Classic flies tied by eastern fly fishers years ago are enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Tiers like Tim Flagler are helping make that happen.
Below, Tim ties the classic Isonychia Nymph, a simple pattern that Tim says he’s fishing a lot with lately, and with great success.
The pattern is an excellent dead-drifter in waters where both caddis and stonefly nymphs are present. But, with one look at the finished product, I determined that it would be great swinger here in the West, on waters like the Firehole and the Madison in Yellowstone National Park, or in smaller streams where attractor patterns tend to do really well.
I’m tying several of these bugs up this weekend in hopes of taking them into a small, but productive, native cutthroat stream in the next week or so. I’m betting this fly is money.
And, it’s easy to tie, as you’ll see in the video. Give it a shot and see what you think.