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Egan's Chironomid Frenchie: aka the Silver Lancer

June 14, 2018, 6:13 pm
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Slayer Chironomid Pattern


Chironomid Frenchie
Preface (by CF): So we've been fishing this Frenchie variation pattern almost religiously for the past couple of chironomid seasons on our local stillwaters. In two words: It slays.

Now we wouldn't expect less from the fishy mind of Lance Egan, but this pattern almost borders on creepily effective. Due to the need for getting this submitted to Umpqua for an upcoming new catalog release, we couldn't let the cat out of the bag until now, but we've seen this pattern get a LOT of usage amongst a few fellow anglers and it's pretty much the same response in terms of how well it fishes.


By now you know me as a pretty fanatical chironomid guy. And not to say I don't fish my other patterns, but let's say I've got a few rows in my chironomid box that is 100% Silver Lancers. Side note: Cheech came up with that codename for it and we actually call it that. Chironomid Frenchie is what you'll see it named with Umpqua most likely, but around here, it's the "Silver Lancer" (or Gold Lancer, or White Lancer as the case may be).

So here's a Lance's take on the pattern:

Many river anglers who are familiar with Euro style nymphing have come across a popular pheasant tail nymph variation called a "Frenchie"  If not, check out our video here
Brookie caught on the Chironomid Frenchie

The Frenchie has been a staple for me on rivers for more than a decade.  Why wouldn't it work well in lakes???  It does!  I've adapted the bead and wire colors, removed the tail (chironomids don't have tails) and added sparkle emerger yarn for gills.  Otherwise, the fish grabbing materials from the river frenchie are still utilized.  This is my go-to chironomid and is my best producing stillwater pattern when fishing with a midge tip line or below an indicator.  Try the Chironomid Frenchie, I'm confident it will produce for you.

Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                                    
Hook: Hanak H 230 BL Standard Nymph Hook - 12
Bead: UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier - Red
Bead: Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Nickel - 7/64" (2.8mm)
Breathers: Sparkle Emerger Yarn - Clear White
Body: Nature's Spirit Ringneck Pheasant Center Tails - Muskrat Gray
Ribbing: UTC Ultra Wire - Silver - Small
Thorax: Ice Dub - UV Shrimp Pink
Glue: Fly Tyer's Z-Ment


Other tools from the tutorial:

Dr. Slick Tungsten Carbide All Purpose Scissors, 4"

And now the video...



And see this fly in action below...



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The Chimera gets an upgrade

June 20, 2018, 2:58 pm
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CHIMERA 2.0

Chimera updated
It's been quite a while since we gave the Chimera some love, so here's a nice little updated version.

I started tying and fishing this version last summer and it really still had the original Chimera magic going on. The only two components I swap out are the body material (pheasant tail swapped in for Ice Dub) and the hook (the wicked sharp Gamakastu R18B from the original Mustad CS49). From the success of fishing Frenchie style flies, I'm a pretty big fan of pheasant tail as a material in general and so the sub for Ice Dub seemed a good choice. And if you haven't used the R18 hook, it's about time you did. It's got mega penetration mojo and I haven't seen any increase in lost fish from it being barbless.

The other thing we've seen as people have fished this more over the years is that it does a great job in rivers just the same as it does in lakes. Again, it's more of an all-around attractor pattern that can help imitate a large variety of aquatic insects.
The Chimera getting some action



Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                                              
Hook: Gamakatsu R18-B Multi-Purpose Hook - 12
Thread: UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier - Black
Bead: Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Fl. Orange - 3/32" (2.3mm)
Melted Mono Eyes: Maxima Chameleon Leader Material - 25 lb
Tail: Whiting Red Label Hen Cape - Black
Ribbing: UTC Ultra Wire - Silver - Small (or brassie for #10 & up.)
Body: Nature's Spirit Ringneck Pheasant Center Tails - Muskrat Gray
Wing Case (base): Thin Skin - Black
Wing Case (stripe): Veevus Holographic Tinsel - Red - Medium
Thorax Dub: Ice Dub - UV Black


Other tools from the tutorial:
       
Stonfo Comb/Brush Tool
C&F Design Hackle Pliers
Stonfo Pinza Elite Hackle Pliers - Standard
Loon Fluorescing UV Clear Fly Finish
Loon UV Infiniti Light

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Egan's Corn Fed Caddis

June 24, 2018, 6:52 pm
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Caddis Gold!


The Corn Fed Caddis
The Corn Fed Caddis is a beefy, high floating dry fly fit for any water type.

It utilizes the incredible flotation and fish catching abilities of CDC. Most CDC patterns are sparse and delicate, but the Corn Fed Caddis lives up to its name sporting a heavy CDC wing stacked with a hydrophobic, poly yarn overwing for even more floatability. This linebacker at ballet class also uses CDC fibers for the hackle.

Throw this fly at selective spring creek browns or pocketwater pushovers, it works great for both!

Also of note, CDC flies don't work well with traditional floatants.  Use Tiemco dry magic or Loon Lochsa gel style floatants, Shimizaki Dry Shake, Loon Top Ride, or Frogs Fanny powder floatants for best results (see links below).

Buy them pre-tied here or check out the tutorial below...

Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                          
Hook: TMC 100 Dry Fly Hook - 14 - 25 Pack
Shuck: MFC Premium Fly Tying Thread - Light Brown - 6/0
Shuck: Antron Yarn - Carded - PMD Shuck/Olive
Body/Thorax: Super Fine Dry Fly Dubbing - Tan
Wing/Hackle: Nature's Spirit CDC - Natural
Wing 2: Para Post Wing Material - White


Other tools from the tutorial:
           
Stonfo Elite Rotodubbing twister
Stonfo Dubbing Loop Clip Set - Small
Renzetti Standard Bobbin - Ruby Tip
Stonfo Comb/Brush Tool
Umpqua Shimazaki Dry Shake
Loon Lochsa Floatant (1/2 oz)
Frog's Fanny

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Morrish Mouse

July 1, 2018, 6:09 pm
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Part Rodent, Part Gurgler



Fishing with mouse patterns seems to be picking up steam as more and more anglers realize that there are lots of fish that will readily take advantage of a nicely presented rodent.  The keys to a good mouse pattern in my opinion are movement, "gurgle," and hook gap.  The Morrish Mouse is a really great example of how to achieve all three of those keys in a pretty simple form.  It's basically three materials, and can take a little bit of time to tie, but it's not necessarily a difficult pattern with a bit of practice (even with the spinning of elk hair.)  Kudos again to Ken Morrish for bringing us this well thought out and very effective fly!  

A few tips.  
  1. You can tie this on a wide gap hook like the Gamakatsu B10S or the Fulling Mill Streamer Stripper hook
  2. You can tie this fly with deer or elk hair, but I find that it's best with coarse elk hair like the back strip piece from Nature's Spirit
  3. It can be tied with 4mm foam if you want to slim down the profile.
Happy tying!

~ Cheech

Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                              
Hook: TMC 5263 Nymph & Streamer Hook - 4 - 25 Pack
Tail : Veevus GSP - White - 200 Denier
Tail : Rabbit Zonker Strips - Dark Brown
Body: Nature's Spirit Cow Elk Backstrip - 6"x6"
Foam: Fly Tying Foam - 6mm - Black
Glue: Fly Tyer's Z-Ment


Other tools from the tutorial:
          
Peak Hex Hair Stacker - Magnum
Deadfly Half Hitch Hair Packer
Tiemco Deer Hair Scissors - Fine
Tiemco Tungsten Carbide Razor Scissor
Loon Ergo Quick Cut Whip Finisher



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Strawberry Cutthroats

July 8, 2018, 8:49 pm
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And Forest Fires...

Strawberry Reservoir Cutthroat
It was a relatively slow couple of outings but we managed a few fish. Cheech even rigged up his new Tenkara rig and gave it a go. See the results below...

Also, featured flies:

-- Balanced Blank Saver
-- Lancer Damsel

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CDC & Foam Ant

July 11, 2018, 2:57 pm
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CDC and Foam are Buddies


We have spent several years surveying trout across the country and the consensus is that they all love flying ant patterns.  Cinnamon, black, brown, etc.  95.87% of them confirmed that they would readily eat a properly presented ant fly pattern.  Scientific research aside, we started to pay attention more to flying ants once we started fishing Lance's Bionic ant, and watching picky mayfly eaters move 7' out of their feeding lanes to eat the juicier morsel.  On this fly, you will see a cool technique to create a round body with foam and dubbing, and you will also see the cinnamon pepper color of hackle that we have been using a lot lately.  

~Cheech





Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                             
Hook: Gamakatsu S10 Executive Series Dry Fly Hook - 12
Body: UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier - Black
Body: Nature's Spirit Beaver Dubbing - Rusty Spinner
Overbody: Rainy's Evazote Foam - Black - 1/8"
Wing: Polish CDC - White
Hackle: Whiting Rooster Dry Fly Cape - Pro - Cinnamon Pepper Variant


Other tools from the tutorial:
     
C&F Design Bobbin - Midge Size
Fly Tying Wax Skull
Tiemco Tungsten Carbide Razor Scissor

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Egan's Red Dart

July 14, 2018, 9:08 pm
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A FLASHY ATTRACTOR

Red Dart

The Red Dart is a design combining the best parts of a couple of old favorite fly patterns and applying current materials.  The result is a fishy attractor.  I came up with the fly at the 2011 World Fly Fishing Championships held in Bolzano, Italy.  Fish were being caught on red tags (old school style with yarn tail and peacock body), and prince nymphs.  I was having the best success on prince nymphs tied with red thread (hotspot collar) and with peacock ice dubbing instead of natural peacock for the body.  My thought was that if I combined the two flies I might find something the fish really liked.  So, the red tail from the red tag replaced the biot tail from the prince.  I used brightly dyed hackle fibers for the tail instead of wool yarn found in the old school red tag.  Peacock ice dub has replaced natural peacock for my prince nymphs so I used the flashy synthetic.  I removed the white biots normally found on the back of a prince nymph but kept the prince's brown soft hackle.  One more addition and the fly was finished.  The hotspot.  Hotspots are very common in competition flies and will likely start to take over your nymph box if you start down the hotspot road...   Anyway, the last piece of material is the sparse UV pink hotspot added right behind the bead.  I have no idea why fish eat this fly.  Though it certainly isn't imitative, it is effective, flashy and fishtastic.  The Browns, Rainbows, Marble trout and Grayling in Italy liked it, as do fish everywhere I've tried the Red Dart.

Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                                                  
Hook: Hanak H 400 BL Jig Hook - 14
Bead: UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier - Red
Bead: Hareline Slotted Tungsten Beads - Gold - 7/64" (2.8mm)
Tail: Metz Soft Hackle Feathers - Red
Weight: Lead Wire Spool - .015
Abdomen: Ice Dub - Peacock
Ribbing: Sulky Metallic Tinsel - Opalescent (8040)
Hackle: Whiting 4B Hen Cape - Greenwell
Hot Spot: Ice Dub - UV Pink
Wing Case: UTC Flashback Tinsel - Black - Large


Other tools from the tutorial:
  
Renzetti Master Vise






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Dry Flies on the Green River

July 16, 2018, 8:28 pm
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Caddis Attack!


We've fished the Green for a lot of years and have seen some great dry fly days, but this day was a pretty crazy one. Unfortunately, it was a two-man jobber and we weren't able to fish, row and film all at once. So we've got at least the aftermath of the dry fly action and we were able to break in the new Hyde on moving water finally.

Also, here's a link to the flies we used:

-- Egan's Bionic Ant
-- Egan's Iron Lotus
-- Duracell Jig
-- Stoneflopper (mini version)
-- Morrish Hopper

And the video....

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The Thread Frenchie

July 25, 2018, 9:22 pm
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Fast Sinking and Effective!


Thread Frenchie
Frenchie style nymphs have been a staple in my fly boxes for many years.  Their fish catching prowess is becoming well known, and there are many variations.  Standard Frenchie style nymphs have one problem:  Pheasant tail is very fragile.  Even when you super glue the pheasant tail to the body and counter wrap it with wire, Frenchies tied with pheasant tail are left without much durability.  We tolerate the lack of toughness since they work so well!

I'm constantly tinkering with flies, and am always looking for quicker ties that are durable and still catch fish.  The Thread Frenchie is one of those patterns.  It is easy to tie, dense (which is a good thing in this case), durable, and fish love it.  I find myself fishing and guiding more and more with a Thread Frenchie.  This color combo has been my most productive, but there are many combinations you can try, to find which colors the fish prefer on your favorite waters.  Vary the size of the bead to add a selection of weights.  One great thing about jig style nymphs is that you can use various bead sizes on the same hook without crowding the hook gap.  On a size 16 I carry these in a range of bead sizes.  2.3mm & 2.8mm are most common but I always have a few with 3.3mm beads for those times when you need a fly to get down fast.  

Though I designed this pattern for use on a Euro-style nymph rig, you can use it with an indicator setup or as a dropper below a dry fly.  I've found this sleek little pattern is deadly behind a Bionic Ant, Chubby Chernobyl or hopper.  Test the Thread Frenchie on your next outing.  I'm confident it will become a staple for you as it has for me.

Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                             
Hook: Hanak H 400 BL Jig Hook - 16
Bead: UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier - Olive
Bead: Hareline Slotted Tungsten Beads - Gold - 3/32" (2.3mm)
Tail: Whiting Coq De Leon Tailing Packs - Medium Pardo
Ribbing: UTC Ultra Wire - Sculpin Olive - Brassie
Hot Spot: Ice Dub - UV Pink


Other tools from the tutorial:
     
Dr. Slick Tungsten Carbide All Purpose Scissors, 4"
Loon UV Clear Fly Finish - Flow
Loon UV Infiniti Light

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Streamers Save the Day!

July 30, 2018, 7:47 pm
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And I crashed the drone...


We had a trip planned for last weekend and water conditions weren't where we wanted them to be and the Green was calling our names again. Plus Cheech had an itch to scratch and conquer the ol' Red Creek rapids, so we headed to the Green again. It was a good couple of days and, as usual, the story is in the video below...but in the end, streamers proved to be a game changer. We'll have a tutorial soon from the killer pattern Lance was using...

Flies from this video:


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Squirrel & CDC Caddis

August 5, 2018, 5:33 pm
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KEEP IT SIMPLE...



I'm confident that caddisflies were created to give anglers confidence in catching fish.  Not only do fish eat them with reckless abandon, but a drag free drift isn't always necessary.  To top that off, caddis are scraggly in appearance, so you can incorporate a lot of different messy materials to get them to look just right.  Yes...  Caddis season is your friend.  This pattern is about as basic as it gets with caddis because it only uses a few materials, and it also can be fished in the film, under the surface, or high on the top.  There really isn't much more to explain about this super simple bug...  Time to spin a few up and fish them!

~Cheech

Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                         
Hook: Daiichi 1180 - Standard Dry Fly Hook - 14
Shuck: 8/0 UNI-Thread Waxed Midge - Camel
Shuck: Sparkle Emerger Yarn - Brown
Body/Head: Natural Furs Dubbing - Fox Squirrel
Wing : TroutHunter Premium CDC - Caddis Dun


Other tools from the tutorial:
          
Renzetti Master Vise
Hard As Hull Head Cement
Dr. Slick Razor Scissors - 4"
Tiemco Midge Whip Finisher
Loon Gator Grip Dubbing Spinner

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Skate Bait - A Caddis for Savage Fish

August 7, 2018, 9:32 am
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SK8 OR DIE


Well, I was more of a BMX type of kid back when the Schwinn Predator came out and we were watching the movie Rad about three times a day.  Cru was a beast, and the backflip was pretty groundbreaking, but I digress...  This is about fishing - and skating.  As the day wears on and the sun goes down and the caddis hatch so thick that you dare not open your mouth, it is indeed time to become a skater.  You know that time...  No amount of swatting at your face and head will relieve the problem, and don't even think about breaking out that headlamp to re-tie because it will cause a mass gathering of caddis right up in your face. (If you have scratched your head, neck, etc while reading this, I'm driving my point home.)  At 0 Caddis:30 is when you should try casting out your fly, lightly twitching it right when it lands, and then dead drift it for a bit.  You can also cast out, hold your rod tip high in attempt to keep most of your leader off the water, and lightly skate your fly across the surface...  The first massive take will scare you a little bit, but it's something that you can easily get used to.  These late caddis nights will make you all but forget about all the other bugs in your boxes for days at a time.

This fly is designed so the back half of the fly sits lower in the water, the front sits high out of the water, and it's on a beefy hook to make sure you have the steel to poke fish when they are straight up savages and hit the fly swimming at full speed.  I typically fish this fly with 4X tippet and make sure I treat it with Loon Lochsa before fishing it.  Skate on people...  Skate on.

~ Cheech


Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                                       
Hook: Ahrex 511 Curved Dry Fly Hook - 14
Shuck: MFC Premium Fly Tying Thread - Chartreuse - 8/0
Shuck: Sparkle Emerger Yarn - Brown
Body: Nature's Spirit Snowshoe Rabbit Foot Dubbing - Brown
Ribbing: UTC Ultra Wire - Copper - Small
Soft Hackle: Nature's Spirit Premium Hungarian Partridge Skin
Wings: EP Trigger Point Int'l Fibers - March Brown
Skate Deck: Fly Tying Foam - 2mm - Brown


Other tools from the tutorial:
             
Renzetti Master Vise
Hard As Hull Head Cement
Dr. Slick Razor Scissors - 4"
Tiemco Midge Whip Finisher
Hopper/Caddis/Ant Foam Body Cutter - #14
C&F Design Hackle Pliers
Tiemco Tying Tweezers

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Shop Talk Podcast Ep. 1: Open Q&A

August 14, 2018, 8:58 am
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Shop Talk: Ep. 1

This is our first podcast (which is also streamed live for Youtube). Check out the video or podcast links below...


We plan on doing more podcasts with different guests and covering a wide variety of topics from fly tying materials to nymphing techniques.

Subscribe to one of the podcast options to be notified as each is released, using your favorite podcast player.





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Whiting Farms: Every thing you need to know about Coq De Leon

August 15, 2018, 2:17 pm
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Dr. Whiting Talks CDL


A Whiting Coq De Leon Rooster
Our next feature, in the ongoing series of videos from Whiting Farms, Dr. Tom talks about the history of Coq De Leon -- especially as it applies to the line of birds he brought over from Spain in the 90's.

Check out the full conversation in the video below...




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Fluttering Caddis

August 17, 2018, 12:53 pm
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You Twitch It, They Kill It


I remember learning how to fish caddis dry flies on my home river years ago (once I realized that I was fishing the wrong part of the day.) This hatch was so different from my usual midge and baetis hatches that I usually would fish because everything moved so much quicker.  The fish would rise quickly, the bugs would hatch quickly, and most importantly, I could skate and twitch my fly quickly.  This was a dream come true for a guy who didn't like to use fine tippet and needed a LOT of work on his presentation.  One of the first fish I caught during a real caddis hatch came as I was stripping my line up stream getting ready for another cast...  The lights turned on, and I spend the rest of the evening loading up my flies with floatant and twitching them across the current.  Since then, I have tied lots of flies that are good at both skating and dead drifting.  This one is no exception.  

This fly is designed to act like a caddis that is fluttering all around ready to take off, drinking water, or laying eggs.  The key to this bug in my opinion, is that you keep it loaded with floatant whether it be a powder floatant, or a CDC compatible gel like Loon Lochsa (my favorite choice.)  Anyway, tie some up, twitch them around, and catch fish.

~  Cheech 


Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                                  
Hook: Ahrex 511 Curved Dry Fly Hook - 16
Body: 8/0 UNI-Thread Waxed Midge - Camel
Body: Nature's Spirit Snowshoe Rabbit Foot Dubbing - Brown Olive
Ribbing: Spanflex - Brown - Medium
Underwing: EP Trigger Point Int'l Fibers - March Brown
Underwing: TroutHunter Premium CDC - Caddis Dun
Wing : Nature's Spirit X-Caddis Deer Hair - Natural Dark


Other tools from the tutorial:
         
Renzetti Master Vise
Renzetti Midge Hair Stacker
Hard As Hull Head Cement
Dr. Slick Razor Scissors - 4"
Tiemco Midge Whip Finisher


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Baby Palomino Caddis

August 17, 2018, 1:01 pm
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Get In My Belly!!


This one really doesn't need much introduction because the regular palomino caddis and version 2.0 have been our best caddis patterns for a few years.  What we didn't realize was that we needed a smaller and darker version.  Out goes the chenille, and in comes magic dub and a lighter.  Check it out and get some in your box!!

~ Cheech


Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                             
Hook: Daiichi 1130 - Light Wire Scud Hook - 16
Body: 8/0 UNI-Thread Waxed Midge - Olive Dun
Body: EZ Magic Dub - Olive Brown
Underwing: TroutHunter Premium CDC - Caddis Dun
Dubbing: Nature's Spirit Snowshoe Rabbit Foot Dubbing - Brown Olive
Wing : Nature's Spirit X-Caddis Deer Hair - Natural Dark


Other tools from the tutorial:
         
Renzetti Master Vise
Renzetti Midge Hair Stacker
Hard As Hull Head Cement
Dr. Slick Razor Scissors - 4"
Tiemco Midge Whip Finisher


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Fly Gear vs Bass Gear: Ep 1

August 19, 2018, 7:46 pm
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Fly or Gear?


We used to fish a lot more for bass, but for a variety of reasons, we scaled down a bit a few years ago. Well, we finally found a better bass boat (it's actually pretty badical) and so here's our first installment of "Fly vs Gear"

And flies used in this video and that were super-effective with the Smallies were the following (click for material lists):

---Balanced Blank Saver
---Humongous
---Flügenblinger Bugger


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Micro Rambo Nymph

August 22, 2018, 2:27 pm
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A Simple Mayfly Nymph




I'll be honest, I had never heard of this fly until we ordered them out of the Fulling Mill catalog for the shop.  As many small mayflies and midges as we have here in Utah, it was an instant hit and I took notice one day as I was stocking the bins.  It fishes just like a pheasant tail, but it's much simpler to tie...  The best part is that you can tie them in a wide variety of sizes and colors in pretty short order.

~Cheech



Material List
Add to Cart  View in store

                             
Hook: TMC 2488 Nymph Hook - 18 - 25 Pack
Bead: 8/0 UNI-Thread Waxed Midge - Camel
Bead: Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Gold - 5/64" (2.0mm)
Tail: Whiting Coq De Leon Tailing Packs - Medium Pardo
Rib: UTC Ultra Wire - Copper - Small
Thorax: Natural Furs Dubbing - Fox Squirrel


Other tools from the tutorial:
       
Renzetti Master Vise
Hard As Hull Head Cement
Dr. Slick Razor Scissors - 4"
Tiemco Midge Whip Finisher


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Tigers and Cutts on Dry Flies!

August 26, 2018, 7:56 pm
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Slow Hopper Sippers


No other explanation needed!  Big B, Curtis, and Cheech headed to the high country to chase trout that love to eat dry flies.  Hoppers and ants did the trick, but after the dry fly action died down, we got down and dirty with midge tip and hover presentations.  Check it all out on the video!


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Fly Fish Food Shop Talk Ep. 2

August 26, 2018, 9:33 pm
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Shop Talk Ep. 2


Join us as we chat about our origins in fly fishing and how you can get more into the sport if you're just starting out...


Join Lance Egan, Curtis Fry and Clark "Cheech" Pierce as they chat about how they started fly fishing and discuss tips on getting started if you're just getting into Fly Fishing

Check out this episode!

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