Clark’s Stonefly is a great pattern for fly fishing our McKenzie and Willamette Rivers. This is an easy golden stonefly imitation — it only takes Barrett four and a half minutes to tie it. FYI… if you click on the “HQ” button on the player you can watch this in video higher quality if you have a fast internet connection.
Clark’s Golden Stonefly
Hook: Size 8 TMC 2312
Thread: Black 6/0 uni
Body: Gold Tinsel
Underwing: Orange and yellow poly yarn
Wing: Elk hair
Hackle: Brown
Scott Richmond at Westfly has a great article on fishing big dry stonefly patterns:
Generally, a short, heavy tippet–3X or even 2X–will help you cast big, bulky flies more accurately. You also want a strong leader because a few errant flies are going to land in the trees and grass along the riverbank. A heavy leader gives you a better chance of pulling the fly out of the brush.
Hey guys, you should add this article to the “McKenzie and Willamette River fly tying library” section, so it will be easier to find.
Thanks for the heads up Arlen. I’m behind on adding these to that page!