Early Stoneflies

[Bamboozle]

All I use for Little Black/Brown Stoneflies is an Elk Wing Caddis in the proper size & color with the hackle somewhat heavy & just a bit longer the the hook gape.

The reason behind this is on a few streams I fish, most notably some of the bigger stocked Pocono streams, the fish will sometimes ignore a dead drift but will go nuts if I skate them across the surface with short hard strips of my fly line. The short heavy hackle and a greased leader makes the skating a lot easier.

FWIW - The Hippie Stomper is new to me, but I've been tying a foam backed version of a Humpy for at least 15 years with red, brown & green floss bodies. I use a strip of tan foam for all color variations and white calf body hair for the wing.

Other than that it is a regular Humpy that floats better & is easier to tie.

 

[Steelhead_JESUS]

read this when you posted it and thought wow, i didn’t see any this weekend where i fished in central Pa.. I found this today outside of Greensburg at work

 

[thejoshmorgan]

I don't fish flies I didn't tie, so that doesn't matter to me.

I disagree, though. There are times when you need a fly other than the hippie for brookies. When brookie streams are really low and clear, even they can be spooky. In times like that, you need a fly that lands softer. Brookies aren't always the easiest fish to catch.

I guess you're right, if you're counting sunfish...

 

[Broodstock]

I heard there was a massive hatch of these little black/brown stones today on the Yough.

 

[dryflyguy]

But 1500 CFS would make for tough wading

 

[tomgamber]

I guess you're right, if you're counting sunfish...

Many times I have found brookies easier to catch than sunnies.

 

[jifigz]

Many times I have found brookies easier to catch than sunnies.

I 100% agree. Brookies usually are easier to catch that sunnies.

There have been times where I've fished brookie streams under extremely low flows though, and it's been awful. The fish were spooky. The stream choked with vegetation, so you have to get close to cast. At times like that, fishing for brookies wasn't fun or easy. I should have gone bass fishing.

 

[5footfenwick]

Brookies can be very hard to catch at times.