not leave gobs of line in the water and on the shore. Still there for awhile, yes, but stil better than current hundred of years.

www.biolinefishing.com         Wayne Black   (502) 517-8001