Jigged Beacon: A High-Water Searching Nymph Pattern

Cold weather and winter rains are late this year, but are not entirely out of the picture. With plenty of rain in the forecast, our rivers are likely going to swell and a heavy nymph that stands out is necessary. In this video, Simon ties a fantastic high water offering that is on the smaller side but still stands out. Many people’s go to for high water is a large stonefly nymph, worm, egg, or chucking streamers. There is nothing wrong with any of those options, but they do not necessarily represent what fish are feeding on in large quantities. Sure fish eat up a sculpin, worm, egg or stonefly as it is a large meal, and trout are opportunistic. Mayfly nymphs and Caddis larvae vastly outnumber the former, so having a fly that is small and still can stand out is important.

This fly uses Fulling Mill Eco Warrior Dub spun into a buggy body using the Smhaen Thread Splitter which helps the fly cast a wide profile even in high water. It has additional lead hidden under the body to supplement the already heavy 3.8 or 5/32 tungsten bead. A hot tag of Fluoro Fiber out the rear and up the back adds an extra attractor element to the fly. Lastly, a CDC collar, as we all know, is a fantastic additional to a jigged nymph providing movement, which is curial in high water.

The fly naturally provides a wide profile effectively mimicking many larger mayflies. This would be fantastic for the spring March Brown hatch. Other clingers that this fly mimics follow: Quill Gordons, Cahills, or Black Quills. Many species of drakes also have large bodies that this fly effectively imitates. This makes a fantastic searching pattern on the Metolius for Green Drakes or late summer for Gray Drakes on the Mckenzie. The Rockies, Sierras, and Tetons, with their heavy runoff, will appreciate this pattern in the spring.