TRICOS
For many years I have spent considerable time on the Big Horn River during the last half of August and during the month of September, during this time-period for the past fifteen years the Trico fishing has been outstanding. This productive fishing has afforded many challenges and allowed me to develop some very interesting and productive imitations.
Tricoorythodes minutus is the species which is found in the western United States and varies in size between four to seven millimeters, and are widely distributed across the west. Trico’s are a multi-brooded mayfly and the hatches can be heavy and prolific. The males typically hatch from dusk and throughout the night till dawn in a sporadic manner and the females hatch from dawn to early morning. The molting, mating flights and spinner falls occur between early morning to noon.
The emergence of the Trico’s is most interesting as some of the nymph’s swim to the surface and hatch in the film in the normal manner often associated with a mayfly emergence. However, a great many of the nymph’s hatch beneath the surface film and then they swim to the surface and crawl out on the surface film. This means the emerging duns ride a considerable distance on the surface film drying their wings, making them very vulnerable and available to the trout.
From dusk to dawn the males hatch, therefore at dawn there is a mix of both males and females are both emerging as dawn progresses the emergence switches to primarily females. The fact is important because of the color difference between the males and females, the males being primarily dark brown to black and the females have a light olive-green abdomen. This information coupled with observation has led to patterns and methods which proved to be very effective when fishing during the Trico emergence.
Trico Nymphs are often describes as being darkish in color, however on the Big Horn River you will encounter a number of nymphs which have light olive abdomens with a slightly darker thorax and of course dark wing pads. The color of the nymphs can vary depending on the chemical content of the water and food base consumed by the nymphs. Some anglers do fish Trico nymphs close to the surface and in the early light of dawn, emergers fished on the surface film can also be very effective. This fact led me to experiment with several color variations of modified Flymphs. The following are three of the flymphs which I found to be very effective on the Big Horn River and throughout the west where Trico’s are found.
Dark Trico Flymph, Dry
Dark Trico Flymph
Hook: Tiemco 101
Sizes: 18-24
Thread: 12/0 Black
Tails: Black dry fly hackle fibers
Abdomen: Black (Trico) turkey wing fiber or biots, tied in by the tips and wrapped forward
Thorax: Beaver dubbing dyed Black
Collar: White hen hackle, 1 ½ turns
Trico Flymph, Black & Olive, Dry
Trico Flymph Olive & Black
Hook: Tiemco 101
Sizes: 18-24
Thread: 12/0 Black
Tails: Black dry fly hackle fibers
Abdomen: Light olive turkey wing fibers or biots, tied in by the tips and wrapped forward
Thorax: Beaver dubbing dyed black
Collar: White hen hackle, 1 ½ turns
Trico Flymph Black & Brown, Dry
Trico Flymph Black & Brown, Dry with white hen hackle
Trico Black & Brown Flymph
Hook: Tiemco 101
Sizes: 18-24
Thread: 12/0 Black
Tails: Black dry fly hackle fibers
Abdomen: Dark brown turkey wing fibers or biots tied in by the tips and wrapped forward
Thorax: Beaver dubbing dyed black
Collar: Black hen hackle, 1 ½ turns
Flymphs were originally designed by James E. Leisenring back during the late 1920’s and throughout the 1930’s on the Brodhead Creek in Pennsylvania, the intent of the flymphs were to imitate an emerging insect (mayfly). As a side note, Leisenring actually referred to his creation as a wingless wet fly. Leisenring’s work was published in 1941 and was entitled The Art of Tying the Wet Fly, unfortunately the volume was lost in the fog of World War Two. In 1971 his work was republished by Nick Lyons of Crown Publishers along with Leisenring’s protégé Vernon (Pete) S. Hidy as The Art of Tying the Wet Fly & Fishing the Flymph, it was Pete Hidy who coined the word “Flymph” in 1968 to describe the imitation that Leisenring had develop.
Leisenring developed the flymph to be fished from beneath the surface and to rising to the surface as an emerging insect. The technique he developed is called the Leisenring Lift, however in his written work on Page 100 Leisenring made a statement; “Then, if the fish change off to a diet of the mature fly which flies over and rides the surface of the water, it will probably be advisable to use a dry fly or fish a wet fly on the surface.” It was this statement which gave me the idea to modify the flymph and fish it in the surface film of the water and this action has proven to be very productive.
When I am fishing the flymph in the surface film I grease the entire leader and the tails and body of the imitation, greasing the leader allows me to mend or twitch the imitation with sinking it. As an additional tying note, I have also used Hungarian Partridge dyed black, Starling back feather and Valley Quail feathers for the collar. All these collar variations seem to work as well as the Hen Hackle, but I must admit that the white hen hackle collar is my personal favorite. I use the flymphs, during the emergence and during the first half of the spinner fall, during the second half of the spinner fall I normally switch to a spent imitation. On occasion the angler can encounter time periods when the trout are keying on the submerged spinners and once again a wet imitation is advisable. The angler needs to be observant to how the trout are feeding, not just seeing the rises and assuming that the trout is feeding on a particular part of the menu, but moving close to the feeding trout and trying to determine exactly what the trout is feeding on.
Close and careful observation will allow the angler to ascertain what the trout is feeding and thus choose the proper imitation.
The next major event of the Trico’s is what anglers are most familiar with and that is the spinner fall.
Trico spinner falls are legendary on Rivers like the Big Horn and Missouri below Holter Dam and many others across the west.
When the spinner falls are heavy anglers often complain of having trouble finding their imitations on the surface, thus missing takes and becoming frustrated, this doesn’t have to happen. Here are a few tips which will allow the angler to be more efficient during this situation. First off, move in a close as possible to the intended target, the trout is concentrating on feeding and during these time periods trout are much easier to approach. If you still can’t see your imitation, then tie on a larger dry fly that you can see and then drop off the key imitation behind the dry, on an 18 to 20-inch dropper strand. Make sure you grease your leader, the dry fly and the dropper strand.
As for dry flies, I like either size sixteen Royal Wulff’s or Dark Winged Parachute Trico, both are easy to see and don’t be surprised if they are taken by the trout. Now I will share my easy dry Trico Spinner pattern and my wet Trico Spinner imitation.
Trico Spinner, Dry
Hook: Dai-Riki #125
Sizes: 16-22
Thread: 12/0 Black
Tails: Black dry fly hackle fibers
Abdomen: Black 12/0 Thread, tapered
Wings: White Antron, tied spent
Thorax: Black super-fine dubbing
Trico Spinner, Wet
Hook: Dai-Riki #125
Sizes: 16-22
Thread: 12/0 Black
Tails: Black hen hackle fibers
Abdomen: 12/0 Black, tapered and glued with Sally Hansen’s Hard as Nails
Wings: White hen hackle, note one size larger than the hook, tied in and wrapped, then figure eight the hackle fibers into two separate wings
Thorax: Dubbed, black rabbit fur
All the patterns I have recommended in this selection have worked effectively, for me, my friends and guide clients for the past several years and should work for you, everything else being equal.
Enjoy & Good Fishin’
Tom Travis, Montana Fly Fishing Outfitter/Guide