Tying for the Grannoms

[ryguyfi]

Grannoms are the "official" start to the fly fishing season in many areas. They're the first big hatch and it can be nothing short of fantastic. The local stream by me that gets them is the Neshannock. It usually only lasts 3-7 days max, so if you hear wind that it's on, don't delay.

I don't have any pictures, but I'll post some recipes of many of the flies I tie for this hatch. I went through the hatch cycle in my fly tying demo I did for the Beginners JAM last year.

All in sizes 12-14


Dry:

Any dry hook
Basic Elk Hair Caddis.
Black/brown body
black/brown hackle (can sub cdc)
natural elk hair wing

Wet:

Straight nymph/wet hook
Dark bead
Black/brown dubbing
ribbing of dark floss/thread or copper wire
2 turns of dark partridge

Pupae:

Curved caddis hook
lots of lead
Caddis green dubbing with wire ribbing for bottom 2/3
split partridge feather into 2 and tie in legs
dark brown dubbing on top 1/3

Cased Caddis:

(can add 1 additional hook size larger)
Straight nymph hook
lots of lead
Body of pheasant or turkey flats ribbed with copper wire 3/4
Caddis Green Dubbing 1/4



I tie simple but effective flies. nymphs before the hatch, dries and wets during. Having a dry with a trailing wet and swinging them at the end of the drift is VERY effective on this hatch.


Ryan

 

[streamerguy]

I actually tie that exact same cased caddis, but use caddis green ice dubbing. Two years ago I did very well on just that one pattern before the hatch started, even had 2 20 fish days there with that fly catching the majority of the fish. Last year I don't think I caught any on cased caddis' which was weird.

I hope the stream isn't blown out during the hatch this year! haha

 

[flipnfly]

question on the wet pattern do you tie egg sac pattern as well ?

 

[willscreek]

X-Caddis:
Ye ole standard dry hook 14-20
Dubbing color to match whatever caddis is around
Antron for trailing shuck. See above for color
I use deer body hair(natural) for wings
I consider this to be the greatest dry fly ever. I'll fish it when there's no surface activity anywhere and catch trout. I'll fish it when whatever mayfly is around that trout are feeding on and catch them. I treat them with frog's fanny or similar powder type floatant. Makes a great fly to hang a dropper off of too.

 

[flipnfly]

@wills creek it is a great pattern almost as good as the cdc and elk IMO what hatches does wills creek get ? and is that the same wills creek that goes through the town of hyndman? if so i have seen mayflies there in earlyseason (first weekend of trout) but i wasnt a fly fisher then i have also seen aquatic snails there under the bridge ever try to fish those? (i hope the is the same creek and i apologize for my endless rambling)

 

[ryguyfi]

I hope you guys got your tying done early this year.....



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[attackone]

they started poping off last tuesday down here

 

[Grassrod]

They are at the tail end on one of my favorite local streams!