Got Spruce Moths?

Hi folks it's been a while since I last posted on the blog --- you know; Holidays, kids, grand-kids and tying flies..... In fact, I've been tying my little fingers off.

Most recently, Spruce Moths, lots of them 40 dozen #14's for the shop. These flies are an absolute must have when fishing in Yellowstone Country. The spruce trees lining the rivers and creeks we fish are unfortunately infested with lots of Spruce Moths. If you've ever been out West you know that winds come up every afternoon and blow these moths into the creeks and the fish key on them. They just love-em like candy. In fact, when the fish are on them they won't take anything else. If you don't have some of these in your fly box and are going to be fishing out West this summer or early fall, you need to tie some up. Fish them as a dropper on the dead drift using the top fly as an indicator. Here's the pattern.

Korn’s Spruce Moth

Hook: 14-18, std. dry

Thread: Serafil 200 tan Rib: tag end of thread

Abdomen: cream dubbing split thread and spun.

Palmered hackle: honey or light ginger rooster neck, palmered front to back, trapped with tag end thread ribbed to eye, clipped short on top.

Wing: 2 buff pheasant or hen chicken flank feathers (very light ginger), tied in flat one on top of the other, 1/2 hook gap length longer than hook, tied behind eye then folded over to form head and wrapped and whip finished. Varnish head, clipped “^” out of center underside of the hackle.