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Whether you are a beginner tyer looking for some simple patterns to master, or a skilled tyer looking for new patterns for the upcoming hatch, the Fly Explorer is your perfect companion. The magic of the Fly explorer is we help you find the right patterns that meet your goals saving you valuable time. Don’t spend hours searching youtube videos for a pattern you need. Instead, use the fly explorer to quickly narrow down the best videos and pattern content to help you tie better flies and save you time.
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Key Benefits
Learn the top reasons to tie this pattern
Material Substitutions
Learn what materials can be switched on each pattern
Fishing Tips
Learn some expert tips on fishing each pattern to maximize your success.
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There are many ways to tie each pattern, learn the best variations on each pattern
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Learn seasonal sizes, colors, hatch times and stages of the insects that pattern imitates. A wealth of knowledge to digest here.
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Smokejumper
” Fooling Picky Trout Since 1943 “
Key Benefits of This Pattern
The Smokejumper midge is an excellent fly pattern that can fool even the more selective trout. It is tied with CDC which is an excellent material that stays dry without any floatant. The CDC parachute on top of this midge pattern keeps the fly near the top or on top of the water column which helps the fly appear to be in the emergence phase. The trout love eating emergers and a natural material like CDC creates a very nice presentation. Try a few of these patterns on selective tailwaters and see the results for yourself.
- Imitates: Midge Emerger, Midge Dry, Mayfly Emerger, Mayfly Dry
- Insect Species: Midges, Blue Wing Olive, PMD, Trico
- Imitation Category: Imitative, Impressionistic
- Fly Seasons: Spring, Fall, Winter
- Water Type: Coldwater Rivers, Stillwater
- Difficulty: Medium Skill Levels. 1-3 Min Once Mastered
Preferred Tying Recipe
- Hook Type: Tiemco 2457 or 2487
- Hook Size: #16-26
- Thread Type: 8/0 Uni Thread or 70 Denier
- Thread Color: Any – Black Standard
- Dubbing: Peacock Herl
- Wire: X-Small Silver
- Wing: CDC Oiler Puff
* Guides only available to paid members *
Substitution Options
- Body: Using goose biots for the body is also a good option
- Dubbing: Any superfine or antron dubbing
- Wing: Thin 1mm or 2mm foam as the post
Variation Options
Using a variety of colors will help you imitate any small emerging or adult midge or mayfly. using foam for the wing post can work, but CDC is much better. The CDC stays above the water while the rest of the fly is below. With foam, it’s a little too buoyant and makes the fly float on its side. Both can catch fish, but the CDC oiler puffs is preferred. Black, Olive, Yellow and Red seem to work best for this fly.
Tying Gallery
You can always tie any fly in any color imaginable, but we’ve found the best colors to be Black, Olive, Red, Purple, Blue, White, Tan
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- Smokejumper Midge #18
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- Smokejumper Midge #18-22
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- Smokejumper Midge #18-22
Fishing Tips
People often wonder how to fish this fly. Primarily it’s best fished as a dry fly and will float on top of the water. It sinks easily because it’s delicate and when it sinks, a small strike indicator or larger fly that floats helps detect strikes below the water which are common on this pattern. Using frog’s fanny or some other fly duster for CDC keeps this fly floating high and dry, but requires a little maintenance. You usually only need 1 or 2 good casts and drifts to hook a fish on this fly when they are feeding so make the casts count.
I usually fish as many drifts as I can before I catch a fish or it sinks then I fish 2-3 drifts with it sinking then I re apply the fly duster and start again. A renegade or griffiths gnat is a good choice as a first fly that floats well and then this as the point fly in a two fly dry fly set up. A NZ strike indicator is also great if you only want to throw the smokejumper and the fish seem to take it after it sinks.
Seasonal Insect Info
MIDGE HATCHES
Midges hatch year round, but their importance is from September through winter into April. During the warmer months, the trout often focus on larger insects as they are more active on the water like mayflies, caddis and stoneflies.
- Colors: Black, White, Gray, Cream, Olive, Red, Brown, Blue, and Purple
- Sizes: #16 – #24
- Hatch Seasons: Year Round with a focus on early spring, late fall and warmer winter days
- Stages: Nymph (Year Round), Emerger, Dry Fly
BLUE WING OLIVE HATCHES
Blue Wing Olive, BWO, Baetis, all the same thing. View the info below on how to match their hatch and their seasonality.
- Colors: Olive, Brown/Olive, Brown, Black, Purple
- Sizes: #16 – #24
- Hatch Seasons: Year Round with Importance on Early Spring and Late Fall
- Stages: Nymph (Year Round), Emerger, Dry Fly
PMD HATCHES
Pale Morning Duns, Pale Evening Duns, PMD, Sulphurs, all the same bug, just a different name. View the info below on how to match their hatch and their seasonality.
- Colors: Yellow, Tan, Cream
- Sizes: #12 – #20
- Hatch Seasons: Late Spring to Mid Fall
- Stages: Nymph (Year Round), Emerger, Dry Fly, Spinner
TRICO HATCHES
Some of the smallest and most challenging, yet plentiful mayfly hatches you’ll find. View the info below on how to match their hatch and their seasonality.
- Colors: Black, Purple, Cream, White
- Sizes: #20 – #30
- Hatch Seasons:Mid to Late Summer
- Stages: Nymph (Year Round), Emerger, Dry Fly, Spinner (Most Common)
Proportions Tips
Fish That Love This Fly Pattern
Trout, Grass Carp, Carp, Panfish
TROUT
COMMON CARP
Drink Pairings
TIE SMART, DRINK WISELY
We provide a full breadth of content on fly tying including drink pairings with your fly patterns.
Recommended Drinks for This Pattern: Oatmeal Stout | Tennessee Whiskey
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