What is your favorite variation of these? I'm kinda leaning towards a purchase of a couple dozen of Kaufmanns version. Dennis I'll be pleased to get them from you if you have your stock/system ready in time. Does anyone prefer a different variant? if so why? I think the ones I mentioned look pretty buggy......Times a wastin' here ,I have seen some crawling around already, and I know if I have seen them in the little time I have been out these last few weeks then the fish are already eating them......
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Early black stonefly nymphs
- Thread starter njflyguy
- Start date
I have an easy version of the early black stonefly that works well for me
Hook: 16 to 14 Mustad 3906B
Tail: sparce black calf tail about 1/2 to 3/4 shank (I think impressionistic tail better than biots on small stoneflies)
Body: black tapestry wool. Tie this thin (real wool sinks well and is easy to apply and get a nice taper)
Wing Case: Gray antron (wing cases get lighter before hatching where I fish)
Thorax: black wool continued from body
Hackle: a few turns of natural black hen.
The early black nymphs are fairly thin. Tapestry wool makes good, easy nymph bodies, but no craft stores around me carry it any more.
Jeff
Hook: 16 to 14 Mustad 3906B
Tail: sparce black calf tail about 1/2 to 3/4 shank (I think impressionistic tail better than biots on small stoneflies)
Body: black tapestry wool. Tie this thin (real wool sinks well and is easy to apply and get a nice taper)
Wing Case: Gray antron (wing cases get lighter before hatching where I fish)
Thorax: black wool continued from body
Hackle: a few turns of natural black hen.
The early black nymphs are fairly thin. Tapestry wool makes good, easy nymph bodies, but no craft stores around me carry it any more.
Jeff
dcabarle
Administrator
I'm guilty of not fishing the Early black stone nymphs. If I were to use them, I think if you can find a Kaufmanns small enough, you will do well. Montana patterns will work too.
A few things to look for in your purchases are wing casings and antennae (although the Montana has neither but still a great pattern, I use them as a stimulator type of nymph pattern (Great fly's!!)).
Just curious, where will you be fishing these? If it's stocked NJ streams, just use any ole' black or brown nymph in a size 14. I think you'll do well. I would even recommend something with little rubber legs on it. You will start to see many of these patterns around if you haven't already.
I've received about 20 dozen sample flies so far. I'm slowly leaning toward 1 vendor. Slightly more $$$, but supply's the best quality I've seen, so the extra money will be well spent. I'm really going over all of the flies received with a fine tooth comb. 1 vendor sent me 10 dozen sample flies today. Unfortunately, his samples aren't good enough. I'm going to have to tell him no.
I'm still waiting for samples from about 6-7 other vendors. Once I receive them, I'll make a decision and order a few hundred dozen. If anyone has a favorite pattern, you can send it to me with the recipe and I'll see what I can do.
Dennis
A few things to look for in your purchases are wing casings and antennae (although the Montana has neither but still a great pattern, I use them as a stimulator type of nymph pattern (Great fly's!!)).
Just curious, where will you be fishing these? If it's stocked NJ streams, just use any ole' black or brown nymph in a size 14. I think you'll do well. I would even recommend something with little rubber legs on it. You will start to see many of these patterns around if you haven't already.
I've received about 20 dozen sample flies so far. I'm slowly leaning toward 1 vendor. Slightly more $$$, but supply's the best quality I've seen, so the extra money will be well spent. I'm really going over all of the flies received with a fine tooth comb. 1 vendor sent me 10 dozen sample flies today. Unfortunately, his samples aren't good enough. I'm going to have to tell him no.
I'm still waiting for samples from about 6-7 other vendors. Once I receive them, I'll make a decision and order a few hundred dozen. If anyone has a favorite pattern, you can send it to me with the recipe and I'll see what I can do.
Dennis
willowhead
~Jedi Dryfly~
Hey Jeff, since that's one of our earliest hatches, i'm preparing to tye up some of these, and your pattern seems simple enough, but i'm wondering if even a size #18 might be ok? Usually a #16 is just about right. Don't think i've ever seen 'em as big as a #14. I mean it's a little fly, for a stonefly. Do you think the size varies from river to river? What are your thoughts? mark...........
Little black stone nymph
Here is one pattern we like to use. There should be tieing instructions with the attached link.
Very easy tie. The Black Ultra Wire body and a bead head really makes the fly sink.
www.flyfishpa.net/Patterns/little_black_stone.htm
Dean
Fly Fish PA, LLC
www.flyfishpa.net
Here is one pattern we like to use. There should be tieing instructions with the attached link.
Very easy tie. The Black Ultra Wire body and a bead head really makes the fly sink.
www.flyfishpa.net/Patterns/little_black_stone.htm
Dean
Fly Fish PA, LLC
www.flyfishpa.net
Willowhead,
I normally fish in the upper South Branch where at this time of year where there are three chubs and one sucker for every native brown and maybe only one holdover rainbow for every 10 brown trout. Winter is the time when the bigger browns are active during the day, although they mainly hit nymphs and leave the dries to the little guys (I think they are nocturnal the rest of the year). I normally fish a 12 if the river is high and a 14 most of the time. I only go to the smaller ones if a 14 doesn't work. The thing is to tie it slim; the little black nymphs are proportioned more like a thin pt than big stonefly nymph. A thick 14 will probably scare em off.
Jeff
I normally fish in the upper South Branch where at this time of year where there are three chubs and one sucker for every native brown and maybe only one holdover rainbow for every 10 brown trout. Winter is the time when the bigger browns are active during the day, although they mainly hit nymphs and leave the dries to the little guys (I think they are nocturnal the rest of the year). I normally fish a 12 if the river is high and a 14 most of the time. I only go to the smaller ones if a 14 doesn't work. The thing is to tie it slim; the little black nymphs are proportioned more like a thin pt than big stonefly nymph. A thick 14 will probably scare em off.
Jeff
JOE.T
Dry Flies Only
Nj
You cant go wrong with a kaufman stonefly.Great pattern.
The "little" black stones also know as winter stones (Capniadae species) are size 18
Than theres also the black and brown stones (taenioptryx species) size 14/16.
You would want all three sizes since they both hatch late winter-early spring.
You cant go wrong with a kaufman stonefly.Great pattern.
The "little" black stones also know as winter stones (Capniadae species) are size 18
Than theres also the black and brown stones (taenioptryx species) size 14/16.
You would want all three sizes since they both hatch late winter-early spring.
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willowhead
~Jedi Dryfly~
I knew they were 18's Joe. Them little buggers are small. They usuall start showin' here in March. We got a week or so to go yet. When they show, our boy will be down at Hendrickson every single day, LOL. Especially during the warmest part of the day. He's like clockwork. Tell you what though, this year..........so will i. He he he he he. Only i won't be at the places everyone else goes. mark...................
Just another comment, I just got my Orvis catalog and it shows the Kaufmann Stone and Oliver Edwards little black stone side by side. Imagine the little black stone body as a thin wrap of wool and the legs as a couple turns of hen smashed down by the wing case and you have a pretty simple tie.
The stones in the upper South Branch hatch as early as late January and as late as March in a cold year. I checked under the Long Valley bridge Saturday and saw one fly in the bushes and no nymphs moving into the shallows. I know they're hatching further downstream, but it looks like a late year up here! This winter is way too long.
The stones in the upper South Branch hatch as early as late January and as late as March in a cold year. I checked under the Long Valley bridge Saturday and saw one fly in the bushes and no nymphs moving into the shallows. I know they're hatching further downstream, but it looks like a late year up here! This winter is way too long.
willowhead
~Jedi Dryfly~
Tell me about it Jeff.................jeeze. mark........
Backcountry
Just finished a River Runs Through it!
I tie mine with Dia-Riki #270 "natural bend" hooks in size 18 thru 14, using turkey biot tips for the tail(verythin), black larva lace (midge size) for the thorax and black dubbing for the abdomen. I myself make the wingcase out of domestic turkey,dyed black with two folds,but one will do because I dont think the Trout will know the difference. I fish this with a "tandem rig" using a size 18 thru 14 little black Stimulator dry as my lead fly with the nymph about 16 inches behind the dry. The reason I carry different sizes with me is because usally there are different species of black stones hatching at the same time, some larger than others. Also try the same flies tied in a dark brown color,because they also hatch at the same time the black ones do. 
J.Collins
J.Collins
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willowhead
~Jedi Dryfly~
Didn't think i'd run into you at Ramesy's today Jeff, but it was fun, right? That video show by "Ozzie" was fantastic! I guess Joe T. never did show-up? We cut out a bit early so we could pick up our (my wife's and mine) Kate today from a fellow member (CFTG, at the meeting) who had been promising us one for a while. That's an old Pryce-Tannet A.S. pattern from WAY "back in the days." LOL>.....one more for the collection. Hope a few of you guys made it down to Ramesy's Outdoors today for Cabin Fevor Day, BIG FUN! mark.............
MidnightPoacher
Just finished a River Runs Through it!
Backcountry
I would fish that fly with no reservation. What size, hook type is that? My line of thought is that a 18 3x heavy stout hook would be a good bet.
I would fish that fly with no reservation. What size, hook type is that? My line of thought is that a 18 3x heavy stout hook would be a good bet.
Backcountry
Just finished a River Runs Through it!
The hook is a tiemco 2302, sz 16. slightly humped shank, down eye.
Wanted to get out today, but it's not gonna happen, so I'll let you know if any trout eat it this week.
-BC
Wanted to get out today, but it's not gonna happen, so I'll let you know if any trout eat it this week.
-BC
willowhead
~Jedi Dryfly~
Jeff S. lol, you make a bad assumption........i expected better. I didn't address you because JeffK had posted a bit before me. I addressed you because you were "there" where others should of been to see that great video show. Joe, someone at Ramsey's said you were supposed to show, i couldn't care less. mark.......
Future Fanatic
Nirvana
LEEDZ49
Just finished a River Runs Through it!
In looking at the natural. You would think an immitation with a sparse tail or even no tail at all would work. The wing case goes all the way to the back. The most prominent feature of the naturals are the antennas, where a pair of biots would do the job nicely.
willowhead
~Jedi Dryfly~
Joe, guess i do care enough to let you know, who it was. LOL. It was JeffS, LOL. He asked for you. mark...........
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