This is the lava of a Caddis fly (or Sedge) and is common from September through to December particularly in the flooded margins of lakes. Can be fished relatively static as a prospecting fly with a very slow retrieve or used as an ambush fly when polaroiding.
The Montana nymph was developed in the earlier days of fly fishing in Montana America as an imitation for a stonefly. It has two distinct uses. The first is as a bait fly when fished behind a bead head nymph in faster rivers and streams. The second use is as as a middle dropper fly in a team of lock style flies in still water where the the flash of red, yellow, orange or pink in the thorax it make it a great attractor pattern.
I carry this fly in my lake box rather than my nymph box because I use it in lakes rather than rivers. For me it is a great middle dropper fly in a team of lock style flies in still water where the the flash of red, yellow, orange or pink in the thorax it make it a great attractor pattern.
In fast flowing water or where you just want your nymph to stand out a little a Flash Back nymph is an option. Whilst this nymph is not tied to represent the nymphal (sub imago or pupa) stage of any specific insect it is a good “buggy” looking fly and readily accepted by trout.
When it all boils down the “Cruncher” isn’t that different to so many nymphs that you see but it does have a trigger point in the form of the front hackle and of course as you would expect it does catch fish. I tend to carry it only in size 10 and size 12 and use it when a big buggy nymph is called for in river fishing, loch style fishing or even when polaroiding.
The fly that Frank sawyer created was not representational of any particular mayfly nymph but rather is suggestive of the broad range of nymphs that he came across in his duties and his recreational fishing. I tie olive, brown and claret versions of this fly in a couple of sizes. These pheasant tail variants make up around 20% of the content of my nymph fly box and account for probably 80% of the trout I catch on nymphs.
Bead Head spider type flies are amongst the best flies for fishing fast rivers and streams. They are suggestive little flies and the combination of buggy shape, the peacock herl body, the movement of the soft hackle and the trigger of the hot butt often produce a hit. This mid water fly is suggestive of a drowned beetle. I tie the hot but in both fluoro fire orange and chartreuse as I find they are the best two trigger colours for trout. The orange works best either end of the river season and chartreuse comes into its own during the middle of the season when cased caddis are more prevalent.
Bead Head thread spider type flies are amongst the best flies for fishing fast rivers and streams. They are suggestive little flies and the combination of buggy shape, the movement of the soft hackle often produce a hit. There is also the added benefit that they are so easy to tie. I carry both orange and chartreuse versions of this fly.
The Pheasant Tail Nymph is a New Zealand pattern designed to suggest a small “Deleatidium Vernal” Mayfly. Whilst that family doesn’t extend to Australia I suggest you still carry Pheasant Tail Nymphs or one or two of its variants in a couple of sizes because they are very buggy and particularly useful in faster water.
The bead head prince Cul-de-canard (CDC) nymph is a good buggy looking fly that is a variant of the original tie and has a form and function that in an “impressionistic” way incorporates the above shared characteristics. On top of that the CDC wing adds a lot of movement to the fly.
