Anorexic Zebra
By Aaron Jasper

fotm febraruy 2018

Translated by CARL WUEBBEN

This fly is perfect for a dry fly – dropper style of fishing. Attach a large dry fly to the end of your leader, tie another length of tippet to the hook bend of the floating fly, then add an anorexic zebra or a nymph. Streams with high angling pressure are generally well suited for a dry – dropper technique. In many of these streams, the trout are very wary of people. Because of these factors successful anglers present fly’s from a distance. Suspending your fly under dry flies is the best way to do this and not spook the fish. When fishing with the correct leader system, dry flies and small flies or nymphs can increase your catch rates even under some surprisingly tough conditions. Dry – dropper combinations works especially well during mayfly and caddisfly hatches. Many nymphs and pupae are vulnerable near the surface, and trout frequently feed right under the surface. Also try tying the second fly to the eye of the dry fly for less drag and better floatation of the dry.

PATTERN

HOOK – Tiemco TMC 2487, size 18 or 16
HEAD – Black tungsten, matched to hook size
THREAD – Black 8/0 (70 denier)
BODY – Tying thread
RIB – Hot orange copper wire

HOW TO TIE

  1. Debarb hook. Put the bead onto the hook, small hole first and mount in vise. Start thread in right behind the beadhead which is pushed up against the eyelet and then grab a hunk of wire and tie it in behind the beadhead and keeping the wire on top of the hook shank by using your thread to secure it and making a thread base using the wire to keep close wraps, then continue to wrap to just a little bit into the bend of the hook then put the wire into your material clip to keep it out of the way for a little bit.
  2. With your thread wrap forward to the beadhead with very close wraps to create the body, then when you are at the beadhead wrap backward again and make a taper the size of the beadhead long and end your thread back at the beadhead.
  3. Now with the copper wire spiral wrap forward clockwise and tie off just before the beadhead (tapered part before bead) and helicopter the tag end of wire off. Whip finish –clip off the thread tag end then put some head cement or U.V. glue on the entire fly less the beadhead.

TIE UP A DOZEN OR TWO – AND GO FISHING*** But remember to practice C.P.R. (CATCH – PICTURE – RELEASE)