A few weeks ago during an online presentation, someone asked me what new fly patterns I am working on. While I’m still testing and not ready to roll that pattern out, the one that I’m experimenting with now is an imitation of the early black and brown stoneflies. The early stones aren’t unique in appearance, but they are very distinct in their behavior which is an important factor in a good fly design. Due to the cold weather these insects emerge in, they have a difficult time drying their wings and getting airborne and off the water. As a result, you can find them fluttering and sputtering on the stream surface as they attempt to reach the nearest dry land. They seldom drift on the water with their wings neatly folded flat over their backs. Tying a fly that looks like an early stone isn’t a difficult thing to do but designing a fly that creates this illusion of movement or can be moved during the drift presents a unique challenge for a good fly design. There are a few prototypes that are ready to take a swim soon, and I’ll report back with my results sometime later. Till next time ….. www.ramsayflies.com
