55 on the fly

My version of Barr's Graphic Caddis - I am tying a bunch of these in olive and tan, #14 and #16's. Pictured here is the olive version... I use pheasant after-shafts instead of ostrich herl for the collar. I think it's a better color and much more life like. I tie with lots of pheasant and save these aftershafts for this fly, scuds and my drake nymphs. Go try some as a dropper, they're killer! Hook: MFCo. #7045 2x heavy scud #14 Bead: Black or Copper 3.0 mm, optional Thread: Serafil 200 or uni 8/0 Rib: stretch magic in .5 mm/.019 in., wrapped over Abdomen: tinsel Halo med., then colored with sharpie pen Wing: olive grizzly “V” cut feather Collar: after-shaft of pheasant, 3 turns on #14, 2 on #16.

What have I been tying lately? EMT stands for "Emerging Mayfly for Trout". I tie this fly in three Drake colors and several sizes as well as smaller sizes for BWO and PMD emergers. The EMT Drake is my version of a foam loop emerger tied by several other people. (Craig Mathews at Blue Ribbon Flies and the late Dave Lewis, etc.) The Loop Wing Emerger, as we call this fly at Parks fly Shop, has been a main-stay fly pattern for me when guiding and fishing in the Northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park. It’s a great pattern. When I tie my version of it I leave the foam head on it, giving it a little extra float and a nice big head..... When tying it for sale in the shop I trim the foam short and form a thread head, see the green drake below. To fish the fly properly only grease the front hackle and foam loop. This allows the rear of the hook to penetrate the surface film. Go tie some! Gray Drake EMT Hook: MFC #7076 12-14 Thread: S

That's right a little something different, Pike and Pickerel flies... It won't be long before we can get after a few of the toothy critters!