Mothership Salmon Fly: Dry Fly Tutorial

In this video, Simon ties a great extended body Salmonfly dry fly. Every spring some of the West’s largest aquatic insects make their emergence. The salmonfly often marks the beginning of trout season, and means summer is on the way. Here in Oregon, you may have plans to hit the Deschutes, Rogue, or Umpqua for their legendary Salmonfly hatches. Most of the Western United States sees these insects at some point in the spring. It can be a busy event on some rivers, especially during the height of the hatch. Although the Chubby Cheronobyl is a fantastic fly, during this hatch, these fish see countless Chubbies every day. This is where the Mothership Salmonfly makes a huge difference. The long, extended, and segmented body looks far more natural than other dries often thrown during the hatch. When fish are refusing everything else, a more realistic fly like this can save the day. Fish this fly aggressively near brush, trees, and grassy banks, slapping it on the water suggestive of a salmonfly that just fell in.

The fly features a long shank, wide gap Ahrex hook which is fantastic for this type of foam fly. Hareline Hi-Float Foam is new for 2024 and is ultra buoyant and more durable than past types. This fly is ultra buoyant and would make a great dry for a dry dropper setup. During the sun and heat in the middle of the day on the Lower Deschutes things can slow down. Consider running a dropper below the Mothership Salmonfly. A Small caddis nymph, or a frenchie would be a great choice during the salmonfly hatch. This general blueprint can be repurposed for other stonefly species as well: Gold Stones, Skwalas, Shortwing Stones, Nocturnal Stones, Etc. Tie some up, let us know on instagram how they turn out. Even better, tag us on instagram to show us some big redbands with the Mothership Salmonfly in their mouth on the Lower D this spring!