Fly Tying: Suggestive Movements

The Copper Demon utilizes a dense tuft of marabou for the tail. SwittersB

This Timberline Emerger has a chickaboo tail. SwittersB

This Timberline Emerger has a tail comprised of filoplume or aftershaft plumage from the base of the feather. SwittersB

Seductive movements at the rear of the fly as it sinks, swings, rises or pulses forward can be had with feather parts often found at the base of the feather stem. Marabou, Chickabou, Filoplume are all feather components or styles of genetically modified hackle (Henry Hoffman). Regardless, the feather barbs offer suggestive movements from a natural fly tying component. These same feather barbs can be used for dense wings over the top of the fly as well (not too much though). These patterns have been primarily stillwater patterns in the surface film and in the upper water column.

I feel good about myself that I didn’t resort to provocative header of sexy rear, sexy tail, shake your booty or some such title that would have garnered me extra hits out of Yemen, Pakistan or Riyadh. I am way overdue for my quarterly provocative skin shot. I have come a long way or my testosterone levels are depleted.

Fly Tying: Timberline Emerger Pattern for Stillwaters

This is a great lake pattern and although I have shown it before, I did not take the flies I tied and put them in the lake boxes. I came upon a dozen stuck away in an empty hook box. Into the fly box they go for any emerging Callibaetis mayflies.  Timberline Emerger

Fly Tying: Timberline Emerger~Stillwater Callibaetis

Well, I tied these and then noticed I forgot the copper wire ribbing. There sets the spool of fine copper wire and not one piece or ribbing used. It will work. Hardest part (and not hard) is pairing two hackle tips of the same size and tying them in. The tips should not extend back beyond the abdomen; even shorter perhaps. I dubbed this body and it is a little ragged. The missing ribbing would have helped bind down some of the errant fibers. (Timberline Emerger Pattern). I presented this once before with the ribbing (see 7/19/09). Tie it in tan or gray (original). I use chickaboo feathers instead of marabou fibers.

Emerger (Different Sizes and Colors)

Timberline Emerger

 The Timberline Emerger by Kaufmann was originally tied for a stillwater mayfly…the Callibaetis. I have started experimenting with this pattern by replacing the grey tail and body with an olive chickaboo tail and olive dubbing. I have maintained the copper ribbing and grizzly hackle tip wings. Of course, the original pattern is awesome.  Simplistic and reliable.

Callibaetis Emerger

The Orb Callibaetis Emerger (Early Verson w/o Ostrich)~G. Muncy

This was an early version of The Orb. I still wanted the glowing gas bubble of the emerging adult I had observed on Oregon’s East Lake. I experimented with pheasant tail fibers for the tail and the backstrap ala the Skip Nymph seeking the dark over light abdomen. Later, I would replace the pheasant tail fibers with Ostrich feather fibers for more animation.

The Orb Emerger w/ Ostrich Instead of Pheasant Tail~G. Muncy

Now, I know I might appear to be beating this pattern’s drum too much, but I believe in it’s successes and the concept based upon several observation periods of the pre hatch phase of the Callibaetis Mayfly. I believe there are several fine nymph patterns and emerger patterns for the Callibaetis. The Timberline Emerger comes to mind. I would only suggest that when the duns are coming off, fish the surface with this fine pattern or your version with the shimmering glass bead.   

The Orb's Possibilities

Timberline Emerger~G. Muncy

Here PlanetTrout incorporates two positives of the glowing bead and the vertical in the film posture with The Bubble Boy:

All this gets close to the Callibaetis Nymphs I saw several inches below the surface glowing bright in the thorax and positioned diagonally. They emerged so quickly that it was hard to tell if they lingered in the film for a micro second. Either way, there is something here to explore for the stillwater fisher or anyone experimenting with mayfly emergers.