The "dreaded" Mop Fly

[Fly-Swatter]

Maurice: No doubt we over think the trouts' eating habits. I think this is because we see the highly selective feeding behavior during a decent hatch and we extrapolate that to all-the-time eating behavior.

There is a dvd series called "The Underwater World of Trout" (Underwater Oz Productions). One germane segment shows underwater footage of trout in feeding and prime lies during non-hatch times. The trout taste most things that float by and eject non-food items withing a second or so.

The dvd series also shows how trout see underwater. This is relevant to approach (cone of vision) and presentation (how far upstream to present a dry, for example).

IMO, this highlights the premium on approach, presentation, and strike detection over pattern selection. This is why standards like HE and PT (et al) are perennial trout takers.

This is, of course, situational. For example, freshly stocked trout and highly pressured trout will likely not behave this way. Also, limestone trout that have an abundance of staple food sources like scuds and cress bugs will focus on things in the drift that resemble these.

I highly recommend these videos to anyone who wants to better understand trout behavior. Fascinating stuff!

 

[dryflyguy]

I think the reason a mop fly works so well, is the action.
If it's tied right - with much of the "tail" extending off the hook - it really has a live appearance when falling down to the stream bottom. Or being retrieved back

 

[JerryC]

I think it depends on the size of the mop piece. The small pieces, I call them mini-mops, work well as nymph type flies. Green rock worms, small blood worms, small crane fly larvae. They're about a 1/2 inch or less long. There's medium pieces, 1 to 2 inches long where you get some action. They seem to work well for pan fish and trout. You get your best action with large pieces, 2 to 3 inches long. I've done well with bass on this size fly. I'm beginning to realize that you need to think outside the box when using mop pieces. Get away from the idea they're only good for crane fly larvae. There's a thread on the Fly Tying Forum(http://www.flytyingforum.com) in the Fly Tying Bench section called "Mop Fly Variants" Some very interesting usages for mop pieces. There's the usual side bars within the thread but lots of interesting patterns.

 

[shakey]

I think mop fliesmake sense too,when you in that situation fishing for steel ,where you lose a fly every few minutes.

 

[PennKev]

shakey wrote:
I think mop fliesmake sense too,when you in that situation fishing for steel ,where you lose a fly every few minutes.

That's really true of pretty much all egg patterns too though. Sucker spawn are practically free if you tie your own.

 

[dryflyguy]

Yeah - it's definitely one of the cheapest flies one could tie.

A bought a car wash mitt at an auto parts store to get my materiel.
However, a few days later, my wife told me that they sell them at the local dollar store

 

[mike_richardson]

It kills me to say this but a cream color mop fly is by far the best fly for brookies. LOL

I have a love hate relationship with mop flies. I like to try and tie patterns that mimic what lives in the stream. I can stretch them to maybe a crane fly, or a very chubby caddis larva. I don't really toss many of them, I used to be on the side of not liking squirmies, mops, eggs, suckers pawn, and things like that. But what the heck as long as it is not dipped in garlic or something it is still a fly.

I don't use flies like that, very often, but every once in a while, feel like giving them a go. I will say that the cream colored mop has got to be the top producer of those I have chucked.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

Mike: Do you tie in a contrasting colored head on the fly or just tie the cream colored mop on the hook?

 

[chromid]

Ok so it's confession time. Last year I tied several mop flies mainly for use on stockies because I liked the action. Bought the car wash mitt in grey just like the video and tied them with some black hen hackle.

Used them a couple times here in PA the first few weeks with moderate success, usually as the last resort but wasn't too impressed.

Went out west to Yellowstone and was fishing Slough creek near the VIP hole where the fish are notoriously selective and highly pressured by the time I fished it (late August). While waiting for the evening hatch activity in the early afternoon rather than just laying on ther bank watching the scenery discovered I had a couple of these "junk" flies in my boxes so figured why not try them.

Only had three of them with me so I waded in and tried a low and slow roll on the bottom with them. To my surprise, on the second or third cast a large cut hammered the fly and broke me off (probably because I had little anticipation or confidence that these things might work). Tied on another and proceded to hook and land two 18" and a 21" cutthroat within an hour. By that time some sporadic rises were appearing and it was back to the dry flies.

They should consider renaming the fly the American Express.....don't leave home without it!