By Kirk Deeter

There are reasons why some fly patterns sell by the thousands of dozens every year. The Copper John, arguably the most popular nymph pattern on the planet, simply sinks better, faster, and is just flashy enough to grab a trout's attention. You can turn over a million rocks in rivers and never see anything that looks like a Copper John, but the fly is brilliant. The Parachute Adams is equally remarkable for its drab simplicity. Developed in northern Michigan nearly a century ago, the Adams proves to me over and over that trout care more about profile and presentation than they do about exact colors and detailed body accents.

Thing of it is, I have also come to believe that familiarity breeds contempt, at least in the context of trout and the dry flies they see every day. I remember a couple summers ago during the green drake hatch, all my buddies were turned onto this specific V-winged pattern that rode a little lower and flatter on the surface. I tried it, and yes, it worked great. But after a few days on my favorite river, the trout wouldn't eat it anymore. The drakes were still hatching, but I think those trout, even with pea-sized brains, were able to register the fake after all of us bandwagon anglers had show the same bug to them over and over again.

I've always thought that having a unique twist on a fly and home recipes often worked best for that very reason. This is a pattern my grandfather tied, and it's one of the only dries he'd use all season. Spring mayflies, caddis, terrestrials in August...didn't matter. He called it a "mosquito" though, in truth, it's about 70 times larger than any real mosquito that's ever bitten me (It's about a size #14). Simple hook, black thread, spaced peacock herl wound up the body. Grizzly or brown hackle, and wings made from wood duck feathers. That's it.

I think the trout liked the fly so much because A) Grandfather knew how to fish, and he could present just about any fly in a way that made it look appetizing, and B) because he was the only guy throwing these bugs that looked just like they do on his stretch of river.

He's gone now, but I found a box of these in a drawer in the cabin last summer. Most were rusted and couldn't be fished. But there were a couple that worked like a charm. Probably because the current generation of trout hadn't seen them before.

I'd tell you how to tie them, but I haven't quite figured it out myself exactly. Besides, some recipes are best kept secret, and your own concoctions will probably work better on your own waters. I've never been a big believer in the "secret" bug. But I am a believer in the "unique" bug.

Comments (6)

from buckhunter wrote 9 weeks 3 days ago

Was on my way home from fishing and stopped by the fly shop the other day. I was rummaging through the flies when a customer mistook me for an employee and asked if we carried the fly he had in his hand. One look at the fly would tell you it was old. The fly was tied with course red thread, old mallard wings and a hook with a long, extended curved barb and a poorly curved eye. The customer was a very old man and said he bought a dozen of these years ago and were the best fly for smallmouth ever. He feared losing his last one before replacing it. I had never seen this fly before and the pattern was very unique. I ended up taking a picture of his fly with my phone and tied up a bunch and mailed them to him.

The most interesting part of the story is this. Why, in a room full of the most dazzling and marvelous flies on earth, did this man only want this one very simple fly from years ago? I think he knows the same thing Deeter knows.

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from bruisedsausage wrote 9 weeks 3 days ago

I commented on something similar to this about a year ago in one of John Merwin's pieces. A spin off of an elk hair caddis that I concocted. I gave it a tail, and made the upper thorax out of chartreuse chenille. Otherwise it was basically the same thing. I have fantastic luck with it around here.

I've also noticed the trout around here prefer some colors over others depending on the weather, more so than timing the fly I'm using to what is hatching.

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from fliphuntr14 wrote 9 weeks 3 days ago

friend of mine that got me started in the right path a few years ago throws a soaked looking crayfish pattern that he calls the POS or hunk of OS. You can guess what it stands for, cause thats what it looks like in the water. It catchs fish granted he can put it were it should be and often at a distance i cannot fathom casting at the moment. It has steelehead, browns, bass, coho salmon, and a pike or two to its name and really just works anywhere that might see a crayfish in the rocks. It is his own blend of material, and he only sells or hands me a few throughout the year often saying "you'll be surprised what will catch fish". One of the quotes i've been living by when sitting at the vice lately.

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from clinchknot wrote 9 weeks 3 days ago

What in the heck is that fly in the picture? Is that a dry fly? Way over hackled for one. Your point is well taken, but there is nothing like knowing the food organisms the fish feed one, what stages they take, what time of year they feed on certain organisms, and matching what they eat. And John Barr's copper Johns are a attractor pattern, but they can also be good imitators..for example. When lime sallie nymphs are crawling prior to coming out as adult stoneflies, the lime wire copper john is a good imitator...gets down where they are crawling, right color, good profile, and other copper johns as well. Good stonefly imitators especially.

-1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 9 weeks 2 days ago

Flip, I know the POS pattern very well. Use to fish with a guy from WV who had a crayfish pattern that looked like it was tied by a drunk sailor during heavy seas. The darn thing caught fish though, lots of them.

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from clinchknot wrote 9 weeks 2 days ago

What I would guard against is encouraging a newbie that wants to flyfish and tie flies, to stick to standard patterns that have proved themselves over time. Early on a new tier can start by just gobbing material on a hook with no background info as to what they want to create. They may catch a fish. We know trout in rivers will eat bits of wood, other inanimate objects so any creation could catch of fish. My position has always been to have some reason, some knowledge of why you are creating a certain fly. I often want motion in my patterns to create living food organisms. And I also think of triggers I can incorporate into a standard pattern that sets my fly apart from the standards in the flyshop bins. That can then be your own rinkle that really works. And a crayfish pattern?...might help to know they always move/swim backwards.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

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from buckhunter wrote 9 weeks 3 days ago

Was on my way home from fishing and stopped by the fly shop the other day. I was rummaging through the flies when a customer mistook me for an employee and asked if we carried the fly he had in his hand. One look at the fly would tell you it was old. The fly was tied with course red thread, old mallard wings and a hook with a long, extended curved barb and a poorly curved eye. The customer was a very old man and said he bought a dozen of these years ago and were the best fly for smallmouth ever. He feared losing his last one before replacing it. I had never seen this fly before and the pattern was very unique. I ended up taking a picture of his fly with my phone and tied up a bunch and mailed them to him.

The most interesting part of the story is this. Why, in a room full of the most dazzling and marvelous flies on earth, did this man only want this one very simple fly from years ago? I think he knows the same thing Deeter knows.

+5 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 9 weeks 2 days ago

Flip, I know the POS pattern very well. Use to fish with a guy from WV who had a crayfish pattern that looked like it was tied by a drunk sailor during heavy seas. The darn thing caught fish though, lots of them.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from bruisedsausage wrote 9 weeks 3 days ago

I commented on something similar to this about a year ago in one of John Merwin's pieces. A spin off of an elk hair caddis that I concocted. I gave it a tail, and made the upper thorax out of chartreuse chenille. Otherwise it was basically the same thing. I have fantastic luck with it around here.

I've also noticed the trout around here prefer some colors over others depending on the weather, more so than timing the fly I'm using to what is hatching.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from fliphuntr14 wrote 9 weeks 3 days ago

friend of mine that got me started in the right path a few years ago throws a soaked looking crayfish pattern that he calls the POS or hunk of OS. You can guess what it stands for, cause thats what it looks like in the water. It catchs fish granted he can put it were it should be and often at a distance i cannot fathom casting at the moment. It has steelehead, browns, bass, coho salmon, and a pike or two to its name and really just works anywhere that might see a crayfish in the rocks. It is his own blend of material, and he only sells or hands me a few throughout the year often saying "you'll be surprised what will catch fish". One of the quotes i've been living by when sitting at the vice lately.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from clinchknot wrote 9 weeks 2 days ago

What I would guard against is encouraging a newbie that wants to flyfish and tie flies, to stick to standard patterns that have proved themselves over time. Early on a new tier can start by just gobbing material on a hook with no background info as to what they want to create. They may catch a fish. We know trout in rivers will eat bits of wood, other inanimate objects so any creation could catch of fish. My position has always been to have some reason, some knowledge of why you are creating a certain fly. I often want motion in my patterns to create living food organisms. And I also think of triggers I can incorporate into a standard pattern that sets my fly apart from the standards in the flyshop bins. That can then be your own rinkle that really works. And a crayfish pattern?...might help to know they always move/swim backwards.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from clinchknot wrote 9 weeks 3 days ago

What in the heck is that fly in the picture? Is that a dry fly? Way over hackled for one. Your point is well taken, but there is nothing like knowing the food organisms the fish feed one, what stages they take, what time of year they feed on certain organisms, and matching what they eat. And John Barr's copper Johns are a attractor pattern, but they can also be good imitators..for example. When lime sallie nymphs are crawling prior to coming out as adult stoneflies, the lime wire copper john is a good imitator...gets down where they are crawling, right color, good profile, and other copper johns as well. Good stonefly imitators especially.

-1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

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All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.