Tan Vat To Parker June 4, 2011

[Nortrad]

I have been experimenting with cicada patterns and have found that the Idylwilde pattern found in fly shops outfishes the Rainey's pattern 10:1 although the Rainys pattern looks cooler and catches more flyfisherman. The reason in my opionion is its smaller, and rides lower in the surface. Whatever the reason I had tons of success with it and hope to try it on carp this week at busch.

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/

[mic]

I have been experimenting with cicada patterns and have found that the Idylwilde pattern found in fly shops outfishes the Rainey's pattern 10:1 although the Rainys pattern looks cooler and catches more flyfisherman. The reason in my opionion is its smaller, and rides lower in the surface. Whatever the reason I had tons of success with it and hope to try it on carp this week at busch.

Down at Bennett, I heard most people were having better luck with smaller patterns. I also heard Chernobyl Ants were working well. I had a bigger pattern that I bought in STL on the way down. They would only nose the fly, and I never got a hit. I would agree, smaller is better.

Reference the Idylwilde pattern, I would lose the legs and go with orange dubbing drawn out with a dubbing needle or Velcro.

[Ted Calcaterra]

Flat Head Cicada. I can't post the picture from work computer. That pattern outfished all others for me. It kinda reminded me of bluegill fishing using too big of popper. I got many hits on other patterns but the hook ups werent there. Using the Flat Head Cicada was lights out.

[Nortrad]

Thanks so much, simpler is better.

[Gavin]

Thanks Ted...thats similar to the bugs that Craig has been tying up at Hargroves....the one in the hatches...just doesnt seem to have the right profile..more like a beatle but thats just my opinion.

[Nortrad]

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.

[joeD]

Chris Conant? Should I know him? Is he 50 or 51 with gray or white hair? Left-Handed? About 6 foot tall. If so, he lived across the street from me growing up. Could go by the name of Paul too.

[Gavin]

Chris's dad Paul fits that description..50 something, thin..Chris is a second year law student at MU. Very good fly fisherman & fly tyer. He used to work for Tom Hargrove part time, and he's done a couple summer's worth of guiding out in Idaho.

[joeD]

Growing up, he went by Chris, but I think his given name was Paul. He wears glasses. His parents were Bill and Lois. His younger sister Allison is a year older than me, and was an assistant to Kevin Costner for awhile, during his "Dances With Wolves" era. Huh. That is wild. Small world sometimes. Funny too.