Who fishes this old pattern and do you still do well with it? I've never tried it in the 25 years I've been tying.
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Who fishes this old pattern and do you still do well with it? I've never tried it in the 25 years I've been tying.
I use a variation of it for the march brown emergence and for the bigger caddis pupa
These are two variations of Cal Bird's Birds Nest pattern. They are further variants on Tom Loe's Assassin pattern...and yes they work well in Eastern Sierra rivers, streams and lakes. There are a couple of others here with recipes:
https://planettrout.wordpress.com/20...inja-patterns/
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...psnboi3djo.jpg
TUNG DUN ASSASSIN... Tom Loe/Variant
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...psidgzllhj.jpg
RED HEAD ASSASSIN... Tom Loe/Variant...
PT/TB
Ralph Cutter uses it before, during and after the glossosoma caddis hatch in the Sierras.
http://http://www.flyline.com/entomo...a_caddisflies/
Diving, egg laying glossosoma
Attachment 13713
Cal's Birds Nest coated with floatant powder
Attachment 13714
I tie it the original way and have used it successfully for years. It's a great pattern. John Geirach described a hatching caddis as looking like a drowned cat and the Bird's Nest certainly fits that description.
Joe
Ralph, in his article on Glossosoma, describes this bug as one of the most overlooked caddis species in the Eastern Sierras and that is not the only place they will be found.The Birds Nest is one effective pattern for that hatch in #16-#16, but there are some others that work just as well and perhaps better. If there is an interest in knowing more about this bug and patterns that work to imitate them, here's some further information:
http://flyfishingtraditions.blogspot...ase-maker.html
This is the Glossosoma Larva tied by Craig Matthews:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYayGbx3rdA#t=150
...and this is the recipe for the Deep Sparkle Pupa version which I use, a lot:
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps8hw6mfxy.jpg
G2X (Glossosoma alacense) DEEP SPARKLE PUPA...
HOOK: TMC 3761, Daiichi 1560, #16 -#18
THREAD: Tiemco,16/0, White Under Abdomen - Tiemco 16.0, Brown - Thorax forward
WEIGHT: .010 lead wire
VEIL:
One-half chocolate brown Antron
One-eighth rust Antron
One-eighth hare?s ear Antron
One-quarter white Antron
ABDOMEN: 1 strand flash, 8-10 strands non-flash Pink DNA Holo Fusion
THORAX: Iridescent Peacock Fiber, Brown, Spirit River
BEAD: Plummeting Tungsten, 3/32" or 5/64", Metallic Brown
...any of these patterns can be touched up with a light dusting of Frog's Fanny to assist in the "bubble effect" before plunking it into the water.. there is one other pattern I use to mimic the diving female and that is just a killer pattern called TBT (that black thingee’ on ‘yer waders)...;)
PT/TB
Don't bother using the Bird's Nest. It does not catch trout nor does it work on steelhead. Nothing to see here...
Interesting to see how almost everyone seems to tie it with a MUCH shorter wing than Cal did.
Watched to you- tube videos on this fly. One uses wood duck for legs on the side.
The other wrapped wood duck around the whole shank.
Will tie both up. Legs on the side or a veiled body.
Rick
Hey All, interesting discussion. I'm going to tie some of the patterns and put them in their own box to see how they fish. I've always had great success with the picket pin.
https://stflyfisher.files.wordpress....pg?w=450&h=298
We still fish it, in as close a tie as Cal taught us. It's still one of our go to patterns.
As tied by the man himself, 03/06/1991.
Attachment 13717
Also see: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...003#post403003
Dave