Fly of the Month 02.16
Little Cutthroat Trout (NEW)
…and Little Brook Trout, Little Rainbow Trout, Little Brown Trout
When I first began fly fishing and started tying flies, I thought it strange that there were three streamers fly patterns in the tying recipe book that depend on cannibalism. These flies were the Little Brook Trout, The Little Rainbow Trout and the Little Brown Trout. One would assume that somewhere among fly pattern recipes there is the Little Cutthroat Trout, but we have be unable to find it. Of course, this may mean that there should be even more “little trout” fly patterns based on the many strains and species of trout world-wide. For yet another RRTU exclusive, allow Tom and me to introduce our version of the Little Cutthroat Trout in this article.
In the November 2012 Fly of the Month article, an RRTU exclusive, Tom and I took Bob Closer's wonderful creation a step further and designed the Trouser series based on the Little Trout Streamer series. We thought it would be worthwhile to have a Clouser-like streamer that is smaller for attracting trout. Taking the best elements of the Little Trout Streamer series, the best elements of the Clouser and yes, the best elements of the woolly bugger, we introduced the RRTU Appletree Trouser (Trout Clouser) series:
Appletree Brown Trouser
Hook: Streamer, Size 6 to 10
Thread: 6/0 Black
Eyes: Bead-Chain
Tail: Orange Marabou
Body: Orange Ostrich Herl with Yellow Saddle Hackle, palmered
Underbody: White Deer Body Hair
Lateral Line: Holographic Flashabou
Overbody: Brown Marabou
Appletree Rainbow Trouser
Hook: Streamer, Size 6 to 10
Thread: 6/0 Black
Eyes: Bead-Chain
Tail: Pink Marabou
Body: Pink Ostrich Herl with Olive Saddle Hackle, palmered
Underbody: White Deer Body Hair
Lateral Line: Holographic Flashabou
Overbody: Black Marabou
Appletree Brook Trouser
Hook: Streamer, Size 6 to 10
Thread: 6/0 Black
Eyes: Bead-Chain
Tail: Yellow Marabou
Body: Yellow Ostrich Herl with Olive Saddle Hackle, palmered
Underbody: White Deer Body Hair
Lateral Line: Holographic Flashabou
Overbody: Olive MarabouThis month, we are introducing a new streamer fly pattern, the Little Cutthroat Trout and we will review the Little Trout Streamer series to fully explain why we based the Trouser series on this series. A cutthroat fry closely resembles a brown fry but with the early presence of the red “cut” and an olive tent overall.Trout fry are found in streams with natural trout reproduction. In North Carolina, these streams are primarily designated WILD or CATCH-AND-RELEASE, yet there may be some natural reproduction in any of our trout streams. The triploid trout that are stocked in streams designated DELAYED HARVEST and HATCHERY SUPPORTED grow up in the raceways among their own species in numbers such that some cannibalism occurs. Stocked trout are literally trained to some extend to feed on trout fry. The presence of trout fry along with other baitfish provide forage for larger trout, thus, it is recommended that an angler to at least try these streamers and go for the larger trout on occasion
Fundamentally, fly fishing a WILD stream with a population of brown trout calls for tying on a Little Brown Trout and stripping the streamer through the deep pools for a large brown trout. Our headwaters containing wild brook trout calls for tying on a Little Brook Trout and stripping the streamer through the deeper runs for a mature brook trout. The same logic applies for fast moving waters containing wild rainbows. As for wild cutthroat, we all must journey out west on occasion, why not have our new fly pattern in your arsenal. As for our stocked streams, any one of the Little Trout series will produce as all three species are stocked in our streams
There are several methods for fly fishing a streamer. First, practice casting the heavier streamer and adjust your timing or rhythm and use more power in the back cast and cast. It’s like casting a weighted nymph.
Method#1: For a flowing run, cast across and upstream 45 degrees, allow the streamer to free drift with the flow until downstream where the line slack tightens. Allow the streamer to tail out completely downstream, then strip the streamer completely upstream to your feet. Vary the stripping action by speed on several casts. Try being erratic or jerking at times as erratic motion resembles a struggling trout fry.
Method#2: Cast across and downstream 45 degrees and pick-up on Mewthod#1 with the tail out on moving water and with the stripping in a pool. This method is used for slower waters and pools.
Cannibalism is a vital part of nature and survival among fish, these fly patterns utilize this behavior and allow the angler an opportunity to catch larger trout.
Little Cutthroat
HOOK : Streamer, 3X to 4X. Tiemco 5263 or equivalent. Size 4,6,8,10,12
Thread : Danville 70 denier or equivalent in black
Tail : Pink saddle hackle with white calf tail
Body : Light olive fine dubbing with gold tinsel ribbing
Wing : Brown squirrel tail, red bucktail, yellow bucktail
Throat : Red saddle hackle
Directions :
Little Cutthroat Trout (NEW)
…and Little Brook Trout, Little Rainbow Trout, Little Brown Trout
When I first began fly fishing and started tying flies, I thought it strange that there were three streamers fly patterns in the tying recipe book that depend on cannibalism. These flies were the Little Brook Trout, The Little Rainbow Trout and the Little Brown Trout. One would assume that somewhere among fly pattern recipes there is the Little Cutthroat Trout, but we have be unable to find it. Of course, this may mean that there should be even more “little trout” fly patterns based on the many strains and species of trout world-wide. For yet another RRTU exclusive, allow Tom and me to introduce our version of the Little Cutthroat Trout in this article.
In the November 2012 Fly of the Month article, an RRTU exclusive, Tom and I took Bob Closer's wonderful creation a step further and designed the Trouser series based on the Little Trout Streamer series. We thought it would be worthwhile to have a Clouser-like streamer that is smaller for attracting trout. Taking the best elements of the Little Trout Streamer series, the best elements of the Clouser and yes, the best elements of the woolly bugger, we introduced the RRTU Appletree Trouser (Trout Clouser) series:
Appletree Brown Trouser
Hook: Streamer, Size 6 to 10
Thread: 6/0 Black
Eyes: Bead-Chain
Tail: Orange Marabou
Body: Orange Ostrich Herl with Yellow Saddle Hackle, palmered
Underbody: White Deer Body Hair
Lateral Line: Holographic Flashabou
Overbody: Brown Marabou
Appletree Rainbow Trouser
Hook: Streamer, Size 6 to 10
Thread: 6/0 Black
Eyes: Bead-Chain
Tail: Pink Marabou
Body: Pink Ostrich Herl with Olive Saddle Hackle, palmered
Underbody: White Deer Body Hair
Lateral Line: Holographic Flashabou
Overbody: Black Marabou
Appletree Brook Trouser
Hook: Streamer, Size 6 to 10
Thread: 6/0 Black
Eyes: Bead-Chain
Tail: Yellow Marabou
Body: Yellow Ostrich Herl with Olive Saddle Hackle, palmered
Underbody: White Deer Body Hair
Lateral Line: Holographic Flashabou
Overbody: Olive MarabouThis month, we are introducing a new streamer fly pattern, the Little Cutthroat Trout and we will review the Little Trout Streamer series to fully explain why we based the Trouser series on this series. A cutthroat fry closely resembles a brown fry but with the early presence of the red “cut” and an olive tent overall.Trout fry are found in streams with natural trout reproduction. In North Carolina, these streams are primarily designated WILD or CATCH-AND-RELEASE, yet there may be some natural reproduction in any of our trout streams. The triploid trout that are stocked in streams designated DELAYED HARVEST and HATCHERY SUPPORTED grow up in the raceways among their own species in numbers such that some cannibalism occurs. Stocked trout are literally trained to some extend to feed on trout fry. The presence of trout fry along with other baitfish provide forage for larger trout, thus, it is recommended that an angler to at least try these streamers and go for the larger trout on occasion
Fundamentally, fly fishing a WILD stream with a population of brown trout calls for tying on a Little Brown Trout and stripping the streamer through the deep pools for a large brown trout. Our headwaters containing wild brook trout calls for tying on a Little Brook Trout and stripping the streamer through the deeper runs for a mature brook trout. The same logic applies for fast moving waters containing wild rainbows. As for wild cutthroat, we all must journey out west on occasion, why not have our new fly pattern in your arsenal. As for our stocked streams, any one of the Little Trout series will produce as all three species are stocked in our streams
There are several methods for fly fishing a streamer. First, practice casting the heavier streamer and adjust your timing or rhythm and use more power in the back cast and cast. It’s like casting a weighted nymph.
Method#1: For a flowing run, cast across and upstream 45 degrees, allow the streamer to free drift with the flow until downstream where the line slack tightens. Allow the streamer to tail out completely downstream, then strip the streamer completely upstream to your feet. Vary the stripping action by speed on several casts. Try being erratic or jerking at times as erratic motion resembles a struggling trout fry.
Method#2: Cast across and downstream 45 degrees and pick-up on Mewthod#1 with the tail out on moving water and with the stripping in a pool. This method is used for slower waters and pools.
Cannibalism is a vital part of nature and survival among fish, these fly patterns utilize this behavior and allow the angler an opportunity to catch larger trout.
Little Cutthroat
HOOK : Streamer, 3X to 4X. Tiemco 5263 or equivalent. Size 4,6,8,10,12
Thread : Danville 70 denier or equivalent in black
Tail : Pink saddle hackle with white calf tail
Body : Light olive fine dubbing with gold tinsel ribbing
Wing : Brown squirrel tail, red bucktail, yellow bucktail
Throat : Red saddle hackle
Directions :
- Start threadwraps in open spirals from two eyelengths back from the eye to the hook bend and let the bobbin hang. Select a dozen or so fibers of pink saddle hackle by stroking out the fibers at right angles to the stem and pinching the tips while pulling away from the stem (this will keep the tips aligned). Measure a hook gap in length and tie on top of the hook shank using thumb and forefinger to maintain position. Do not cut but advance the thread to the beginning point using open thread wraps (avoid excessive thread buildup) and if there are fibers remaining, trim the excess.
- Advance the thread to the hook bend and let the bobbin hang. Select a small amount of white calf tail and cut away from the hide. Clean as many short fibers from the calf and using a hair stacker, even the tips. This does not need to be extreme in aligning. After removing the fibers continue pinching with thumb and forefinger and place on top of the pink saddle hackle. Slightly shorter than the saddle and on top of the hook shank. Keep the pinch and advance the thread to the beginning point, using open thread wraps (avoid excessive thread buildup), again and trim any long hair. Take the thread to the hook bend and let the bobbin hang.
- Select a two or three inch piece of gold tinsel and tie in at the hook bend immediately in front of the tail. Hold the tinsel at a forty five degree on the side of the hook towards you and tie in with a quarter inch or so of tag. The tinsel should be over the top of the hook shank. Let the bobbin hang.
- Dub two or so inches of thread with fine light olive dubbing and wrap forward in tight touching turns. The body is not bulky and very smooth. Once reaching the beginning point let the bobbin hang.
- Wrap the tinsel forward in open, evenly spaced spirals to the thread and tie off. Trim any excess and let the bobbin hang.
- Select a small portion of squirrel, clean fuzz and stack lightly in a hair stacker. Tie in on top of the hook shank starting at the dub body and advancing to one eyelength from the eye. Trim the excess hair at an angle to make a slope and not a right angle. Wrap the thread from the eye to the body and let the bobbin hang.
- Select a small portion of red bucktail and tie in on top of the hook shank, stopping short of the end of the squirrel near the eye. This will avoid a high stack of material and make the head form properly. Trim excess bucktail at an angle and take the thread to the body. Let the bobbin hang.
- Select a small portion of yellow bucktail and tie in on top of the hook shank, stopping short of the end of the squirrel. This will avoid a high stack of material and make the head form properly. Trim excess bucktail at an angle and take the thread to the body. Make thread turns from the tie in to the eye, building a oval shape head, but do not overwrap there is still another step. Let the bobbin hang.
- Select six or eight red hackle fibers and aligning the tips pull away from the stem. Keeping the fibers together there will be a natural curve. Tie in on the bottom of the head with the curve up toward the hook shank. The length should be well short of the hook point. After the two or three wraps to secure the hackle, make one wrap behind the fibers to push them slightly down. Trim the excess hackle. Continue to wrap the throat, covering the red fibers while building the final head shape.
- Tie off with four or five hitches or whip finishes and cut the thread. Coat the head with two or three applications of head cement.