When I occasionally stomach-pump trout these days, I’m seeing a clear pattern. They’re feeding on small bugs. That’s surprising to me. I read online about these major mayfly and caddis hatches starting to happen on our freestones. So, I would think that the fish would be full of bugs in sizes 14 to 18. There
Tag: farmington river nymphs
Soft-Hackled Frenchies
(Oct. 13, 2016 edit: I’m starting to call these “Glam Frenchies” because they’re so in-your-face.) Soft-hackled Frenchies rule. They catch plenty of trout, both new stockies and grizzled veterans. Sometimes, trout want a very simple fly with few details, as it means there’s less to which they can object. Sometimes, “busy” flies with many strike
Son of Sexy Walt’s
I long heard about the Walt’s and Sexy Walt’s flies, but didn’t take them seriously. I mean, they look so simple. How could they work? My interest was piqued when competitive fly angler Alec Baker (interview here) mentioned that he really likes those flies. So, I started to tie them. They work really well. I
The Two Walts
I’m always on the hunt for effective flies that also are easy to tie. I tied up some Walt’s Worms and Sexy Walt’s and have found that they work well. During a recent 80-trout long weekend, the Sexy Walt was particularly effective. I think the pattern looks buggy, has some ribbing, and offers a thread