New patterns available from MFC, Spring 2011

Montana Fly Company (MFC) is adding 5 of my patterns to their 2011 catalog and I'd like to share those with you.   I am honored to have fly patterns picked two years straight with them.  I believe that they are one of the hottest companies moving up in the fly fishing industry, if not the hottest.  Just take a look at their website here and see what products they have out.  From fly boxes to tying materials, they are adding innovative and useful products to it each year.  So the flies you ask, well here they are:

 Juan's Midge Ice Emerger 

This is a great fly to use during the winter or even during the trico hatches.  We all know that midges are in the water year round and the fish know that too.

 Juan's Chocolate Floss Back Emerger

This is a great fly to use during the BWO and PMD hatches.  I love to put this behind a parachute when the fish are eating emergers and will not take a dry or a deep running nymph.  By doing this, you can sight fish and watch the fish eat the fly.  

 Juan's Grey Floss Back Emerger 

Again, just as with the chocolate version, this one can be fished high to fish eating emergers, or it can be fished deep in a double nymph rig.  These are very versatile flies.  

Juan's Ice Emerger, PMD

The second in the Ice Emerger series, this one sports a yellowish wing bud of Ice Dubbing to represent the emerging body or the wings.  Fish may take this as a cripple or as an emerger.  It's up to them.  You can also fish it deep or behind a dry fly.  That's up to you.  

The Hopper Juan

Thanks to those fly shops that demanded that MFC carry this pattern so they could offer it to customers, it will soon be available to you.  I couldn't keep up with the demand and I only have one or two in my box.  I hope that this becomes one of your favorite flies.  I love to throw this thing all summer long and put a heavy nymph behind it like my Glossy Back and fish those areas where the nymph fishers just can't hit.  Oh, it also works well as a stonefly and a hopper.  It's just buggy and big and fish like it.  

These flies will be available this coming spring at your local fly shop if they carry MFC flies.  If not, just look up someone that does and order from them.  

Montana Fly Company Ice Emerger

This morning I received a nice e-mail from Adam Trina of Montana Fly Company letting me know that they have replaced the picture of the Ice Emeger that I bitc*&$ about on their website (http://hopperjuan.blogspot.com/2009/09/montana-fly-co-to-carry-ice-emerger.html).  I can now sleep better as it is a true represention to the fly I submitted.  I appreciate that MFC stepped up and made changes needed to not only my fly, but other photos that needed to be a little better.  Thank you Adam & MFC.

Montana Fly Co. to carry the Ice Emerger

So imagine my surprise, when at the FFR last week, opening up the Montana Fly Company catalog and scanning over the new flies for 2010 and seeing the Ice Emerger! What the spank!!

I wish I would have known about this. Well, I guess that's not a totally bad thing, I just wish I would have been given some notice about it. My first reaction was, "they picked it up". "What about the Hopper?" The Hopper Juan was not in there and was not picked for production. Kinda like the overwhelming gold metal favorite sports star that never makes it past the Olympic trials. I thought for sure it would have a chance. My second thought was, "what a sh@&$ picture of the fly. Now honestly, it does look horrible and I wouldn't want to order this fly if I were a shop owner looking to order some new flies for the upcoming year based on this photo in the catalog and web site.

The finished product looked better and I was pleased with what was on display at the show. I made a few comments about this and that and we shall see if they make those adjustments. The variation that I sent in was the Ice Emerger Baetis-with a chocolate body and Callibaetis Ice Dub wing as opposed to the thread body shown above. So look for it in your local shop and make sure you try some out next spring on the BWOs.

Juan's Ice Emerger Tutorial

The Ice Emerger is one of my favorite flies to tie on once I see fish rising to emergers right below the surface. It borrows from the great RS2 pattern and the floating nymph, two of the best patterns out there. It is fairly easy to tie once you figure out what you are doing. I also tie this one in a BWO pattern in sizes 20-24. You can either dub the body or make it a thread body. It's up to you.

PMD Ice Emerger
Hook: TMC 101, Dia Riki 310, #18-20
Thread: UTC 70, 8/0 Uni-thread, Brown.
Body: Thread body or dubbing, Hareline Dubin, #24, Cholocate
Tail: Microfibetts, divided
Wing bud: Ice dubbing, U.V. Light Yellow
Thorax: Hareline Dubbin #24, Chocolate.


Thread Ice Emerger

BWO Thread Ice Emerger
Tie On two Microfibetts and split them.

Dub with the color that you want the body to be. This is Hareline Chocolate dubbin.



The wing color for PMDs that I use.

You may have to tie a few to get the amount correct.

Dub onto the tread and make it fairly tight.

With your thumb and index finger, slide the dubbing down the thread so it bunches up on the thread.

Once it is on top of the hook shank, make sure you hold it there with your fingers and make a complete wrap of thread around the hook shank. When you pull down on the thread, the dubbing ball should stay put right on top of the hook shank.

It will not be secure so you will need to make a few wraps to secure it better. I wrap in front and behind as well as use some X wraps.

Just make sure you do not compress the dubbing ball down too much.

Now you can start to dub the thorax area. Do not use too much dubbing here as it will cover up the dubbing ball. You just need enough to cover things up.

Your fly should look like this now, once you tie it off.

PMD emerger

I pumped this from a Snake River Cutt, (yea, I pump). It was feeding hard on emergers and I took him on one of my PMD Ice Emergers. It was a great fish about 18" and solid.

PMD Ice Emerger

Hook: TMC 101, Dia Riki 310, #18-20
Thread: UTC 70, 8/0 Uni-thread, Brown.
Body: Thread body or dubbing, Hareline Dubin, #24, Cholocate
Tail: Microfibetts, divided
Wing bud: Ice dubbing, U.V. Light Yellow

Thorax: Hareline Dubbin #24, Chocolate.