Mating Flies

[unsinkable]

Recipe Rated-X Damsel Fly

Front Fly
- Hook – 4 or 6X Long Shank, Size 10
- Thread – 6/0 Blue
- Eyes 1/8 inch black round foam
- Body – 1/8 inch Blue Heat Shrink Tubing
- Collar – Grizzly Hackle (optional)
- Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)
- Legs – Black and White Rubber or Brown Mono
Rear Fly
- On the same hook
- Thread – 6/0 Blue
- Eyes 1/8 inch black round foam
- Body – 3/32 inch Clear Heat Shrink Tubing colored with blue alcohol ink
- Collar – Grizzly Hackle (optional)
- Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)
- Legs – Black and White Rubber or Brown Mono

This fly is great on any water where damsel flies are present. Fish this fly in calmer water especially under overhanging bushes and trees.

Recipe – X-Rated Crane Fly

Base Fly
- Hook – 4 or 6X Long Shank, Size 10
- Thread – 6/0 Light Brown
- Body – 1/8 inch Heat Shrink Tubing Colored Brown
- Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)
- Legs – Brown Monofilament
Butt Fly
- No hook
- Thread – 6/0 Light Brown
- Body – 3/32 inch Heat Shrink Tubing Colored Brown
- Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)
- Legs – Brown Monofilament

This fly is great on any water where crane flies are present. (Note: a second hook can be added to the butt fly and connected to the base fly with minimum 20# line) Fish tend to hit this fly hard especially in calmer water under overhanging bushes and trees.

Recipe – Big Bang Coitus Fly

Base Fly
- Hook – Aberdeen Hook, Size 2
- Antenna – Brown Monofilament
- Thread – 6/0 Orange
- Body – 1/4 inch HeatShrinkz - UV Reactive Orange Heat shrink
- Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)
- Legs – Brown Rubber
- Collar – Orange Metallic Thread
- Head – Gray Foam
Rear Fly
- No hook
- Antenna – Brown Monofilament
- Thread – 6/0 Orange
- Body – 1/4 inch HeatShrinkz - UV Reactive Orange Heat shrink
- Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)
- Legs – Brown Rubber
- Collar – Orange Metallic Thread
- Tail - Black 1/8 inch Foam
- Head – Brown 1/8 inch Foam

We all know about famous Salmon Fly hatches and have most likely seen Salmon Flies mating on bushes near the waters edge. What we don’t realize is that fish really key on mating flies when they fall in the water. Big fish seem to watch for this phenomenon and explode when they see it happening, thus the Big Bang Coitus fly. Fish this fly anywhere when Salmon flies are out, but especially under overhanging bushes and trees.

Recipe Coitus Stonefly

Base Fly
- Hook – 6X Long Shank, Size 12
- Antenna – Brown Monofilament
- Thread – 6/0 Yellow or Gold
- Tail - Yellow Biot
- Body – 1/8 inch Latex Tubing
- Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)
- Legs – Brown Rubber
Top fly
- No hook
- Thread – 6/0 Yellow or Gold
- Body – 3/32 inch Clear Heat Shrink Tubing (colored yellow)
- Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)
- Legs – Brown Rubber
- Antenna – Brown Monofilament

The development of this fly was suggested to me by a local fly tier and shop owner Tim Tollett after seeing my DC Shuckster. Fish this fly anywhere when stone flies are out, but especially under overhanging bushes and trees as well as cut banks.

 

[silver creek]

My concern with some of these flies are whether they will be aerodynamically stable enough to cast without spinning and twisting the tippet. The Rated-X Damsel Fly and Big Bang Coitus Fly are my concerns.

How do these flies perform when casted?

 

[unsinkable]

Admitly that can be a problem especially with the two you mention – to reduce or eliminate this I usually use a small light swivel above the tippet.

 

[silver creek]

Never thought about a swivel. Good solution.