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| Masked Marauder variation |
I have been intrigued by stoneflies for the last few years, and I take great joy in fishing them in fast water that is often passed up by anglers searching for hatches and dragging the bottom of the stream with micro flies. Most anglers where I live are intent on fishing smaller flies in the slower runs, and while they catch fish, they typically pass up bigger stoneflies and faster water all together. Any time spent in the riffles with a seine will quickly reveal how many stoneflies there are, and how they must be a significant food source. Those seine samples also taught me that golden stoneflies are completely two toned - dark on top, and light on bottom. That seems like it would be very obvious, but most commercially tied golden stonefly nymphs have a big ol' gold bead at the head. Yes they catch fish... BUT, I was obsessed on making the whole thing two toned. This is why I started pulling thin skin or skinny skin over the bead, and after just a few experimental flies, I knew that it had the look that I was looking for and the fish agreed.
The Masked Marauder is more of an idea than an exact recipe, and the key to these flies is that they need to be completely two toned. A variety of materials can be used for the abdomen including marabou, dubbing, chenille, and larva lace. The thorax can be a variety of dubbings and hot spots can be added at will. The tail and legs can be various materials, but I typically use round rubber legs, sili legs, or biots. Tie this bug to match your naturals, and more than likely it will catch some fish for you.
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| Brown Trout taken on a Masked Marauder style stonefly |
The Masked Marauder is more of an idea than an exact recipe, and the key to these flies is that they need to be completely two toned. A variety of materials can be used for the abdomen including marabou, dubbing, chenille, and larva lace. The thorax can be a variety of dubbings and hot spots can be added at will. The tail and legs can be various materials, but I typically use round rubber legs, sili legs, or biots. Tie this bug to match your naturals, and more than likely it will catch some fish for you.
Updated Recipe:
Golden Stone
Hook: Daiichi 1710 #10 (+)
Thread: Danville's 70 - Brown (+)
Bead: 3.8mm tungsten - Gold (+)
Weight: Lead Free Wire - .020 (+)
Tails: Nature's Spirit Turkey Biots - Callibaetis (+)
Body/Thorax: Arizona Mega Synthetic Dubbing - Golden Stone (+)
Ribbing: UTC Wire SM - Copper (+)
Flash: Veevus Holographic Tinsel Med- Copper (+)
Wingcase: MFC Skinny Skin - Mottled Brown (+)
Legs: Grizzly Micro Legs - Rootbeer (+)
Great fly...thanks for the video!
ReplyDeleteI really like the Masked Marauder. It looks sweet in the brown's mouth. I've been out of the loop and will be for the foreseeable future, but if I get back into the tying scene, I would love to learn how to tie this fly and how to use the Hydro and curing light. Very neat. Thanks for sharing your talent.
ReplyDeleteCaught wild rainbows in the Great Smoky National Park with this pattern in both yellow and black. Thanks for a cool fly pattern.
ReplyDeletevery cool. It has been a great producer for us in the west too. Good to hear that the Eastern Trout like it too.
DeleteWhat size hook do you generally use with this fly?
DeleteMy favorite sizes are 10 and 12
DeleteGreat pattern! Your tutorials are excellent thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteThat opening and closing image is killer Cheech! Love the innovation of this fly-
ReplyDeleteHow about a new video for the new variation?
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea. The only big difference on this one is that there is a thin strip of skinny skin under the flash on the body. We have some new stoneflies coming soon.
DeleteGreat fly, what materials do you use for the dark version
ReplyDelete