Attack of the brass beads

There are times when some people think way outside the box. The latest in fly tying is Dean Myers from Pennsylvania who came up the his "Chain Gang Stonefly". I found out about this great fly from Singlebarbed (www.singlebarbed.com), a blogger / ex-commercial tier / exalted brownliner who is a member of the Fly Fishing Underground Writer's Network. Someday this writer may become a member but a lot more thought and insight will have to be developed before my prose can be linked to theirs. However, I have been hearing things about a "great article" written about my girls tennis team. I finally looked it up online and thought, "wow", all the great jewels I sent to the journalist were used in the article and none were quoted .. just as if she came up with them herself. Oh well, I guess there is good karma in helping someone else make a buck.

Back to the Chain Gang Stonefly. I'm looking for a steelhead fly that I can tie quickly, will get to the bottom FAST, and still look something like what a steelhead would eat. I also want a fly, quick to tie, that I can use in the deep flowing water of Lewistion Lake during the hot afternoons. My fish finder has shown a LOT of fish, on the bottom, in the deeper channels (15 - 25 feet) during the heat of the day. I want a fly that will get down fast and look like a good meal to a 2-pound or larger trout. And the final point: I am lazy -- I don't want to tie in a tail and a bunch of biots and make the fly look like a "real" insect -- I want a fly that I can tie in less than two minutes and looks like something, or many possible things, htat a fish might eat.

Thus, the Depth Charge (or better yet, the DC Chain Gang to credit Dean Myers for coming up with the idea of a bead chain for a body). Nothing but 6 beads of 1/8 inch black bead chain on a size 8 Dai-Riki 075 (TMC 3796) hook, with black marabou and Black Arizona Simi Seal for a head. On the advice of Mike at the Eureka Fly Shop (our local fly shop -- support your local fly shops!!!) I'm keeping the long marabou for the lake version and a much shorter, clipped marabou "wing case" for steelhead. I'm hoping to get over the mountain this weekend and give the fly a try, both on the Trinity River for steelhead and on Lewiston Lake. I can only hope.

Take care all,
Shane