THE FLY FISHING PLACE BLOG: FLY OF THE WEEK: THE LIGHTNING BUG IS RED HOT!

THE FLY FISHING PLACE BLOG

FLY OF THE WEEK: THE LIGHTNING BUG IS RED HOT!

The most popular nymph fly at The Fly Fishing Place this past year, whether measured by on the river success or by our fly shop and online sales, has been the Bead Head Lightning Bug. This little nymph packs a lot of fish catching power into its insignificant self. The original Lightning Bug was probably tied by Yakima River guide Larry Graham in the early 1990's, but after that it moved on up to Montana and evolved first into the river guides' secret weapon, then into one of the most popular subsurface trout flies around the world for the past couple years. The Lightning Bug works as well on a spring creek as on large tailwaters, is deadly for prospecting in riffles and pocket water, and is perfectly at home as a dropper below a Dave's Hopper or a Stimulator in July on the Wallowa River, or trailing along behind an Egg Sucking Leech or Steelhead pattern in November on the Grande Ronde. We tie the Lightning Bug in sizes 12-20, and in Gold Lightning Bug, Silver Lightning Bug, and, new for the 2011 fishing season, Pearl Lightning Bug.