Favorite BWO Nymph

[Mike]

So what's everyone's favorite BWO nymph? Does anyone have a secret, killer pattern that they employ? I tend to end up using the same old pheasant tail or bead headed pheasant tail every year.

[K.B.]

#18-22 WD 40 with a Canada goose biot abdomen (same style with a CDC loop wing for the emergers). I can't tie a decent looking PT small enough to match most of the naturals I see

Alternative: #20 soft hackle hare's ear on the swing.

[Ouzel]

I don't have a favorite BWO Nymph but my "to do" list over my bench has a picture of Jason's.
Now I'm wondering, why you don't use it. Maybe it really isn't effective since his own buddy doesn't use it? :-) :-)
Sorry Jason, couldn't resist.

P. S. I'll probably tie some up anyway. But I better catch some fish on it or you will never hear the end of it. :-)

[Mike]

K.B. - A soft hackle is often deadly! I used them last spring with excellent results. I will try the biot WD40. I haven't had great luck with the traditional WD40!

Ouzel - Do you mean Jason's BWO pattern in the fly archive? That's a great fly. I never did get mine to look right though, I kept having to steal Jason's!

[Curtis Fry]

Well there's the popular RS2, then I also like the Barr emerger. I also tie up a nice quilll body pattern that I use for nymphs. And believe it or not I fish my drowned no-hackles as nymphs once they pass their "prime" as dries. I have a whole Baetis nymph box so I mess around with a lot of different ones.

Curtis Fry

[Jason]

I use to be a BH Pheasant Tail guy but the last 2-3 years I've used my own BWO nymph along with a Dark Olive (almost black) plain ol' pheasant tail. Some days my pattern kills em' and some days the pheasant tail pattern kills em'. Those are the only two BWO nymphs I ever use. Although, I will refer back to the BH PT and fish it off a dry fly as a dropper. And yes, Mike has had to beg for a few before. But, then the next week I'm begging him for one of his sow bug patterns or some other killer pattern that he's using.
Here's my pattern:
http://www.utahonthefly.com/flytying/flyarchive/bwonymph.htm

[grouser]

I sometimes have good luck with a Cates Turkey pattern, fished as a emerger or drifted as a nymph. I am not sure if it is a BWO nymph.

[K.B.]

Mike,

For the biots, I use the natural Canada goose biots tied "smooth" style (i.e., without the fuzzy ridge). These give a better segmentation effect than domestic goose and the light-to-dark gray coloration is very "neutral," suggesting a number of natural shades without imitating any color in particur. I started using them after watching a Shane Stalcup video. Not sure if any local shops sell them, but you can get them from his catalog.

These biots also make great BWO drys and midge pupa, emergers and drys. If fact, I've been tying a simple midge adult with just a biot abdomen and a grizzly hacke tied "pullover" style over a thorax of fine gray dubbing. This one in #22, although hard to see on the water sometimes, fooled six cutts two weekends ago on the Lower Provo.

Curtis,

As far as swinging the soft-hackle, Western Rivers had a good description of the technique on their web site last fall. I'm not sure if its still there somewhere. Once you get upstream from some feeding fish, the main variable is current speed The faster the current, the more of a down and accross presentation is required to slow the speed of the fly as it swings accross. Depth is addressed by adding or removing weight One thing is to let the fly hang at the end of the swing for a bit, as it's suprising how many times the fish will take it then.

KB

[Fred]

Sometimes it simply doesn't work when other flys--PTs, Hare's ear, etc.--do work, but other times, it just smokes when nothing else works.

[Dustin]

I like the variations of the Skip Nymphs--I really haven't fished them a ton, but when I have, they have been outstanding. Although, they aren't as durable as the good ol' pheasant tail.

Tight Lines!!

[Light Cahill]

In the early spring and late fall, I like to use a Olive WD-40 and Pheasant Tail combo. I also tie an Olive and Partride for deeper runs, and use it on a short leader with #4 split-shot, and sinking line. That latter rig works nicely on the Weber, with its deep runs and riffles.

[shazerblaze]

Curtis,
For swinging, I will often have a small bead (brass or tungsten, depending on the weight you want) just behind the soft hackle (it acts as the thorax). The weight puts it down farther in the column, if it is needed. K.B. was right about the current speed. Always try to keep a straight line between the rod and the fly. To much belly and you have a "speedy gonzalez" that no fish will take. Quick mends upstream help with that. Lastly, a quick mend at the end of the swing is good sometimes to let the fly sink quick just before you "lift". That is a good trick to entice one last strike before you cast again. Those are some of the tricks I use, and it adds for more "active" fishing.