Written by Mike Gentry
 

Almost anyone who has fished in the West salivates over the coming of the Salmonfly hatch, typically in late May or early June in our area. But this anticipation very often turns to agonizing frustration, due to the army of equally motivated fishermen descending on the waters and the difficulty of hitting the small window of truly worthwhile surface action during the hatch.  Quite often, the fish are glutted from gorging on these monsters, and are not cooperating.  However, all is not lost - before, during and following the Salmonfly feeding frenzy, or overlapping hatches of Gold Stones seem to draw attention, and the "windows" on these hatches are longlived.  The following recipe provides a realistic and sturdy adult pattern with good floatablility.


Hook:        Tiemco 200R or 2302, Size 8
Thread:     Tan 8/0
Tail and Wing:   Dyed Ginger Deer Hair
Body and Thorax: Golden Stone Dubbing
Hackle:  Ginger



1. Tie in a tail of deer hair, about half the length of the body and thorax.

2. At the base of the tail, tie in by the tail a small ginger hackle with splines slightly shorter than the hook gap.

3.  Make a dubbing loop of thread at the base of the tail and wind in golden stone dubbing, then dub the body by winding the dubbing "yarn" forward to about 1/3 from the hook eye.

4.  Palmer the ginger hackle by counterwinding the hackle forward with six or seven winds to the front of the body.

5.  Tie in a wing of deer hair in the thorax area.  The wing should extend to about the back bend of the hook.

6. Tie in a ginger hackle by the butt at the front of the wing.  The splines should be about the length of the hook gap.

7. Make another small dubbing loop at the front of the wing, wind in golden stone dubbing and dub the thorax by winding the "yarn" forward to just behind the eye.  The thorax width should be slightly larger than the body width.

8. Palmer the hackle over the thorax by winding or counterwinding (here it doesn't matter) the hackle four or five times to just behind the eye.

9. Finish and cement the head.