Nortrad

No problem, it's cool the cicada's attached to that surface.

Holy Moly! The browns would be enough already, but then the hybrid...WOW! Good thing about the 7WT, would have had a broken stick otherwise. Sometimes it all comes together. Excellent report Brian!

I tied some more conventional patterns last night, with the same gold brown deer hair, we shall see if they work.

Whoops, uh, I got your PM and replied. Thanks for the info.

Thanks for posting the link, so many variations of these bugs.

Thanks Gavin. It's been fun trying to come up with something. Had some more ideas since this batch, we shall see. Hopefully these will transition nicely into hopper/dropper fishing.

Thanks, the color underbody is right-on.

The ones with the thicker orange foam bottom worked the best, landed two and lost one on top, decent 'bows, not huge. Still tweaking. Like Stlfisher reported, they're still around, the cooler temp's with a little rain slowed down the activity. Didn't see any on the water, they'd be in the woods on the trail when you'd move between holes on the Current.

Very nice 'bow Michael. What's the wing material on top? Also, your gold/orange foam underneath is the perfect color. Still looking for that color.

Wow! Awesome, beautiful brown. I don't recognize the stretch of river from the background. On top too, dang! She goes, 20"+, looks super fat, probably 16-17", 7 lbs.+ I'd estimate. Congrats! You'll never forget this one, especially after those long runs.

Thanks guys, it's slowing down to be sure. I'll see how they attract tomorrow, dropping a nymph off the back for sure.

I hear that. Already have some hoppers ready for upcoming trips.

Here's the new batch. Researching found that many tiers/fishers swear by the orange/black underside. Found a pattern on a site that used orange exclusively for the bottom. I striped some of these with a Sharpie. Bottom piece is the thick foam door hangers from Michael's, great colors for hoppers/beetles for later. I used golden brown deer hair, root beer krystal flash or combo for wings. No eyes, stayed with the orange indicator on top. There's also a pattern with thin skin for wings. I like the Gamakatsu stinger, #6. Fishin' bud the Jedi told me, "Dude, you're obsessing about the cicadas." Yes, yes I am. The possibility of a 20" brown or big bow slamming one of these...and, you can always drop a nymph or midge off the back.

You meant 'cicadas' in your 'hatch' post right? I stand corrected, all the bugs are cicadas, nymph shucks, nymphs, and adults.

Uh, most of the bugs in the pic are cicadas...

Interesting, at least you heard some. It must be hit/miss for these critters. I'm wondering why no sign of them here in the Queen City, too much lawn care, insecticides? Trying to hit the Current at least one more time while they are out. Too bad the 11 Pt. is kinda high yet.

Interesting, all the ones I saw last Sunday were upright, you could see their eyes, some even clumsily motored along the water, no fish taking them. The ones that stayed still got taken. I read yesterday that an 'articial hatch' occurs in Utah on the Green R. after the cicadas are gone. So many fisherman throw the cicada immitations that the fish keep it up for week or so.

I tweaked it by adding another foam piece on top, looks like the right profile of the long abdomen on the natural. I'll do a couple more and post them. I would agree, the fly on Hatches is beetle-like. I also switched the krystal flash color and added a foam indicator on top, can't spot them like I used to. Trying a Fat Head variation tonight. It has the same characteristic with the foam pieces and a dubbed body.

Watch for these, if they're out, tie on and hang your fave attractor nymph down below.

Thanks so much, simpler is better.

They're on the Current. Loud, flying around, dead ones on the trails, falling into the water. Any activity down on the North Fork?

Same question from me, which one? The fly on the Hatches Magazine site is very interesting. I'm going to try one similar. Check out the underside view Gavin. http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatches/2011/05/18/periodical-cicada-by-loren-williams/

Thanks. It's a nice change from the indicator. I think I'll hang a midge under my dropper next time, a variation of Barr's Hopper-Copper-Dropper. The key was to have the leader fairly thick, 2X to the cicada, 3X on my dropper. I could probably go 4X if the water was lower and clearer. It was a little colored up above Parker's.

Very good day, for it being so darn hot. Had my best 3 bows to date, the last one at the high rock wall upstream from Parker's. The cicada flies only fooled two and they need tweaking, design/material problems in my opinion. I'll improve them. This is a great way to fish, western style in the PM hours. No action for cicadas in the AM in upper Tan Vat. Had one float up to me, so I picked him up and tossed him into the drift, no takers. Lotsa guys fishing. Only got 3 bows from the first long stretch below the rocks, had to switch up a lot of tandems. The main riffle through the rocks has deteriorated IMO, filling in with sand/gravel, narrower and shallower. Caught three in there on my way back. Also landed a beautifully colored 'bow when I was 'walking the dog' back for lunch. The deep section above it is about the same, with the last deep hole with the turn filling in with sand on the right bank, making a nice platform to stand/kneel for casting. Worked that hole over with rubber legs, Psycho Prince, and my new attractor nymph dropper that proved effective. Caught a big, thick park dweller who survived the hatchery pen and the park. He fought well and made my drag sing. Had to take him downstream. Caught two more out of there, both at 14" or so, no browns all day. Eight fish in before lunch, including three nice ones, works for me. Started at Parker's after lunch just up from the creek entry with the regular two-nymph rig. A bow raised almost half out of the water and chomped my rose-colored indicator! Rigged up the cicada with my hot dropper at 3' below the stinger. A long drift with mends and one hit the cicada but I couldn't set downstream. Had another miss, stinger probably. Talked to a bunch of young guys at the campsite. We chatted fly design and cicadas for a bit, then I moved up the horse trail. Two guys in the nice deep hole, so I walked up to the rock wall. Finally caught one on the cicada but the stinger had him stuck. I carefully unhooked him. Had another swirl around the cicada, not sure to hit. This is a great hole, swirls, dark, over hanging trees, but with openings to throw your bug-indicator. Worked it hard and finally a hard hit, pulling the big cicada under. He was a bruiser 'bow, straining my rod/drag. A guy was below me and watched me. He came up after I landed him. He told me "It doesn't get any better than that." The bow was super fat, at about 17" or 18". Headed back after that for beer and a nice ride home. These bugs are going to be here for awhile. That's good or bad. Good for long-term, the bows and browns will be super chunky come this Sept./Oct. Bad: they're probably gorging on these things during some parts of the day. Good if you hit them keying on these bugs, which are everywhere down there, loud, flying around, laying on the ground. It was an amazing display of nature.