One of my favorite flies is the stimulator. It’s not a favorite fly because it
catches more fish. I don’t use it more than any other fly. I don’t like to
tie it more than any other fly. It’s even very limited in the places you can
use it, but it’s still one of my favorites.
I like the stimulator because it’s a cool fly to look at. Yup, you heard me right,
I’m a sucker for this fly because it looks good. It has a structure that’s designed
to perform only in extreme water. It’s built like a white water warrior ready to take
on the fastest water you can cast it into. In my book, it’s the heavyweight champion
of the fast water world.
Every time I look at a stimulator fly, I’m taken back to several mountain streams I
fished in my youth when I lived in Montana. The stonefly hatches on those streams
were small, but the trout took advantage of every moment of the hatch.
And, if I would’ve been fortunate enough to have had a box full of these flies, I’m
certain I would have caught more fish. When I finally did read about this pattern,
I tied up a bunch and visited those same waters and had a great time.
Now that I live in South Dakota, I have less opportunity to fish fast mountain
streams, but I do have an opportunity to fish several great stonefly hatches.
They are smaller flies than I was familiar with in the high mountain streams of
Montana, but they are there for the fun of fishing, and that’s when I get a chance
to use the stimulator.
Originally published c. May 11, 2008 on Fly Anglers Online by Al Campbell.