It is too easy to forget to say thanks and pay tribute to people in our lives until they have gone on.
The LF’s Golden Stone is a companion to JC’s Salmonfly. It is my tribute to Deanna.
From the fly fisher’s point of view.
From the fishies’ point of view.
The materials and the tying sequence for the LF’s Golden Stone are minor variations from the JC’s Salmonfly.
For the tails, legs, and antennae, I used Angler’s Choice Super Floss in olive - and split the strands to achieve more delicate features. ( Turns out the super floss is easier to use than the rubber legs material and may become the material of choice on a variety of furled extended body flies with tails. Note that the color in the pics is close but not quite right. )
The change in the tying sequence involved tying in the foam and deer hair behind the front legs rather than in front as on JC’s Salmonfly. It was easier on this particular example and lead to a better silhouette, I believe, for this stonefly. Will likely modify the sequence on the salmonfly next time I tie some up.
THANK YOU, Deanna, for the inspiration that you and Jim have been to me and so many other people around the world. I will fish this fly as a continuing tribute to you on the many streams and rivers of the Intermountain West where the Golden Stones thrive.
The weekend was really wet and windy so I couldn’t get out to test LF’s Golden Stone.
Today was rather cool, in the mid 50’s, but there was only a light breeze to go with the partly cloudy sky. Not exactly wet wading weather, but what the heck. Fished the Henry’s Fork below the Warm River confluence fishing only the LF’s Golden Stone.
Had several hits, then, first in hand - a brookie, the only one that I’ve caught on the Henry’s Fork.
Next up, after loosing a couple and more hits and a refusal - a little bow.
Not the last fish of the day, and certainly not the least - a really fat, healthy 16" brown.
On the day, the fly hooked over a dozen fish, with about half of them landed, drew several fishies close by but got refused, and took bunches of hits that didn’t hook up.
Great first outing with the Lady Fisher’s Golden Stone.
I used a 3X long dry fly hook for the most recent JC’s Salmonfly hatch and all the LF’s Golden Stones that I’ve tied.
A couple of the fish that I lost today were well hooked, but took their release long distance as soon as I relaxed pressure on them. Turned out the hook was bent a bit - maybe from the brown trout ??
Fished the golden stone hatch today on Montana’s Rock Creek. Same fly I fished on the Henry’s Fork nine days ago.
Landed two bows, two cutts, and one brown, lost one fish and had a bunch of fish hit the fly.
The fly still floats well and looks good, so I plan to fish it tomorrow on the upper Bitterroot, and maybe the West Fork of the Bitterroot if time permits.
