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Fly of the Month – Yewchuck’s Shrimp

J. Stockard Pro Tyer: Steve Yewchuck, Beacon, NY, You can find Steve @: www.instagram.com/envisionflyworks/

This shrimp pattern was tied for a friend who was headed on a Bonefish trip and was looking for a larger brownish pattern. It’s based off of classic realistic shrimp patterns but uses modern materials.

Recipe:
Hook – Partridge sea streamer 1/0 or Ahrex SA 220 Saltwater Streamer Hook
Thread – UTC 70 brown or any brown 6/0 thread
Heads – EP Fibers tan
Antenna – 2 Flashabou pearl fibers
Eyes – 60lb mono/UV black resin
Legs – Buggy Nymph Legs tan
Shell – Scud Back brown
Rib – Ultra Wire medium brown
Body dubbing – Senyo’s Laser Dub tan
Tail – Flymen Fish-Skull Shrimp Tail medium

1- start by running thread the length of the hook from eye to the bend and spin a clump of EP tan fibers to form the head making sure they are 360 .
2- next tie in two Flashabou fibers in on top making the antenna.
3- next the eyes are tied in one on each side . The eyes are 60lb mono melted flat on the ends and covered with black uv resin. The resin must cover the flat melted ends to stay connected.
4- tie in the scud skin with the head trimmed to a triangular shape on top. Pull the skin over the head and out of the way.
5- I then dub in a short section of tan dubbing which the legs are tied into . Make a few thin wraps of dubbing over the leg that you have held in place. Positioned 4 legs on each side .
6- tie in the brown wire on the side and pull towards the head out of the way.
7- then make a tapered dubbing body back to the eye of the hook leaving room to tie in the metal shrimp tail.
8- after the tail is tied in run some dubbing over it to hide the attachment point.
9- I then lay the scud skin down on the back of the fly and wrap the wire forward forming the segmentation.
10- bring the wire under the scud skin and trim it tieing it off with a whip knot . I then put a dab of super glue to secure the knot.
11- trim the scud skin to finish the fly .

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Micro Game Changer System

Guest Blogger: Jerry Coviello, FFI Fly Tying Group Chairperson & Buz Buszek Memorial Fly Tying Award Recipient, DE Valley Fly Fishers President & J. Stockard Customer

When Blane Chocklett published his book on the Game Changer, I ordered it to see how this new kind of setup would work. I tied a few of them but what I was impressed with was the Micro Spine Setups. Now I could target a few panfish and bass. The Articulated Micro-Spine Bugger is a woolly bugger upgrade, This fly has more action with its 5 movable sections to give life to your fly. The hook rides upside down to prevent snagging on the bottom and the dumbbell eyes help get the fly down quickly and give a jigging action on each retrieve. Panfish, bass and trout have a new enemy and it is the Articulated Micro-Spine Bugger.

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Profound Influence

Guest Blogger: Mike Cline, Bozeman, Montana

On a variety of internet forums, members routinely post questions asking something to the effect “How did you get started fly fishing”? I don’t think my story is that unusual except for that obscure book my mother bought me when I was just getting started. At the young age of 14 I learned some basic fly tying skills and had the good fortune to be tutored in fly casting by some old gents at the Pasadena Casting Club in SoCal. My teenage years were not the most productive from a fly fishing standpoint because of where I lived and other pursuits. I did make a few trips into the Sierra’s and caught plenty of fish on the fly, but it wasn’t until I returned from my first overseas Air Force tour in Vietnam in 1970 that fly fishing became a regular part of my life.

I was 22 years old, on my own in the Air Force and now stationed in Western Washington. With a steady income and little else to worry about, fly fishing opportunities seemeed to be around every corner in the lakes and rivers of Washington State. It was still the era of fiberglass rods and discretionary funds allowed the purchase of a nice Fenwick five weight rod and Medalist reel, an outfit I still have today. It didn’t take too long for me to become a reasonably successful fly angler, something I attribute in no small part to that obscure little book my mother bought me when I was 14.

The book, entitled: Worming and Spinning for Trout (1959) by Jerry Woods is a mere 156 pages of pure trout fishing wisdom and makes but fleeting references to fly fishing. However in an era with no internet, no videos and few fly shops, its lessons became a valuable piece of my angling education. Why my mother chose that book, I’ll never know, but its words of wisdom have had and continue to have a profound influence on my angling success. I still have my copy and read various chapters occasionally to refresh my skills.

Worming was a popular technique on hard fished brown trout streams in Western New York in the mid-20th century. This wasn’t worm dunking, but instead the skillful dead drifting of small live worms through challenging lies on heavily pressured streams for wary brown trout. A technique remarkably similar to today’s nymphing techniques. The author goes into great detail on the intricacies of worming, punctuated with interesting stories of days on the stream as he and his buddies tried to perfect the worming technique. In the 1950s, success on the trout stream was measured by the weight of your creel and limits taken at the end of day. On hard fished streams, success was gained through stealth, accurate presentations and keen observation. Success today depends on the same skills even though the days of heavy creels and limits taken are long gone.

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