Copper John variations

[Gregg]

I'm tying copper johns like my life depends on them lately... I try to get as creative as I can while keeping the general theme the same. Any suggestions? Different color patterns?

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a233/gjshaw/fly%20tying/copperjohn4.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a233/gjshaw/fly%20tying/copperjohn2.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a233/gjshaw/fly%20tying/IMGP0891.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a233/gjshaw/fly%20tying/copperjohn6.jpg

This last one was kind of an experiment. I thought it looked cool with both chartruse and black wire, so I wrapped them alternating.

[Darian]

Gregg,.... A couple of variations that might interest you are:

1. Blue Copper John - Paul Cronin tied it for an earlier swap. Not sure whether Paul originated it or not. The pattern features blue wire and fine rubber insect legs. The balance of the pattern is standard. Good looking fly. paul has said that this color is good in the eastern Sierra. 8) 8)

2. Wired Stone - Mike Ueyama tied it for the Sierra Stone Swap. Mike used two colors of wire for his pattern. A pattern description/photo of the fly is available under the swap topic. Also, a good looking fly. 8) 8)

[PaulC]

Hey Gregg,
Looks like you're having fun at the vise.
A picture of the pattern Darian mentioned is at
http://kiene.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?t=548&start=90

Material list is pretty simple:
-tungsten bead
-grey tail
-thread tapered body
-sm blue ultrawire
-pearlescant sheet
-peacock herl
-white/black centipede legs with 3 divisions on each side of tie in point for a size 12.

Its something I put together messing around for steelhead season a couple years back and it produced that trip. I would doubt its the first of its kind...its pretty much a copper john anyhow. I've done well fishing that pattern on the eastside and up north for winter steelhead. Its one of my goto droppers when the water is clear.
The last steelhead photo I posted a few weeks back grabbed that bug.
As always, I don't know how much of it is the fly or fishing a fly you have confidence in. Still fun to mess around at the vise regardless.

Other things you can try is an ice dub peacock substitute which looks interesting when picked out. Also, if you want to go super attractor, wrap the body with krystal flash then sparse wire over that.
You could break the pattern into a wiggle body...I recall seeing that somewhere for a stonefly imitation recently using blue ultra wire.
So many materials...so little time.

-Paul

[nightgoat]

The red has worked well for me as well. Another variation I've good success with is black tail - silver body - nickel bead. They were recommended to me for the Truckee, but have worked on a number of local streams :)