“Vernon S. “Pete” Hidy coined the term flymph. What is a flymph? A flymph is a hatching insect be it mayfly, caddisfly, midge, or stonefly that according to Pete Hidy is in the stage of metamorphosis “changing from wingless nymphs to flies with wings”. These flies are historically fished with a across and downstream technique that allows the current to naturally swing and raise the fly up to the surface in front of a rising or holding fish in a manner that activates the soft hackle collar and body materials effectively imitating life in the ascending artificial fly. The attraction of these flies is that not only do they look natural but they behave natural as well. They have movement; they have the appearance of life.”

now, the last part to me is probably the key element when considering constructing these flies: “the appearance of life’ (even though the real bugs could be stillborns or spents, their leg/body/wing parts would still move throughout the drift downstream)

“Traditionally flymphs are tied with natural body materials that will undulate in the currents. These body materials include hare’s mask, peacock, muskrat, mole, squirrel, and other natural fur with guard hairs. Shaggy body materials like rabbit, hare, and squirrel hold water well, sink quickly and also capture small air bubbles when they penetrate the surface film. These air bubbles create shimmer and sheen and look particularly similar to caddis pupa which uses internal gases to propel them to the surface or egg-laying caddis that dive underwater to lay eggs and carry with them oxygen bubbles for respiration. The hackle collars of flymphs are chosen with color and movement in mind to match the emerging wings, antennae, and legs of the ascending nymph. Soft, webby feathers such as hen, partridge, grouse, starling, woodcock, or quail are choice. These feathers absorb water and each has it own unique action underwater.”

such invaluable insights, want tons more ? click either pick for the full, well-worth-the-read article or The Royal Order of Water Buffalos  ooops ! i meant the TIBOTF logo here.

and since it’s the first fly you’ll see when you get there: the all-time classic inevitable must-have super-sleek Partridge & Orange spider,
here’s a hot-off-the-press video tutorial on how to tie it by Hans Weilenmann. enjoy !

related articles

• The Essential Midge – Fly Talk Special by Mick Hall
• Grannomses II
• no Muddling around here, buddy.
• Oliver Edwards, Frank Sawyer’s Killer Bug and Pheasant Tail Nymph and putting all that old stuff to good use.
• Dry Fly hackle preparation
• This Prince wants a change !
• Less is More.

made with-

love

hook- Maruto C47 bl size 18
thread- Veevus 16/0 black
abdomen- honey peacock quill
thorax- hare & seal’s fur, honey and black mixed
wing- EP international fibers, black & off-white mixed

if there was only one adage to adopt in our craft the better one would probably be:
Less is More…
give it a try sometime. as in all things regarding adapting the way we see and think about the things around us, it may take a little patience and persistence but it’s a fun and rewarding challenge.

these thoughts where inspired by Dave Wiltshire’s fantastic CDC Loop Emerger pictured above.

“Tied in a range of styles and with different materials, this fly has a hugely buggy appearance and suggests that struggling and vulnerable stage as a fly makes the change from nymph to dun.I like to tie the tips long and allow them to project over the eye, giving an even busier profile. In conjunction with the wing, this makes a fantastic footprint.”

to access the step by step for this pattern and its variations click the pic and while you’re there be sure to check out a whole slew of other fluffy goodies at Dave’s River Fly Box.  enjoy !

Debra was a girl i went to school with when i was a kid. having recently found class photos at my parents place, i discovered that her and i where in the same class for ten years and usually side by side both in class and on the class shots. we where always together doing what kids do. i loved her then and even though i have no idea what she has become, that love is still there. she was a redhead, a tomboy but a cautious tomboy. she always stayed right beneath the surface while i floated high and took the blame for the both of us.

a fantabulous pattern for streams, rivers and lakes, this one’s got all the right mojo:
slim, trim, dead sexy and easy to tie . what’s not to like ?
check out the step by step for a super-nice tip on securing the cdc feathers and be sure to tie these up in different sizes and colors/tones !

” I can remember tying this CDC emerger as a ’trial’ fly. I had used CDC loops to great effect (and still do!) and the simple CDC Shuttlecock. However, I had been keen to develop a more slim-line fly where there was very little CDC actually tied to the hook. The problem came in the durability of the fly as CDC can just slip out from the usual thread wraps if you’re not careful.

However, the solution was simple (read on!) and now this is a major part of my CDC fly box. I love the way the body pierces the surface the CDC really suggests an emerging wing. The butts that remain, I am sure, suggest the wing buds bursting during eclosion. “

WoW, the “ buds bursting during eclosion ” bit got me all excited !
click HERE for the full step by step on Dave’s site, enjoy !

it’s hard not to like this one. the deer hair will keep it afloat in fast waters and it’s smaller sunken body and shuck will get a lot of attention in calmer currents. relatively easy to tie and chock full of key emerger elements, this low sitting fly is just the ticket for any salmonid. vary sizes and colors to suit your water. enjoy !

nice, nice, nice and nice !
a cloud, a wisp, a veil or two. shape, silhouette, ‘hanging position’, it’s all there.
all the key emerger elements all wrapped up in this very tasty little Cloud Emerger bug from Matt Grobert. be sure to pay particular attention to the ‘tent wing-case’s construction. what an ingenious, realistic and fantastic looking element. enjoy !