Dissatisfaction Drakes 20Jul16

I was somewhat unsatisfied with the performance of our green drake nymphs (beadhead, flashback, gold-ribbed hare's ears) during a recent outing to the Blue River Canyon. Perhaps it was the way I was fishing them I thought (likely not deep enough) after seeing the greater numbers of fish landed by the Czech nymphing short liner; perhaps it was more. I dove on the internet and studied this huge crawler mayfly in western rivers and decided to tie some more realistic green drake nymphs. Pictured are the two variation I tied... pretty awesome if I do so say. I haven't named them yet, nor have I tried them - but I am excited to do that and sense they'll be much more like the drakes in the Blue than the hare's ear.

Left Green Drake Nymph... this is a tail & body of pheasant tail fibers on a 2302 #14 hook. I overwrapped the body with clear tubing in which I had stuffed copper wire. The bead is gunmetal tungsten and the fly is also weighted with 10 wraps of lead. The thorax is a mix of 3 peacock herls (1 red-dyed and the 2 others natural green) which I wove into a a chenille around the thread. The legs are a "V" of partridge tied in in front of the thorax. A large opal mylar provides flashback on top (can't see it) and then I finished the top with UV-activated goo.

Right Green Drake Nymph... this is a tail of olive, tan and brown ostrich herl and the body is of the same but also wraps in a chartreuse wire. I used the same chenille wrapping technique with the wire and herl around the thread before wrapping on the hook, a 2347 #14. The thorax is dubbed Hex UV superfine but also hides a tungsten bead and some wraps of weight - it's topped with olive speckled thinskin. The legs are a "V" of partridge.

We these done I need to tie some emergers now as well as test them of course - but confidence is high.