It’s full-on stonefly nymph season on a lot of American rivers, and that means it’s time to get creative at the vise and tie some patterns that do more than just imitate in-the-water bugs. I’ve become a big fan of rubber legs—I think for a lot of stonefly patterns, these little squiggly bands of rubber are the secret weapon.
And, so does Tim Flagler. Above, he ties the Pat’s Plus, a modified version the Pat’s Rubberlegs. It’s a great searching pattern for spring trout that are on the prowl for big nymphs that start moving around prior to the May and June stonefly hatches that get both fish and anglers pretty excited.
It’s a good pattern, not too tough to tie and it has that “Girdle Bug” feel that I like, and that I’ve had great success with over the years.
— Chris Hunt