Overview
Developed by Fly Fish Food in 2023, this pattern leverages the natural bugginess of fox squirrel dubbing combined with the lifelike movement of CDC dubbing. The unique purple/violet color scheme with pearl ribbing provides excellent visibility in various water conditions while maintaining a natural appearance. The Coq De Leon tail fibers add subtle movement and realistic segmentation. This pattern can be tied in various colors to match local preferences and water conditions.
Related patterns
Behavior & presentation
- Natural Behavior
- Crawler and swimmer nymphs break free into drift during behavioral movements, tumbling helplessly mid-column through feeding lanes.
- Where Trout Eat It
- Fish station in feeding lanes 3-5 feet deep, systematically filtering drifting nymphs in pocket water and seams.
- How to Fish It
- Dead drift with tight-line euro contact. Jig hook rides point-up through rocky structure while CDC creates breathing movement.
- Best Water
- Target pocket water with complex currents, seams where drift concentrates nymphs, and riffle edges with accelerating flows.
- Strike Type
- Sag in sighter or subtle tick. CDC collar movement triggers visual strikes detected through sensitive contact.
Fishing strategy
- Rigging Suggestions
- Fish as the point fly in a euro nymphing setup with 10-12 foot leader and 4X-5X tippet. Can be paired with a lighter midge or emerger pattern as a dropper 12-18 inches above.
- Seasonal Timing
- in moving water, particularly productive during spring and fall mayfly activity when trout are feeding heavily on nymphs. Works well in winter during midge hatches when fish are holding in slower pockets and runs.
- Pro Tips
- Sinks quickly with the 3.5mm tungsten bead, reaching depths of 3-5 feet rapidly. The combination of fox squirrel and CDC dubbing creates a buggy, breathing profile that moves naturally with current fluctuations.
Where to fish it
Rivers anglers pair with this fly, with local shops that stock it.
River details and fly shops from River & Run, our sister site.
Entomology
Mayfly nymphs exhibit diverse swimming abilities depending on body morphology, with streamlined species like Baetidae darting in short rapid bursts while clinger species crawl along substrate surfaces. Their vulnerability peaks during behavioral drift when nymphs release their grip and tumble downstream at night, representing up to 90% of trout diet in some tailwaters due to their high availability and caloric density.
- Order
- Ephemeroptera
- Common name
- Mayfly
- Organism
- insect
- Life stage
- nymph
Pattern details
- Moving Water
- Worldwide
- Rocky Mountain
- tight-line-nymph
- competition
- dead-drift
- baetis-hatch
- midge-hatch
- attractor
- searching-pattern
- high-water
- tailwater
- freestone
- spring-creek