What Are You Tying Today?

MJMFlyfisher said:
Thank you! I won't even pretend that the concept is mine. I learned to tie nymphs from Dave Rothrock many years ago and subscribe to his match the hatch / unweighted nymphs philosophy. I just adjust the materials a bit to my liking in certain patterns.

The body is a custom Hareline mixture....basically a rusty, amber brownish something or other LOL I don't have the exact mixture and colors in front of me.
The abdomen is basically overdubbed in layers with tight thread wraps to clear the thread underneath to allow the gills to be picked out at the sides between the ribbing and then trimmed to shape.
If you pick and tease it correctly out to the sides, there's very little trimming to do top or bottom....just a few stray wild hairs.

If you look at the natural of the eastern March Brown, they're robust, but flattish, and basically 2 triangles in proportion. The tails create one and the whole body plus legs basically forms the other, facing each other.
The rib I use is generally small brown D-rib but anything dark brown can be used really.
The legs are amber tan dyed grizzly maribou tips. I like grizzly maribou for my bigger nymphs as it's soft and "flowy" and has the barring in just the right places.....and gives a fullness and movement without bulk.

You could use wood duck flank, teal flank .... Whatever.....I just prefer the grizzly maribou in the bigger stuff.
That particular wingcase is mottled dark brown medallion sheeting but I use goose quill or turkey tail flat a lot on my nymphs as well.

The combination of the picked abdomen and legs give the nymph that light fullness implying legs and gills and has that flatness of a clinger nymph.
There's just a few little tips and tricks to get the proportions and legs just right but that's it in a nutshell.
Click to expand...
I’m rather glad that you weren’t still fishing the Yellowstone and thereabouts when I began spending my summers in Paradise Valley in 2001. You might not have left any trout that were dumb enough for me to catch on my ragged looking flies. 😃
 
Steeltrap said:
Hook size(s) and material list?
Click to expand...
The Quill Gordon (Epeorus Pleuralis) is one of the first larger nymphs of the year that we see in PA....but you probably already knew that! LOL
Body size is around 10-12mm. I tie them on a #12 standard nymph hook which gives me about 11mm from butt of the tails to the eye. Whatever hook you like that gets you in that 10-12mm ballpark.
The body color is a hareline mixture. Its a medium brown base overall with some amber, olive, and gray highlights mixed in. The final color just kinda looks like dirt LOL
Rib on my example is small brown D-rib but Quill Gordon nymphs are kinda delicate and don't need heavy barring......brown 6/0 thread would be fine as would no ribbing at all.
The tail is wood duck dyed mallard flank. Just 2 fibers split evenly. The wing case is a dark dun medallion sheeting but goose quill works great as well.
For legs I use amber/tan dyed grizzly maribou tips.
Thread is brown 8/0 uni.

The abdomen is slightly overdubbed and then the gills picked /teased out at the sides leaving a slender center abdomen.... The gills on a quill gordon are pretty pronounced so its ok to leave it a little wild. Trim to shape if it gets too crazy.
 
MJMFlyfisher said:
The Quill Gordon (Epeorus Pleuralis) is one of the first larger nymphs of the year that we see in PA....but you probably already knew that! LOL
Body size is around 10-12mm. I tie them on a #12 standard nymph hook which gives me about 11mm from butt of the tails to the eye. Whatever hook you like that gets you in that 10-12mm ballpark.
The body color is a hareline mixture. Its a medium brown base overall with some amber, olive, and gray highlights mixed in. The final color just kinda looks like dirt LOL
Rib on my example is small brown D-rib but Quill Gordon nymphs are kinda delicate and don't need heavy barring......brown 6/0 thread would be fine as would no ribbing at all.
The tail is wood duck dyed mallard flank. Just 2 fibers split evenly. The wing case is a dark dun medallion sheeting but goose quill works great as well.
For legs I use amber/tan dyed grizzly maribou tips.
Thread is brown 8/0 uni.

The abdomen is slightly overdubbed and then the gills picked /teased out at the sides leaving a slender center abdomen.... The gills on a quill gordon are pretty pronounced so its ok to leave it a little wild. Trim to shape if it gets too crazy.
Click to expand...
I will admit that I have a lot of Quill Gordon's in my fly box.....but none like that. I did some searching and discovered your tie is to mimic the "mature" QG as seen here: https://www.paflyfish.com/threads/what-are-you-tying-today.82045/

The older I get, the more I realize what I don't know!! Thanks!
 
MJMFlyfisher, I hope you don't mind, but I took your description of the material list and "Condensed"..."Chopped"...."Slimmed" down to a smaller "Quick View" list. These list help me when I'm tying something up that I've never done before, and it may help others the same way:

The Quill Gordon Adult Nymph:

-Body size: #12 standard nymph hook
-Thread: Brown 8/0 uni.
-The body color: hareline mixture: Medium brown base overall with amber, olive, and gray highlights mixed in. The final color looks like dirt
-Rib: brown 6/0 thread or no ribbing at all.
-The tail: Wood duck dyed mallard flank 2 fibers split evenly
-Wing case: Dark dun medallion sheeting. Or Goose quill works great as well.
-Legs: Amber/tan dyed grizzly maribou tips.
-Abdomen is slightly overdubbed, gills picked /teased out at the sides leaving a slender center abdomen.... The gills on a quill gordon are pretty pronounced so its ok to leave it a little wild. Trim to shape if it gets too crazy.

SO, a BIG thanks from me! I'll tie a few up when I get the time!!
 
PXL_20230223_015742413.jpg

PXL_20230223_015834028.jpg

Rays Flies in a couple colors and lengths. I'll be in Northern/Central Jersey for work conferences in April. Definitely gonna make it to a lot of those sessions...
 
La-Belle-1080.jpg


La Belle

Winged Wet Fly

Tag - Scarlet wool or substitute
Ribbing - Flat silver tinsel
Body - Light blue floss
Hackle - Light blue
Wing - White

Trout - Ray Bergman

Forgotten Flies - Schmookler and Sils
 
Alexandra-1080.jpg



Alexandra

Winged Wet Fly

Tag - Dark red floss*
Tail - Peacock sword
Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel*
Body - Silver tinsel
Hackle - Deep wine, dark claret or black
Wing - Peacock sword - may have a dash of scarlet on each side

Trout - Ray Bergman
Forgotten Flies - Schmookler and Sils

*The recipe in Bergman's book lists the ribbing and tag as optional

The Alexandra exists in numerous variations. It is a fly of English origin that was supposedly banned in fishing competitions at one time because of its killing effectiveness.
 
Bonnie-View-1080.jpg



Bonnie View

Winged Wet Fly

Tag - Gold tinsel
Tail - Mallard Flank
Ribbing - Gold tinsel
Body - Brown wool
Hackle - Brown
Wing - Gray

Trout - Ray Bergman
Forgotten Flies - Schmookler and Sils
 
Steeltrap said:
I gave a shot at one of these.....I can't seem to get the grizzly legs to be quite as nice. Maybe its the kind of hackle I'm pulling it from?
ZEaiYFuh.jpg
Click to expand...
It's not grizzy hackle.....I use grizzly maribou.
But you're on the right track.
I'd like to see a little more pronounced wingcase.
Rib it with something thinner and it will give you more room to stop the abdomen and leave a good tie in spot for your wingcase.

It's this stuff....I just have a little bit custom dyed selection but the tan or golden Hareline will work. The golden makes nice stonefly and March brown legs.
 

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Sparkle Pupa 2 1080.JPG

Sparkle Pupa

Over body - Olive antron yarn or Hi-Viz
Underbody - Olive ice dubbing
Shuck - Olive antron yarn or Hi-Viz
Wing - Deer or elk hair
Head - Black dubbing
 
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