Little Green Stonefly

Category:

Salmon dry fly. It can also be used for Trout

Description:

Works well when this little stone fly is hatching

Region:

South and Southwest Coast of Newfoundland, Bay St. George

Fly Tier:

Ian Gall

Materials

Hook:

Mustad 9671 or 9672 or equivalents

Body:

Charteruse yarn

Wing:

White or pale gray Calf Tail

Collar:

White saddle hackle

Head:

White

Instructions/History

Comments:

In 2003 after two days very productive fishing on Garia River, the river level started to drop. The salmon refused to look at the usual conventional patterns. Fly after fly was tried with no success. A fish was observed in a quiet pool rising to hatching Little Green Stoneflies. That afternoon I tied up several small flies representing this fly. The wing on the natural lies flat over the back while my pattern has a wing which looks more like the tent shaped Caddis fly. I clip the Calf Tail on top to try and get as flat as a wing as possible. In quiet pools this fly is easily seen. It is tied on size 14 and 16's. As you would expect fish that are hooked are hard to land, however the next day we hooked eight fish releasing five. Three fish were lost through a hook straightening, a leader breaking and one fish lost at the waters edge. In 2005 this fly again worked well when Garia River water level started to fall. Very small Whiting saddle hackles were used to tie this pattern. I have rose salmon on Codroy River with this fly when no other pattern would get a look from the fish.