Oatka Creek report

[dr korn]

Had some action the last few days on Oatka Creek here in NY...

http://55onthefly.blogspot.com/

thanks, Doug

[JohnScott]

.... is a very interesting fly, Doug. And it took some good looking fishies in a very pretty setting. Best recommendation I know of for any fly !!

John

P.S. When I see that style of wing ( spent style wonder wing ?? ) I immediately think caddis. One of the long time guides on the Bitterroot has a Skwala dry this year with that style of wing that looks as much like a caddis as it does a stone fly, or would with a change in the color of the abdomen and downsizing it a couple hook sizes. Thinking I may have to learn how to tie your Oatka pattern for the local caddis ??

[dr korn]

John, thanks for your comments. It's a good caddis pattern as well....... I just use a std. dry fly hook in size 14-16 and a hen pheasant feather instead of the grizzly and tie it in the same way as the stone with the vanes pulled back. The wing should still be the shank length plus the hook gap. I use dubbing (caddis tan or olive) for the body and natural or olive CDC feathers for the underwing.

BUT John, the best caddis pattern I use is the one pictured at the top of my blog....... That caddis pattern is a great guide fly if it's fished properly...... In Yellowstone Country, our rivers and creeks are caddis waters. The caddis fly is king and I can always count on my "Korn's Spent Wing Caddis". I've been tying hundreds of them in tan and olive green for the shop. We fish it as a trailing fly tied about 12-18 inches behind a dry fly, like an X-Caddis or a hopper. Do not put any floatant on it! When it hits the water it floats for a bit on top, then sinks in the film , then slightly under the film, then bam - fish on! Really, this is my go to fly. PS. Don't tell anyone!

Here is the fly:



Hook: MFCo. #7000 Dry 14-18
Thread: Serafil 200
Rib: tag end of thread
Abdomen: DK#12 Caddis Tan dubbing split thread and spun
Palmered hackle: ginger rooster neck.
Wing: 2 hen pheasant wing or neck feathers

Steps:
1. Start thread at eye, wrap thread base to bend of hook, leave tag end for rib.
2. Split thread, dub and spin, form tight dubbing noodle, wind forward to form body.
3. Tie in hackle 1 eye length behind eye, palmer front to back.
4. Trap hackle at bend with the tag end of the thread, wrap through hackle and tie off at eye, clip hackle short on top..
5. Prepare*2 pheasant wing or neck feathers, tied in flat one on top of the other, 1 hook gap length longer than hook, tied behind eye then folded over to form head and wrapped and whip finished. Varnish head, clipped “^” out of center, bottom hackle.

[JohnScott]

.... on your Spent Wing Caddis, Doug. Kind of scratching my head on where all my materials are since the move. Got a pheasant skin around somewhere, if I can find it. Hmmmmm .....

John

[pspaint]

Very nice tie and thanks for the recipe. I live in WNY, also and i'm always looking for good caddis patterns.
Me and a few buddies were on the Oatka, Friday and did pretty well. It looks like the hendrickson's are starting to wind down. The hatch was pretty sporadic but the spinner fall was very good.

[dr korn]

pspaint:

I too caught the hendrickson hatch. Even though it was sparse I still caught a few on a Hendrickson emerger pattern. All-in-all the early black stone flies are in good supply and the fish are taking them well.

[Sasha]

Very, very nice! Thanks for sharing with us.

[KeatonsDad]

I am going to have to give that caddis pattern a try. On those warmer days the caddis have been swarming over here...but I still have not found any fish up on them yet. Any day!

Nice Blog by the way.

[pspaint]

I hear ya about the stoneflies. There have been plenty of them around and with the warmer water temps, the fish have really been looking up at them. A friend of mine hit the Oatka on Saturday and said there were still good numbers of spinners around.