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Stoneflies thrive in the rubble of cold well oxygenated rivers & streams. They are an available food source throughout the season and fish may feed on them to the exclusion of all other food sources particularly during hatches. The nymphs crawl along the bottom and exit the water at the stream or river edge where they hatch into stoneflies.

To imitate this action the fly must be well weighted. For a size #8 fly I use a 3.5 tungsten bead and 10 wraps of 0.020 lead wire so its a pretty heavy fly and ideal for an anchor in a team of 2 or even 3 flies.

Colours range from black through to darkish brown and olive.

Materials

Process

A	Most beads have a large opening at one end and a smaller opening at the other. Slide a bead over the point of the hook 'back to front' with the large opening first and then when you put your hook in the vice leave the bead down toward the bend of the hook and out of the way of the next step. Wind a single layer of thread from the eye of the hook to about 50% of the distance down the shank of the hook catching in a length of round rubber as you go.

B	Tie the thread off with a couple of half hitches at the 50% position and trim the thread. Slide the bead forward to the eye of the hook and positioning the round robber forward to form two symmetrical forward facing feelers. Tie the thread back in behind the bead and tie lead in along the top of the hook shank to the 50% position.

C	the Wind the lead wire forward in touching turns all the way to the bead and break the excess wire off there Adding weight to a fly Continue winding the thread back down toward the bend of the hook stopping at about the 5% position.

D	Tie a second length of round runner in at the 5% position. Whilst holding both ends of round rubber in place with one hand along the top of the hook and with both ends trailing behind the hook like a tail wind the thread down to the bend of the hook with firm but not tight turns and than back to the 5% position. If you make the turns of thread too tight you may cut the round rubber with the thread. Catch a second length of round robber in at the 5% position. Wind the thread forward toward the middle of the hook. Parts of a hook and positions on a hook

E	Using the single strand dubbing technique load the thread with dubbing and wind the thread and dubbing rope down to the bend of the hook and then back all the way to the bead building up a thin acorn shaped body. Single strand dubbing technique

F	Wind the wire forward to behind the bead dividing the body into 8 to 10 segments. Some of the segments will be covered by the thorax as we proceed. Body segments on flies Worry off the excess wire behind the bead. Take the thread about a third of the way down the dubbed body of the fly and after lacquering a section of turkey feather and letting it dry tie the feather slip on top of the fly.

G	Prepare your knotted rubber legs. The gap between the knee joints should be the same as the length of the length of the hook.

H	Tie in a set of rubber legs on each side of the hook a third of the way down the dubbed body of the fly and take the thread forward to the bead locking the legs into position along each side of the fly as you proceed. legs on flies

I	Now tie a little dubbing over the tread that you just secured the legs in with and completing the thorax of the fly.

J	Pull the wing casing over the thorax of the fly and lock it in directly behind the bead a a couple of firm wraps of thread. Tie the thread off behing the bead with a couple of quod half hitches and trim away the excess thread and the excess wing casing material. Whip finish & varnish. Tie in a length of rubber leg material on each side of the fly 'Chernobyl style' at the 2/3 position. legs on flies Now tie a little dubbing over the tread securing the first wing case segment and the legs to hide the thread. Put a little head cement over the quad wraps and the bead.

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