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3. BWO Floating Nymph Ideas

My Floating Nymph Pattern idea.

Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

Tail: Gray Hackle Fibers
Body: Olive PT
Rib: Optional, Maybe XSM Olive Wire
Thorax: Brown/Olive Trout Hunter Dubbing
Wingcase or
Emerging Wing Bud: Light Dun (Gray) whatever, polyyarn, CDC, Snow Shoe, ETc.
Legs: gray hackle

I expect to be enlightened so don't worry about my feelings. I'm not as into these stages as you guys and I'm not sure of the colors.
Thanks,
Bruce

Your's sound good. I have been tying up my effective version of a BWO nymph fished in the film that has worked exceptionally well for me. I use a tiny (XSM) plastic bead on a #18 caddis/pupa hook so I get more gape, and it is a short shank so about a size # 20. I tie in some short PT tail fibers with a strand, or two of yellow, crystal flash in the tail. Then just a rusty brown # 70 denier (flat thread) for the abdomen. Next a bumped up peacock herl thorax, and now the key material IMO. Starling. I take a starling feather grasp the tip, and pull to the side the fibers that will be tied in. I wrap down the tip at the base behind the bead. The bead is a huge asset in tying the pattern. The tip then folds over the back, and I make sure it folds over the back angled up over the thorax. It becomes an emerging wing, and has a light color, a cream color on the end of the tip I like. Then I wrap the hackle behind the bead, and secure behind the bead. No lacquer in the eye, no crowding of the head, and I could not tie the action hackle without the little bead that becomes the head of the bug. Cast, mend, fish it through a seam of dimpling fish to BWO's and it has been deadly. Sure glad I air gunned and skinned out a starling a number of years ago. Whether it is a stillborn, or an taken as an emerger, the moving, glistening Starling hackle is the key IMO.

Sounds like an interesting baetid emerger, Sayfu. What color bead do you use?

Bruce - You've pretty much described the original floating nymph. It was one of the first concepts proposed many years ago to address the reality that trout often take emergers, a tweener stage between nymph and dun at the surface. They've largely fallen out of favor out here, and I don't think much of the pattern as it misses on several counts imitating what's actually going on with the critter. I would advise a nymph like my Ripe Nymph or Tony's Bubble back CDC nymph to fill this niche, the latter tied on a light scud hook. There's only so much space in my box, and I think a dozen patterns to fish when this bug is active is ample:) Though I've long since abandoned it, I'm a continent away so what do I know? The most valuable opinions are those of your PA buddies (Tony, Louis, and Eric) and of course, the trout!:)

I've used black, but I also like to use a copper bead just for the notion it creates a distinction between the head, and the peacock herl thorax, and metallic green starling hackle. I'm getting pretty good with my wrist rocket shooting the small steel ball ammo you buy for it. I have an ongoing confrontation with the squirrels that get in my bird feeder outside my living room window. They always out smart me, and I don't think I want to kill one anyway. I may try stalking a starling with it. There are a lot of feathers on a small starling skin.

Looks good to me, Bruce.

I think I got that from the John Barr Emerger. I don't know much technical stuff about the stages of these macro organismns, but I'm learning. I have all of the books. I just have to study. If I read those biology books too much I begin to get the feeling I'm back in college. That gives me a bad feeling. I'm tying some different patterns for the fun of it. Antonio gave me a few ideas. Those Barr Emergers do work at the right time. I've had some great days with them. So many patterns, so little time.
Bruce

Hi Bruce -

Ah! I misunderstood you. It is my understanding that the Barr Emerger has a contrasting thorax to simulate the emerging dun and is usually tied (out here, anyway) on a curved hook to better simulate the proper posture. it is an excellent fly and many swear by them. I thought you were taking about the original "floating Nymph" that is basically just that - a unicolorous nymph body tied on a standard dry fly hook with dry fly hackle for tails and legs and with a tuft or ball of gray poly affixed to the top. My point was that baetis nymphs don't float on the surface stick straight with their wings bulging out of the split. The irony is the fly did/does catch fish, but so will any design from time to time...:)

Ach! I have two, but no time right now to share. :(