Episode 27: Pics and Notes for Leadwing Coachman
Nov 8, 2018
Hi Folks - here are the pics and links for the episode about Isonychia bicolor. We'll start with a picture of the nymph:
Where you can see it's typical minnow like shape. You can see the hair on the front legs that is distinctive about this group, but here is a close up:
Those front legs are raised up and held into the current so passing algae, small critters, etc., in the drift are captured, and then gobbled up. It is very distinctive and definitive - if you catch something with those front hairs then you got an Isonychia.
Let's move onto imitations:
As I mentioned in the blog, Don Bastian has a nice page on his blog specific to these guys. He has some very nice patterns I like - you can find that here:
https://donbastianwetflies.com/tag/nymphs/
Another pattern I like - that is traditional, is Walt Dette's imitation of an Isonychia:
Where the pattern is:
Tail: Pheasant tail
Underbody - mix of muskrat and red dubbing
Overbody - grey ostrich herl
Wingcase - mallard quill
Thorax - grey muscrat
Legs - Partridge
And here is Art Flick's dun variant:
It's nice and simple - usually tied on a short shank hook, but
Tail: Dun fibers
Body: Stripped Red/Brown Quill
Hackle: Dun
where the tail and the hackle are tied long.
And then lastly, here is a link to the spinner pattern by Mark Lord.