Flies

Stimulator

Origin

Randall Kaufman originated this fly and states it is his favorite dry fly.  He devotes an entire chapter to it in his  Randall Kaufman’s “Tying Dry Flies, Third Edition”.  Don’t be worried the chapters are not long and include step by step tying instructions.  While the guy who developed the fly might be prejudice in his selection of a favorite, Al Beatty also raves about this fly in his article on the Stimulator in the fly archives on www.flyanglersonline.com .  An added benefit of looking at Al Beatty’s article is his emphasis on using the rotary features of your vice while tying this fly.  Both Kaufman and Beatty suggest using the Stimulator as a caddis fly and stonefly imitation simply by matching size and color of the hatch, but also as a searching pattern rigged with a dropper  when no hatch is present.  It’s a great attractor pattern.

Pattern

  • Hook: Nymphs and  Dry Fly, straight eye, standard wire, 3X long, semi-dropped point  -  Teimco 200R, or equivalent, sizes 6-18
  • Thread:  Fluorescent  Fire Orange
  • Tail: Light Elk, flared wide
  • Rib: Fine gold wire
  • Abdomen:  Fluorescent yellow Antron palmered with badger or ginger hackle.  Change the body color as desired.  Popular colors include: Orange, Green, Tan, and black (good night time attractor).
  • Wing:  Light Elk, flared wide and tall.  Wing color is adaptable too.
  • Thorax: Amber goat

 

Tying Instructions:

  • Start the thread 1/3 back from the eye and lay a thread base back to the bend and then back forward to the tie in point.
  • Tie in a short tail, hook gap length. Spread it wide with your fingers when the fly is completed.  Trim butt ends close at an angle
  • Tie in the rib at the tail
  • Dub thread and wrap the body forward to the 60% mark
  • Tie in the body hackle, shinny side forward. Palmer the hackle back to the tail.
  • Secure the hackle with the rib and wrap the rib forward to the tie down area. Tie off and trim the rib material. Wrap the thread forward several wraps to provide a good base for the wing.
  • Prepare the wing hair.  The wing should extend to the hook bend. Tie in the wing and trim the butts at an angle to reduce bulk and have a tapered thorax area.
  • Tie in the thorax hackle, shinny side forward matching the body hackle.  Dry fly hackle is usually tied in shiny side back. Dub the thread for thorax.  If using goat hair it is harder to manage than superfine type dubbing and will not dub tightly to the thread.  Use some dubbing wax and don’t worry about it. Sweep the thorax back and add a few wraps to keep in place when finished.
  • Wrap the hackle forward through the thorax 3 to 5 times and tie off. Trim the hackle.
  • Sweep the hackle and thorax material back with your fingers, Form a neat thread head, whip finish or use three half-hitches, and trim.  Apply Sally Hanson’s Hard as Nails or some head finish of your choice.

Fish It
Fish the Stimulator like any dry fly. 

John Wohlfiel

Golden State Flycasters, November  2007