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Current Tags for This Pattern
/ Black / Dubbing / grouse / Red / stonefly / swiss straw /

Virtual Stonefly

 
tied by smokeater734
Fly Type: General Freshwater,
Target Species: Trout,
Recommended Region: Southwest US,
Imitation: Stone Flies,
Material List: Hook: Tiemco 200R Size #8.
Thread: Uni 6/0 Black.
Tail: Black Porcupine quill tips.
Under-body: Black and orange Dubbing topped with Black swiss straw.
Under-rib: 4lb test monofilament.
Outer-body: Light Amber D-Rib
Thorax: Black Dubbing
Wing cases: Blue Grouse feathers dyed Black, (Sharpie), then covered with "Dave's Flexament".
Legs: Peccary hair dyed Black, (Sharpie), then coated with Black nail polish after bending to shape.
Eyes: Small Black mono Nymph eyes.
Antennae: Peccary hair dyed Black, (Sharpie).
Tying Instructions: 1.) Start the thread on the hook, wrapping to the bend.
2.) Wrap a small ball of dubbing near the hook bend. This will be used to keep the tails separate.
3.) Select two porcupine quills to use as tails and trim the sharp points for safety reasons.
4.) Bind one quill to the far side of the hook.
5.) Bind the other quill to the near side of the hook. Try to keep the quill points even and secure the quills to the shape of the hook. Trim excess quill. Your thread should now be about 1/3 shank length back from the eye.
6.) Secure the "D-Rib", (or Larva Lace tubing), to the far side of the hook.
7.) Run a fine bead of "Super Glue" on top of the hook, then secure the "D-Rib" at the 1/3rd shank lenght from the eye, down to thread junction of the quills, then back up. This will secure the quills and D-rib so they won't migrate around the hook.
8.) When the super glue is nearly dry, tie in the swiss straw on top of the hook and wrap down to the end of the body. Then secure a strand of 4lb test monofilament with 2 or 3 tight wraps. (Your thread should still be at the back end of the body.)
9.) Using the black dubbing you started with, dub a short section of the body.
10.) Finish the body with orange dubbing.
11.) After you have the body dubbed, pull the swill straw over the body and secure it at about 1/3 shank length back from the eye and clip off excess.
12.) Use the monofilament to rib the swiss straw down securely. This will keep the swiss straw from turning on the hook and give the body a firm foundation to wrap the D-rib around.
13.) The body should now be frim and there should be a defined line of dark material on top and lighter material underneath.
14.) Wrap the D-rib over the body in tight spiral wraps, keeping them as close toghether as possible. This will produce the segmented body that is common to stonefly nymphs.
15.) Select 3 proportional grouse or pheasant body feathers that have long straight feather fibers.
16.) Strip the fuzz from the feathers and dye them black. Then coat them with Dave's Flexament or Anglers Choice Soft Body, (any type of clear acrylic sealer will work), and set them aside to dry.
17.) Prepare a set of eyes. You can melt monofilament or use black plastic craft beads that come on a string. I use "Hareline Small Black Mono Nymph Eyes".
18.) Secure the eyes to the hook with a series of figure 8 wraps and glue them down with super glue so they won't turn on the hook. (Leave plenty of room between the eyes and the eye of the hook. You will need that space later to tie in the antennea and carapace.)
19.) Use a black waterproof matker to dye four pairs of peccary hair to use as legs and antennae. When the ink has dried, tie in the first pair, one on each side of the body at the 1/3 shaft length back from the hook eye, with 2 or 3 tight wraps.
20.) Wrap a small amount of black dubbing over the leg tie-in point. Don't get carried away with the dubbing, you just need enough to cover the thread that secures the legs.
21.) Select one of the feathers you previously dyed and coated, then trim the end into a "V" shape. This will be the first wing case.
22.) Place the feather on top of the hook with the "V" twords the tail of the fly. It should extend slightly over the body.
23.) Secure the wing case to the hook with a couple tight wraps, then trim the excess.
24.) Tie in a second set of legs.
25.) Dub over the thread that secures the legs and add the second wing case just like you did the first one.
26.) Now add the third pair of legs and the last prepared feather, BUT this one you trim "FLAT" on the end, instead of the "V" shape, and tie it in with the top of the feather pointing twords the eye of the hook.
27.) Dub over the thread used to secure the feather and legs, and dub between the eyes. A figure 8 wrap of dubbing should fill in the space between the eyes nicely.
28.) Tie in the last pair of peccary hairs as antennae, securring them behind the eyes.
29.) Pull the feather over the dubbing and secure it behind the eyes to form a carapace.
30.) Now pull the rest of the feather over and between the eyes and antennae, and secure it behind the eye of the hook.
31.) Trim the feather, whip finish, set the antennae back in place, then cement the head and thread wraps.
32.) Now, trim the legs to length, bend them to shape with needle nose tweezers and begin adding bulk to the middle of the legs by painting them with black fingernail polish. This will take several coats to make the legs look right.