How to Tie a Big, Black Stonefly

The big, black stonefly is used to imitate the general nymph stage of a numerous stonefly subspecies. The insect is an important food source for trout with high population densities in cold, oxygen-rich waters. The stonefly does not have advanced gills and the oxygen is a necessity for survival. The insect crawls out of the water and sheds the exoskeleton on the bank. The nymphs are available to fish in large quantities while emerging and nymph patterns must not contain a large amount of weight. The weight hinders the performance of the nymph in shallow, bank-side water.

Things You'll Need

  • Vise
  • 2XL nymph hook #4-8
  • Black 3/0 thread
  • Black goose biots
  • Black midge tubing
  • Black hare's mask
  • Dubbing wax
  • Turkey tail
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clamp the hook in a fly tying vise. Start the thread at the eye of the hook and wrap it to the hook bend. Make each wrap consecutive to cover the entire hook and create a thread base.

    • 2

      Pull two black goose biots from a strand. Hold the biots on the hook bend with the tips curved away from each other. Make five thread wraps to secure the biots to the hook and to create the tail.

    • 3

      Cut a 1-foot section of black midge tubing from a spool. Hold one end of the tubing on the hook bend and make five thread wraps to secure it in place.

    • 4

      Apply a stroke of dubbing wax to the thread. Attach a thick strand of black hare's mask dubbing to the thread and twist the dubbing with your fingers to spin it on the thread. Wrap the dubbing two-thirds of the way down the hook shank to build a tapered abdomen. Begin with a thin tail end and gradually add girth down the hook shank.

    • 5

      Grab the midge tubing and wrap it over the dubbed abdomen to segment the body. Make diagonal wraps with even spacing to imitate the natural segments of a stonefly. Stop at the thread and make five thread wraps over the tubing to secure it in place. Cut away excess tubing with scissors.

    • 6

      Cut a section of turkey tail that matches the largest diameter of the abdomen. Lay the turkey tail on top of the hook, covering the abdomen. Make five thread wraps to secure the base of the turkey at the two-thirds point on the hook.

    • 7

      Add a stroke of dubbing wax to the thread and spin a thick layer of black hare's mask on the thread. Wrap the thread to form a thick thorax on the lower one-third of the hook shank. Make the thorax at least three times the diameter of the abdomen. Stop the thread at the eye of the hook.

    • 8

      Pull the turkey tail over the back of the thorax to form a wing case. Make five thread wraps to secure the turkey at the eye of the hook. Trim the excess turkey flush to the hook with scissors.

    • 9

      Make tent thread wraps at the eye of the hook to form a small thread head. Use a whip finishing tool to half hitch and knot the thread. Cut the thread flush to the hook shank. Add a small drop of head cement to the thread to create a glossy finish.