Hi,
This is my attempt at Dave Whitlock’s pattern. It is a size 12 with a lead-free wire weighted thorax.
I really like this nymph pattern. I am wondering if it might work even as a stonefly nymph if tied in a much larger size? I know all the new stone nymph patterns have the big black rubber legs, but I personally don’t like rubber legs.
Larger Version:
It’s a great stonefly nymph pattern. Some years ago I used it during golden stone activity in northern Wisconsin, and the fish just gobbled it.
Chuck
There was an article in a magazine over here a good number of years ago. Oliver Edwards “guiding” Dave Whitlock. (Oliver described guiding Dave as just point him at the river and sit back watching him extract fish). When Oliver looked into Dave’s fly box he described seeing Red Fox Squirrel Nymphs from size 2 to 18. Pointing at the size 2s he asked, “What do those represent?” Dave replied, “Food, any G’dam thing!”
Being a general imitation, not specific to a particular insect it will have its day for most hatches, size being the critical factor.
Somewhere I have a red fox squirrel skin. I think I’ll have to dig it out and tie some. It is very reminiscent of the Skues’ style nymphs, I was thinking of tying some the other day.
Cheers,
C.
add some barred, rubber legs and you have my absolute best warmwater fly for bluegill. have also taken numerous catfish with it. great trout fly too of course.
I am a bit confused. I know of red fox fur, and fox squirrel fur, so is it a mix?
I use to tie that one on #8. Big stone and the variation was brown goose biots as tail, same as Prince nymph. Excellent imitation here for big browns.
These are usually tied using red fox squirrel fur ( never red fox). Dave Whitlock was mixing some squirrel fur with Antron. Davie wotton came out with an SLF blend. It is sold in a dubbing dispenser and contain the abdomen mix as well as the thorax blend in addition to many other colors
The squirrel with red fox colored fur is frequently referred to as red fox squirrel.