March tying contest thread and February's winner is:

Mossback · Mar 4, 2023

# rigged

mcswny said:
Is it rigged if the judge picks himself?

# rigged

James St. Clair · Mar 4, 2023

FontinalisFin said:
I was trying to think of a way to get the biot tails on the end of the mop and keep the movement

So I just jammed the mop chenille in my vice, with the end sticking out just a tiny bit (after being singed with a lighter). Attach the thread as normal with only 4 or 5 wraps, tie in tail material, whip finish, then add a dab of super glue or UV resin. The Vice actually holds it pretty good, easier than I thought it was going to be!

Irafly · Mar 4, 2023

Brute said:
Don’t they have to emerge from the water to emerge on land?

No silly, they “crawl” out of the water they don’t “emerge” out of the water! Geez, kids these days

Please be advised, that I’m kidding around, I repeat, this is all for fun!

Matt B · Mar 4, 2023

Irafly said:
No silly, they “crawl” out of the water they don’t “emerge” out of the water! Geez, kids these days

Please be advised, that I’m kidding around, I repeat, this is all for fun!

Zak · Mar 5, 2023

Kfish said:
I'm going to start some shit by posting skwala shuck patterns

Are shucks like pork rinds or cheese crunchies for trout?

Zak · Mar 5, 2023

James St. Clair said:
Mop Pat's Skwala
View attachment 56679
View attachment 56680

Apologies for the crappy pics, and the fact that I combined my least favorite fly with a lot of other people's least favorite fly.

I think you just posted that so people wouldn't give your shit about your pristine ties in perfectly composed photos. We know what you're capable of.

QuickreleaseEN · Mar 8, 2023

My stonefly pattern tied for skwala, the "suspender stone" named as the antennae are created by pulling two of the double legs forward from the rear tie in point, sorta like suspenders. I haven't tested it for skwala yet but the golden variation has been great to me. It feels nice to finally have a proven stone pattern that I can tie quickly and have confidence in throwing. It skitters very well too, more important when the water is warmer.

Silouette with light from above as a fish would see it

A golden stone from last year that took around 25 nice cutthroat and browns in an afternoon and kept on fishing.

Munched

Kfish · Mar 9, 2023

Some #10 jigs, going to euro nymph these on the Cedar this summer.

mcswny · Mar 9, 2023

Kfish said:
Some #10 jigs, going to euro nymph these on the Cedar this summer.

View attachment 57220

That ribbed body is fantastic!

James St. Clair · Mar 9, 2023

QuickreleaseEN said:
My stonefly pattern tied for skwala, the "suspender stone" named as the antennae are created by pulling two of the double legs forward from the rear tie in point, sorta like suspenders. I haven't tested it for skwala yet but the golden variation has been great to me. It feels nice to finally have a proven stone pattern that I can tie quickly and have confidence in throwing. It skitters very well too, more important when the water is warmer.

View attachment 57074 View attachment 57077 View attachment 57076

Silouette with light from above as a fish would see it

View attachment 57078

A golden stone from last year that took around 25 nice cutthroat and browns in an afternoon and kept on fishing.

View attachment 57075

Munched
View attachment 57079

I like this a lot. Easy to tie (relatively), durable, floats well (holds up a dropper), and can change colors to suit hatches. Great tie!

James St. Clair · Mar 9, 2023

Kfish said:
Some #10 jigs, going to euro nymph these on the Cedar this summer.

View attachment 57220

These are really cool! I like the hot spot, as well as the soft hackle!

Tom Butler · Mar 10, 2023

James St. Clair said:
@Billy failed to mention that I would not consider a Pat's Stone as an entry to this month's contest. We all know they work, they are boring as heck to tie (and fish, IMO). Additionally, hard to say if they are taking it as a Skwala (especially when fishing the ever-popular Coffee-Black version), or if they are taking it as a Golden Stone, a salmon fly, or even a cranefly Larva. I consider a Pat's to just be an all-purpose fly, rather than a Skwala. Ok, snob rant over, and my apologies if this offends any of you.

I'm looking for people's originals, or even commercial, or altered commercial patterns (besides Pat's) that have worked well for them.

Hey James, just a follow up to this. The bugs were coming out the other day. My fly w/ bug pics didn't get saved, but the coffee/blk pat's was too fat, and dark when wet. It got a few fish, but it only vaguely resembled the real deal. The nymphs in the water really are more yellow/tan, lt brown (lighter in color), then start to darken and change quite quickly when out on the rocks. Note: I have the legs adjusted up here so it skates better along the cobbled shore after being lifted at the end of a drift. Don't skip that presentation part.
I see some flies in here I wish I'd had to try.

SpeyrodGB · Mar 10, 2023

Kfish said:
Some #10 jigs, going to euro nymph these on the Cedar this summer.

View attachment 57220

Those are awesome. D rib for the body material?

Tom Butler · Mar 10, 2023

Kfish said:
Some #10 jigs, going to euro nymph these on the Cedar this summer.

View attachment 57220

I like that one, slender profile, brighter near the head. I think it would have fished well the other day.

Kfish · Mar 10, 2023

SpeyrodGB said:
Those are awesome. D rib for the body material?

It's Orvis Body Glass, Amber. Something I bought on a whim a long time ago.

James St. Clair · Mar 10, 2023

Tom Butler said:
Hey James, just a follow up to this. The bugs were coming out the other day. My fly w/ bug pics didn't get saved, but the coffee/blk pat's was too fat, and dark when wet. It got a few fish, but it only vaguely resembled the real deal. The nymphs in the water really are more yellow/tan, lt brown (lighter in color), then start to darken and change quite quickly when out on the rocks. Note: I have the legs adjusted up here so it skates better along the cobbled shore after being lifted at the end of a drift. Don't skip that presentation part.
I see some flies in here I wish I'd had to try.

Well at least you are seeing them, Tom! Haven't seen much of any up my way, and we just got another 3" of snow last night. Ugh! Need these night time temps to warm up a bit.

Yeah, most of the nymphs I see are pretty slender. And more dark olive with golden yellow legs. But, I do believe there are a couple different species here in WA, so there may be some variation.

Good on ya for getting out, catching some fish, and documenting some entomology for your (and our) notes!

Irafly · Mar 10, 2023

mcswny said:
That ribbed body is fantastic!

But again, not enough segmentations. God these amateurs are killing me. Oh wait, how the hell do we account for that hook again in our “realistic” ties

Tom Butler · Mar 11, 2023

James St. Clair said:
I was hoping to see Skwala specific ties from people. Also, love the stimmy. One of my go to patterns for Skwalas (I'll try and add a pic of one here soon) is a stimmy tied with dun dyed elk, peacock dubbing for the body ribbed with dyed olive grizzly, and then a hot yellow dubbed Thorax with a black hackle palmered through!

I saw some floaters

Now I'm just assuming these are the subject bug, but there has been a definite break, and these are certainly bigger than the little winter stones, and behave differently. The timing seems right.

So here's that Brown and Black Stimulator. But really, to be fair, thinking about it, and the criteria, I fish this same tie, a bit bigger for the next hatch or in the fall, or for hoppers, or moths, or whatever, and as a basic summer 3rd fly indicator up top. So maybe in the fishable option fly category but again not exactly a Skwala.

On the second cast this little one told me close enough today