if anyone knows of a good nymph or emerger pattern, let me know, or if anyone has any great universal nymph, or emerger pattern they think might work. thanks
Pheasant Tail Nymph (March Brown)
Hook: #12 Veniard Light Nymph
Silk: Pearsall hot orange.
Tail: Three cock pheasant fibres.
Rib: Fine gold wire.
Body: Pheasant tail fibres.
Thorax: Dark hare’s ear fur.
Hackle: Partridge.
This is a Leisenring Pattern, whom I believe fished the Pennsylvania rivers a lot,
of course my geography could be a bit duff.
It is unweighted, but there is no reason you can’t add weight if required.
I personally don’t think you can do any better than Dave Whitlock’s Red Fox Squirrel Nymph.
Here is my version
I personally have never fished the Little Lehigh, but one nymph that has worked well for me in North Central Pa on the Pine, Little Pine, Slate Run, and Kettle is a BH Muskrat in the style of an AP(Andre Puyans) Muskrat.
The Squirrels Nest…Oct/2011 Fly of the Week here. Check the archives. I always have a handful with me, regardless of the water. I’ve never used it on the Lehigh…but it’s done extremely well on a number of waters within 30 miles of there. 
I haven’t fished it in a number of years, but used to go fishing there on a regular basis. When I did, I remember catching some of my bigger fish on size #14-#16 sunken fur bodied black ants, fished deep. and very dark grey or black nymph patterns (size #20 and smaller). Something like the muskrat nymph shown above would work, but it wouldn’t necessarily have to be that fancy.
Years ago when I was a student at Penn State, I lived for a time on a tributary to Spring Creek. After I found the stream bottom contained many types of annelids (worms) I developed a type of worm fly to match what I found in the stream there, and it was by far my best overall fly pattern for a number of years. It was something similar to a San Juan worm, but I bent the hook shank into a “worm” shape, and it had with a red or pink floss body, completey covered with monofilament wound over its entire length, and heavily lacquered - sometimes I used several coats. I used that fly very successfully on most, if not all, of the spring creeks across central and south central PA - including the Little Lehigh – I don’t use it much these days, in part I guess because I’m just too lazy to tie them, and in part because I simply like more variety to my fishing (plus, I don’t fish PA limestone streams as much as I once did). Also, a number of the newer hooks, like Tiemco, can’t be bent as easily as the old Mustads hooks that I used at the time.
honey bugs, als rat, pheasant tails, small hares ears, lots of scuds too…
why is it that even though you have alot of materials, you never have the right stuff?
thanks guys, ill have to try them out!
spoof