Featured Fly - Double Feature

For my feature fly this go around, I decided to do two simple yet effective dry flies that work well all winter long. The first one I did was a Blue Winged Olive or BWO, this Mayfly can hatch throughout the winter months. When these little guys are flying around your favorite limestone or spring creek, it is a great time to see fish rising regularly. The second one is the Griffiths Gnat, this is a super easy pattern to tie, yet very effective. It mimics multiple midges clustered together; what better reason for a fish to rise "an easy, filling meal" than to a Griffiths gnat.

CDC BWO

Material:

Hook: TMC 100 - sz. 14 -22

Thread: UNI Thread 8/0 - Olive 

Thorax: East Coast Dubbing - BWO

Abdomen: Goose Biot - BWO or Olive 

Wing: Super Select CDC - Dark Dun or Light Dune

Tail: Wapsi Mayfly Tails - Lt. Dun or Dun

 Step 1: Make a thread base back to the hook bend, Add a small dubbing ball, this helps split your tails.

  
Step 2: Tie in your mayfly tails, tie them back to the start of the dubbing ball, they will split apart making your tails. Cut off extra.

 Step 3: Wrap thread 3/4 of the way back to the hook eye. Take 2 CDC feathers, aline the tips together and tie down. Make a few wraps forward, trim the extra.

Step 4: Tying back to the tails; tie in your goose biot.

  
Step 5: Wrap your goose biot forward until you are right behind the CDC feathers.

 Step 6: Dub behind the CDC feathers making 2 or 3 turns, wrap thread forward and make a small thread dam helping the CDC stand straight up. Add 1 or 2 more wraps of dubbing.

Step 7: Whip Finish and cut thread.

Griffiths Gnat

Materials

Hook: TMC 100 - sz. 18-24

Thread: UNI Thread 8/0 - Olive or Black 

Body: Peacock Herls 

Wing: Grizzly Saddle 

Step 1: Make a thread base, Tying in a single grizzly feather from the butt end.

Step 2: Tie in 2 peacock herls, making sure they start at the hook bend with the grizzly feather.

Step 3: Wrap the 2 peacock herls forward, making the body. Tie off right behind the hook eye.

Step 4: Palmer the grizzly feather forward. Also tying this off right behind the hook eye.

Step 5: Whip finish and cut thread.

Finished!

 

Here are a couple fish that fell to one of these flies: