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Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana
Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

Dorsal view of a Kogotus (Perlodidae) Stonefly Nymph from Mystery Creek #199 in Washington
This one pretty clearly keys to Kogotus, but it also looks fairly different from specimens I caught in the same creek about a month later in the year. With only one species of the genus known in Washington, I'm not sure about the answer to this ID.
27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
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Roguerat
Roguerat's profile picture
Posts: 456
Roguerat on Apr 9, 2012April 9th, 2012, 8:18 am EDT
I just acquired some Mink, one tail and a fair-sized strip of pelt with medium-brown fur. Are there any patterns that call for Mink dubbing? The stuff was free from a good non-fishing friend and I'd like to incorporate it into some flies, somehow.

The Roguerat

I Peter 5:7 'Cast your cares upon Him...' the flyfishers'verse
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Apr 9, 2012April 9th, 2012, 8:23 am EDT
You can use the longer hair for down wing patterns like caddis and stone fly wings. Cut out an appropriate sized clump for the hook size and with your thumb and index finger of your other hand gently pull out the short, fuzzy, under fur. Then if you want you can take the remaining longer and stiffer fibers and put them into a hair stackeer to get the ends all nice and even.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
TNEAL
GRAYLING. MICHIGAN

Posts: 278
TNEAL on Apr 9, 2012April 9th, 2012, 12:26 pm EDT
Put "the mink thing" in your search bar and go... you'll find a pattern that was first mentioned back in the 70's... a teriffic "nymph"....
Martinlf
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Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Apr 9, 2012April 9th, 2012, 2:04 pm EDT
Some use it for dark shucks.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Softhackle
Softhackle's profile picture
Wellsville, NY

Posts: 540
Softhackle on Apr 9, 2012April 9th, 2012, 3:34 pm EDT
ROGUE,
Wbranch hit the nail on the head. Len Wright's Fluttering Caddis was originally tied using hackle fiber wings, but Gary LaFontaine suggested using mink instead. It works very well. Check this out in Gary's CADDISFLIES or Wright's FISHING THE DRY FLY AS A LIVING INSECT.

Mark
"I have the highest respect for the skilled wet-fly fisherman, as he has mastered an art of very great difficulty." Edward R. Hewitt

Flymphs, Soft-hackles and Spiders: http://www.troutnut.com/libstudio/FS&S/index.html
Entoman
Entoman's profile picture
Northern CA & ID

Posts: 2604
Entoman on Apr 9, 2012April 9th, 2012, 5:52 pm EDT
Also good to use a little under the hair wing of an Elkhair or similar design to simulate the translucent hind wings. I think we're talking about tail hair though and Roguerat is talking body fur.
"It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Apr 10, 2012April 10th, 2012, 4:22 am EDT
And I should have specified guard hairs for shucks. In particular one Iso pattern I've seen calls for it.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Birdsnestfl
Santa Cruz, California

Posts: 1
Birdsnestfl on May 26, 2012May 26th, 2012, 8:22 pm EDT
I love the "mink thing" fly that I found in a late 70's issue of Fly Fisherman. It's a nymph that I tie in size 10 through 18 on wet fly or scud hooks. Just make a dubbing loop, stuff a sparse noodle of mink dubbing in the loop, and wrap a tapered fly, slim toward the bend, thicker at the front. I prefer GSP thread, white or gray. That's it; no rib, no head, nothing but thread and mink. Do not remove guard hairs; it should be sparse and messy. Make dubbing by trimming mink off the hide, throw it in a coffee grinder, and give it a quick zap, or use your own method of blending fur. Do not use dyed fur; it lacks translucence.

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