Hexagaina Nymph

 The Hexagaina nymph is present in huge numbers along the shore of Lake Erie and tributaries (if you have ever experienced the spectacular "Michigan Caddis" hatch in June this is the nymph). Steelhead prey heavily on these nymphs both in the lake and in the streams during their spawning run.  I find Hexagaina nymphs to be most effective early in the run (late-September to early-October) although steelhead will take it in winter and spring.  Since Hexagainas are burrowing nymphs, they are most effective when fished over the muddy/silty bottoms found near the mouths of creeks.  This is also a highly effective fly for spring Smallmouth Bass.

Hooks: Daiichi 1260 or MFC 7231 size 8-10
Weight: black beadchain eyes
Thread: tan 6/0
Tail: orange Glo-Bug yarn
Body: gray ostrich herl
Rib: medium copper wire
Back: pearl flashabou
Hackle: tan hen back
Wingcase: turkey
Thorax: gray ostrich herl

STEP 1: Take a MFC no. 7231 size 8-10 in your vise. Attach the 6/0 tan thread behind the eye, tie in a pair of black beadchain eyes useing a figure 8 knot, and wrap back to the tie in point.

STEP 2: Take a strand of orange Glo Bug yarn and tie it in for the tail.  Secure down and trim off the excess.  The tail should extend approx. 3/4 in past the tie in point.

STEP 3: Clip three long tan or gray ostrich herls and tie them in by their tips at the tie in point.  Tie in 3-4 strands of flashabou onto the top of the shank, and a length of copper wire.  Advance your thread 2/3rd the way up the shank.  Palmer the ostrich herl up to the thread in even tight spaces.  Tie down the herls but do not trim them off.

STEP 4: Pull the flashabou over the body and rib with the copper wire.  Trim off the excess of both materials, leaving the ostrich herl remnants intact.



Top View

STEP 5: Tie in a tan henback feather and a clump of turkey fibers (15-25) on top of the shank.  Advance your thread to behind the beadchain eyes.

STEP 6:  Form the abdomen by palmering the ostrich herl in tight even wraps.  Palmer the hen back over the herl to give the fly legs.  Tie off both materials behind the beadchain eyes.

STEP 7:  Move your thread to in front of the eyes.  Pull the turkey fibers over the abdomen to form a wingcase.  Tie off and trim the excess.  Whip finish and add a drop of head cement.




Art's Black Stone

Art's Black Stone is a variation of the Kauffman Black Stone.  Art Estus showed me a easier technique for tieing the wingcase.  Instead of turkey sections he uses folded scud back.  Art's Black Stonefly is exactly the same as Art's Golden Stonefly, the only difference being the black dubbing and brown oval tubing.  The black stonefly is similar to the golden stonefly but bigger and as its name suggests black.  This fly is heavily weighted so it makes a good point fly in a tandem fly rig.

Hook: MFC 7073 size 10-6
Thread: black 6/0
Weight: gold beadhead
Tail: black goose biots
Antennae:  black goose biots
Body: black hares ear dub
Rib: medium brown
Wingcase: 1/4th in wide brown scud back

STEP 1: With a MFC 7073 size 6-10 in your vise, attach your thread near the eye.  Take two black goose biots and tie them in for the antennae using the least amount as thread as possible.  The biots should be about the length of half the hook shank.  Whip finish and cut the thread.  I like  tie several fly antennae first then tie the bodies.



STEP 2: Slip a gold beadhead onto the hook and push the beadhead over the thread wraps and up to the hook eye.  Take your yellow 6/0 thread attach it mid shank and wrap back to the tie in point.




STEP 3: Take another pair of black goose biots and tie them in as the tail, they should extend half the hook shank.  Tie in a piece of medium brown oval tubing and bring your thread back to the tie in point. 



STEP 4: Take a clump of black hares ear dubbing and dub a body so that the dubbing covers the entire first half of the hook shank.  Take the oval tubing and rib the dub body.  Trim off the tubing.



STEP 5: Tie in a piece of 1/4th wide brown scud back for the wing case.  Fold over the scud back to form a loop. Secure with several wraps.  Dub a small ball of black hares ear dub other the thread wraps.






 

STEP 6: Fold a another loop in the scud back to form the second wingcase.  Tie down with several wraps of thread.  Put some black hares ear dub into a dubbing loop.  Make a spiky ball covering the thread wraps.  This will imitate the stoneflys legs.  At this point there is the optional step of adding black rubber legs to the fly.



STEP 7: Advance your thread to behind the hook eye.  Form the third and final wingcase with the scud back.  Secure the scud back withe several wraps of thread and trim off.  Whip finish, cut your thread, and add a drop of head cement.  The Black Stone is now finished.

The Finished Fly

Large king salmon caught on a black stone.

 There you have it, a black stone fly pattern.  This pattern really isn't as hard as it looks, just several steps.  I tie this pattern commercially, its available from autumnsirenflies.blogspot.com.  If you have any questions please email me or leave a comment at the bottom of the page. If you would like to try a simpler stonefly pattern, try the Estaz Stone.
 

Tyler Straight

Custom Tied Steelhead Flies

steelheadflies@me.com

CKOF Website Design

countrykidsonthefly@gmail.com 

Art's Golden Stone

Art's Golden Stone is a variation of the Kauffman Golden Stone.  Art Estus showed me a easier technique for tieing the wingcase.  Instead of turkey sections he uses folded scud back.  The golden stonefly is smaller than its cousin the black stonefly and is present in the Lake Erie tributaries. This fly is heavily weighted so it makes a good point fly in a tandem fly rig.

Hook: MFC 7073 size 10-8
Thread: yellow 6/0
Weight: gold beadhead
Tail: yellow goose biots
Antennae: yellow goose biots
Body: yellow hares ear dub
Rib: medium gold wire
Wingcase: 1/4th in wide brown scud back

STEP 1: With a MFC 7073 size 8-10 in your vise, attach your thread near the eye.  Take two yellow goose biots and tie them in for the antennae using the least amount as thread as possible.  The biots should be about the length of half the hook shank.  Whip finish and cut the thread.  I like t tie several fly antennae first then tie the bodies.


Photo 1A

Photo 1B

STEP 2: Slip a gold beadhead onto the hook and push the beadhead over the thread wraps and up to the hook eye.  Take your yellow 6/0 thread attach it mid shank and wrap back to the tie in point.



Photo 2B

Photo 2B

STEP 3: Take another pair of yellow goose biots and tie them in as the tail, they should extend half the hook shank.  Tie in a piece of medium copper wire and bring your thread back to the tie in point. 


Photo 3A



Photo 3B

STEP 4: Take a clump of yellow hares ear dubbing and dub a body so that the dubbing covers the entire first half of the hook shank.  Take the copper wire and rib the dub body.  Trim off the copper wire.



Photo 4A

Photo 4B

STEP 5: Tie in a piece of 1/4th wide brown scud back for the wing case.  Fold over the scud back to form a loop. Secure with several wraps.  Dub a small ball of yellow hares ear dub other the thread wraps.




Photo 5A

Photo 5B

STEP 6: Fold a another loop in the scud back to form the second wingcase.  Tie down with several wraps of thread.  Put some yellow hares ear dub into a dubbing loop.  Make a spiky ball covering the thread wraps.  This will imitate the stoneflys legs.  At this point there is the optional step of adding yellow rubber legs to the fly.


Photo 6A

Photo 6B

STEP 7: Advance your thread to behind the hook eye.  Form the third and final wingcase with the scud back.  Secure the scud back withe several wraps of thread and trim off.  Whip finish, cut your thread, and add a drop of head cement.  The Golden Stone is now finished.



Photo 7

The finished fly.

 

 There you have it, a golden stone fly pattern.  This pattern really isn't as hard as it looks, just several steps.  I tie this pattern commercially, its available from autumnsirenflies.blogspot.com.  If you have any questions please email me or leave a comment at the bottom of the page. Sometime I will post a simpler golden stone pattern for steelhead.

 

Tyler Straight

Custom Tied Steelhead Flies

steelheadflies@me.com

CKOF Website Design

countrykidsonthefly@gmail.com 

Estaz Stone

This is a simple nymph for great lakes steelhead. The Estaz Stone is my go to nymph for all water conditions. Unlike other stonefly patterns its simple to tie and doesn't require multiple steps or many materials.

Hook: MFC 7073 size 8-14
Thread: black 6/0
Weight: gold beadhead (optional)
Tail: black biots
Body: black oval tubing
Wingcase: MFC Thin Skin
Thorax: Estaz
Thorax Colors: pink, chartreuse, orange, blue

STEP 1: With a MFC in your vise, attach your thread behind the beadhead and wrap back to the tie-in-point.

STEP 2: Take 2 black goose biots and hold them with the convex sides together.  Tie them in as a tail and split the with your thread.

STEP 3: Tie in a piece of small black oval tubing.  Advance your thread 2/3 the way up the hook.(Photo 3A)

Wrap the tubing 2/3 the way up the hook, secure the tubing with several pinch wraps and tie off. (Photo 3B)

 

STEP 4: Tie in a piece of 1/4th in wide black MFC Thin Skin for the wingcase (Photo 4A). Tie in a piece of regular Estaz (Photo 4B).

 

Photo 4A

Photo 4B

 STEP 5: Make of abdomen with 3-5 wraps of Estaz.



Pull the Thin Skin over the Estaz and secure with several thread wraps.  Whip Finish and add a drop of glue.

Tyler Straight

Custom Tied Steelhead Flies

steelheadflies@me.com

CKOF Website Design

countrykidsonthefly@gmail.com