Parks' Salmonfly | |
---|---|
Artificial fly | |
Type | Dry fly |
Imitates | Giant stoneflies, salmonflies |
History | |
Creator | Merton Parks |
Created | 1954 |
Materials | |
Typical sizes | 2–8, 6 most common 2X long |
Typical hooks | TMC 200R, Mustad 9671, DaiRiki 700 |
Thread | Black 3/0 nylon or kevlar |
Tail | Brown bucktail |
Body | Tangerine or orange acrylic yarn |
Wing | Brown bucktail |
Ribbing | Brown or furnace hackle, clipped |
Hackle | Brown or furnace hackle |
Head | Black thread |
Uses | |
Primary use | Trout |
Reference(s) | |
Pattern references | Yellowstone Country Flies, (2013) Wiese [1] |
Parks' Salmonfly is a traditional dry fly imitating adults of the family of giant stoneflies or salmonflies (Pteronarcyidae). The most commonly imitated species is Pteronarcys californica or salmonfly common throughout Western North America from British Columbia to California.
One of the most enduring contributions of Parks' Fly Shop in Gardiner, Montana is the Parks' Salmon Fly, an improved version of the old Sofa Pillow used to imitate the giant stoneflies or Salmon Flies on the Yellowstone River and its tributaries. In 1954, Merton Parks found the older imitations of the giant stonefly unsuitable and created the Parks Salmon Fly. The fly remains popular and in use still today. [2] Charles Brooks, a master Yellowstone fly fisherman, called the Parks' Salmon Fly one of his top three stonefly imitations. [3]
The Parks' Salmonfly imitates an adult salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica), a species of giant stonefly common in higher-velocity streams and rivers, on medium to large-sized unconsolidated substrates. [4] Salmonflies are found across western North America from California to British Columbia and throughout the Rocky Mountains. [5] On the Yellowstone River and southwest Montana where the Parks' Salmonfly originated, adult salmonflies typically emerge in late June through July. Trout aggressively feed on adults that fall in the water.
Adult salmonflies are large insects up to 2 inches (5.1 cm) long, so imitations are tied on large, long hooks. Size 6 is the most common but they can be tied on size 2-8 2X long hooks. Merton Parks improved on the original Sofa Pillow by replacing the red floss body with the more bulky and buoyant acrylic yarn in tangerine–a color closer to the living insect. The quill tail and fox squirrel tail wing were replaced with bulkier brown bucktail. The tail, body, wing and hackle are all tied very bulky to create a large profile on the water. [1]
Elk mane can be substituted for the bucktail. Smaller versions of the fly (size 6–10) tied with lighter bucktail, ginger hackle and yellow yarn are used to imitate Golden stoneflies ( Hesperoperla and Calineuria ). [1]
Fly tying is the process of producing an artificial fly used by fly fishing anglers to catch fish. Fly tying is a manual process done by a single individual using hand tools and a variety of natural and manmade materials that are attached to a hook. Although the recent history of fly tying dates from the middle 1800s, fly tyers were engaged in tying flys since at least 200 AD.
Salmon is any of several species of fish of the family Salmonidae.
The Muddler Minnow is a popular and versatile artificial fly of the streamer type used in fly fishing and fly tying.
The Pheasant Tail nymph or PT Nymph or Sawyer's Pheasant Tail is a popular all purpose nymph imitation used by fly anglers. It imitates a large variety of olive, olive-brown colored aquatic insect larvae that many fish including trout and grayling feed upon.
George F. Grant was an American angler, author and conservationist from Butte, Montana. He was active for many years on the Big Hole River.
An artificial fly or fly lure is a type of fishing lure, usually used in the sport of fly fishing. In general, artificial flies are an imitation of aquatic insects that are natural food of the target fish species the fly fishers try to catch. Artificial flies are constructed by fly tying, in which furs, feathers, thread or any of very many other materials are tied onto a fish hook.
The Woolly Worm is an artificial fly commonly categorized as a wet fly or nymph and is fished under the water surface. It is a popular pattern for freshwater game fish and was a very popular fly in the 1950s–1970s in the west. Charles Brooks in Nymph Fishing for Larger Trout recommends the Woolly Worm as a general purpose nymph pattern in most western trout waters in any fly box. Woolly Worms are typically fished in streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes for trout, bass, and panfish. Today, Woolly Worms are tied in a variety of styles and colors to imitate a large aquatic nymphs such as stoneflies, dragonflies, damselflies or hellgrammites.
Pteronarcys californica is a species of insect in the family Pteronarcyidae, the giant stoneflies and salmonflies. It is known commonly as a salmonfly. Salmonflies are an important aquatic insect for fly anglers and many nymph and adult fly patterns are tied to imitate this insect.
The Royal Coachman is an artificial fly that has been tied as a wet fly, dry fly and streamer pattern. Today, the Royal Coachman and its variations are tied mostly as dry flies and fished floating on the water surface. It is a popular and widely used pattern for freshwater game fish, particularly trout and grayling. Large streamer versions are also used for winter steelhead and Atlantic salmon.
Parks' Fly Shop is a fly shop and licensed fly fishing outfitter in Gardiner, Montana. In business since 1953, the shop located at 202 2nd Street between Main and Stone is the oldest business in Gardiner under continuous family ownership.
This annotated bibliography is intended to list both notable and not so notable works of English language, non-fiction and fiction related to the sport of fly fishing listed by year published. Although 100% of any book listed is not necessarily devoted to fly fishing, all these titles have significant fly fishing content. Included in this bibliography is a list of fly tying, fly tackle, regional guides, memoirs, stories and fly fishing fiction related literature.
The Elk Hair Caddis is a dry fly commonly used for trout fishing. The Elk Hair Caddis was created by Pennsylvania fly tyer Al Troth in 1957. He is considered a pioneer in the sport of fly fishing for this invention.
The Royal Wulff is a popular artificial fly used for dry fly fishing. It is an attractor pattern and a descendant of both the Royal Coachman fly and the Wulff style of hair wing flies named for Lee Wulff.
Dave's Hopper is an artificial fly used for fly fishing, designed to imitate adult grasshoppers and other Orthoptera species. It is considered a dry fly terrestrial pattern. It was designed by fly tyer and angler Dave Whitlock, and combines the best aspects of Joe's Hopper and Muddler Minnow patterns.
The Stimulator is a dry fly popularized by angler, fly tyer and author Randall Kaufmann to imitate large adult stoneflies.
Pteronarcys is a genus of giant stoneflies in the family Pteronarcyidae. There are about 8 described species in Pteronarcys.
The Wulff series of dry flies evolved from a dry fly style conceived by angler Lee Wulff in the 1930s.
The Humpy fly is a popular and effective dry fly used by fly anglers for trout in fast-water conditions.
Salmon fly patterns are an important collection of artificial flies used by fly anglers to imitate nymphal and adult forms of Pteronarcys californica a giant stonefly or salmon fly. Salmon flies are common in high gradient, freestone rivers and streams from Western Canada throughout the Western U.S. to Mexico in the Rocky Mountains and coastal mountain ranges. Nymphs live for three to five years before adult emergence which typically occurs in late Spring or early summer. The long lifespan of the nymphal form provides year-round angling opportunities for fly anglers.
Terrestrial flies are a broad group of artificial flies used by fly anglers to imitate terrestrial insects that fall prey to fish in rivers, streams and lakes. Most typical are patterns imitating grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles, leaf hoppers, cicadas and moths.