Double A – Top New Early Season Fly Patterns:
Summer is here! Our days are long and daytime temperatures are hot! New fly fishing gear and fly patterns trickle in every day. In our opinion, early summer is the most exciting time in a fly shop! Every box opened contains something new that we get to test our first. Fly bins are full with all the newest and latest creations ready to fool our trout on every water type available in the Jackson Hole region. River recon missions and product testing are mandatory before the massive wave of anglers arrive to visit this glorious place we get to call home. It’s plenty of work but that is what makes managing a fly shop such a rewarding experience!
Below are my Double A – Top New Early Season Fly Patterns from the WCA Fly Shop that every angler should have in their fly boxes when fishing the early summer season around Jackson Hole. Water levels are high as our snowpack leaves its home in the mountains and funnels through our river systems. Early season means Stoneflies and Streamers. With these big bugs and fish on the move, every fly angler should have these new patterns in their box this early season.
The 64 Impala is a a great searching pattern for fish feeding on Salmonflies. The Impala is available in hook sizes 4 & 6. This fly really fishes well in tail-outs, and will support a dropper for prospecting the banks as well. When fished by itself a loop knot will ensure better action for twitching or skating through tail-outs or flats.
The next pattern every angler should have this season is the Still Stone from Ken Morrish. This is a modification of Ken’s popular Morrish’s Stone. Instead of a full elk hair wing he substituted a clear flat wing. This allows the fly to sit lower on the surface, putting it that much closer to the fish! This bug is best fished in slower moving water for more discerning fish. It is available is hook sizes 4 & 6 for Salmonflies and 6 & 8 for Goldens.
The last new pattern I tested for Stoneflies was the Henry’s Fork Stone. This fly is very similar to a chubby Chernobyl, but it has a more natural colored wing and a sparser profile. It fishes very well with action and has very full wing so it’s great as a point fly for a dry-dropper rig. We have this pattern available in sizes 4 & 6 in Salmonflies and 6 & 8 for Goldens.
The Gonga has been a producer for large predatory fish, however it’s heavy and somewhat cumbersome to cast into the right spot. The Baby Gonga is about half the size of the original Gonga and still has the same tantalizing articulated action as the original. The smaller size will ensure accuracy and be on every predator fish’s radar in the area! The Baby Gonga is available in four colors: Black, White, Rust and Rainbow
The next new streamer pattern we fished was the Jig Bugger. This pattern is tied on a tactical jig hook, and has a tungsten bead. The bead helps the fly get down quickly and the hook allows the fly to ride hook point up. The Jig Bugger is one of the most versatile patterns we carry at WorldCast Anglers! This fly can be fished as a dropper off a dry, it can be used under an indicator on a deep nymphing rig, and it can be stripped as a leech or baitfish in rivers and stillwaters.
The third new streamer pattern I was able to test drive was the Miller-Time Streamer from Montana Fly Co. This is a rabbit fur streamer that looks like a juvenile brown trout. It has some flash or sparkle dubbing on the belly which makes it more visible to predator fish. The rabbit fur also gives this fly suggestive action which triggers strikes! This fly is articulated and has a stinger hook off the back of the fly, eliminating short strikes!
A full selection of these patterns are available. Including:
1 – #4 ’64 Impala Salmonfly
1 – #6 ’64 Impala Salmonfly
1 – #8 Morrish Still Stone Golden
1 – #6 Morrish Still Stone Salmonfly
1 – #4 Henry’s Fork Salmonfly
1 – #8 Henry’s Fork Golden Stone
1 – #4 Miller-Time Streamer Rainbow Trout
1 – #4 Miller-Time Streamer Brown Trout
1 – #8 Baby Gonga Black
1 – #8 Baby Gonga Olive
1 – #8 Jig Bugger Black
1 – #8 Jig Bugger Olive
Complimentary WCA Fly Box
This selection is available at the WCA Pop Up Shop, WCA Fly Shop or call 800.654.676. Thanks for taking the time to check out some of the new patterns.
Have a great summer and be safe on the water!
