LetortAngler
Member
After fishing the cress bug with regularity throughout the years I have not found it to be a top trout producer in my box that I was hoping it would be, (sorta like the muddler minnow). I have not tried them all, mainly the more popular ones that you are always reading about such as Shenks, Humphreys, Orvis, TCO, even the waltz worm. These patterns for me have fished ok, but nothing spectacular, I have tied a few imitations with a 50/50 blend of squirrel and dark Hares Ear that have worked the best. Earlier in the month, I had been glancing through some of my old fishing books, one of my favorites being Vince Marinaros A Dry-Fly Code. In the book, one chapter he talks about the cress bug (manscellus) and how that in trying to imitate this aquatic bug would only lead to failure due to the bugs clingy nature inside the weed beds rarely finding itself in open water. He states that "any cress bug imitation would likely be mistaken for a nymph and the success that we hear about is because the pattern was fished in faster gravelly water where there was little weed growth".
I have heard of similar results regarding adding a darker material to the back of the fly such as a dark Antron, peacock, or floss, only then did that fly start to get more takes. Perhaps this is being mistaken for a mayflies darkened wingcase? Either way I find it odd that Marinaro, a former master of the Letort dissuaded readers in Trying to imitate this pattern. I have had mixed results but from what he writes, it seems to make sense.
Any thoughts or observations regarding the cress bugs effectiveness?
I have heard of similar results regarding adding a darker material to the back of the fly such as a dark Antron, peacock, or floss, only then did that fly start to get more takes. Perhaps this is being mistaken for a mayflies darkened wingcase? Either way I find it odd that Marinaro, a former master of the Letort dissuaded readers in Trying to imitate this pattern. I have had mixed results but from what he writes, it seems to make sense.
Any thoughts or observations regarding the cress bugs effectiveness?