The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

The Best Anglers Never Stop Learning

Nymph

Rubber Leg Stonefly Variant

Insect Species Icon Golden Stonefly, Salmonfly, Skwala Stone and 1 others
Difficulty Icon Easy - 5-7 Min
Water Category Icon Coldwater

Tying Video

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Tying Recipe
  • Hook: Caddis curved size #8
  • Bead: 5/32″ black nickel tungsten bead
  • Thread: UTC 70 denier olive
  • Tail: Goose biots olive
  • Body: SLF squirrel dubbing brown olive
  • Wing case: Thin skin
  • Thorax: SLF squirrel dubbing brown olive
  • Legs: Size medium olive barred round rubber legs
  • Antennae: Goose biots olive
  • Glue: Clear UV resin over the wing case transitioning to the bead
  • Hook: Straight wire hooks work fine with this.
  • Bead: Tungsten beads work best, but feel free to use any that you have available.
  • Thread: Any thin to medium thread will work
  • Tail: If you don’t have goose or turkey biots available, try substituting them with rubber legs for extra movement!
  • Body: Any color and type of dubbing will work, try to use a natural dubbing, as ice dubs and other synthetics become overpowering with the amount used on this fly.
  • Wing case: Thin skin is the best for a durable wing case, but turkey tails and pheasant tails can substitute.
  • Thorax: Use the same dubbing in the thorax as the body.
  • Legs: Any round rubber legs will work, barred legs give a little contrast.
  • Antennae: Same with the tail, rubber legs will always be a great substitute.
  • Glue: Clear UV resin will be your friend here, or some thicker head cement.

Like many stonefly nymph patterns, this is also one that you can really play around with and have fun. Substituting different materials and colors can make for some great patterns that will really stand out among the others. Consider adding some small or brassie sized wire for some great ribbing along the body, that will add some durability as well. Doing this you can really change up the pattern by replacing the body without having to worry about durability. Try using turkey tail feathers or even peacock herl! The biot antennae can be replaced for small round rubber legs to really get some movement out of this pattern. You can use pretty much anything for every part of this fly so dig through the stock for some great flies!

A more natural looking pattern than just a pats rubber legs, this fly will certainly fool some more selective trout in clear water. With only two sets of rubber legs to hold this fly up, the tungsten bead can plummet to the bottom a bit faster as well. This not only puts this fly in the strike zone quicker, but all the flies that you might have tagged off of this guy on your nymph rig with it. This fly is a great quick stonefly pattern that will cause less headaches at the vice, and catch fish all the same.

Fish this fly deep as the lead fly on your favorite nymph rig and see what comes up off the bottom with this lodged in its mouth. With an oversized tungsten bead, this fly wont need as much split-shot to find the bottom, and you’ll know when it gets there. Dead drift this fly as cleanly as possible and without any extra movement in your drift for the best results, as stoneflies only crawl along the bottom and can’t swim properly like some other bugs.

Golden Stonefly

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West
Golden Stonefly
Sizes: #8 - #16
Region: Northwest
Golden Stonefly
Sizes: #8 - #16
Region: East
Golden Stonefly
Sizes: #8 - #16
Region: Midwest
Golden Stonefly
Sizes: #8 - #16

Green Stone

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest, Midwest
Green Stone
Sizes: #12 - #18

Salmonfly

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest
Salmonfly
Sizes: #6 - #14

Skwala Stone

Regional Hatch Chart Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Region: West, Northwest
Skwala Stone
Sizes: #12 - #16

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