Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters

Sloan's Bead Head Mighty May Callibaetis, Nymph, 16

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Northern California’s Pit River is majestic and wild. On this boulder-laden stretch of richly productive trout water, a fly angler called Dave Sloan was inspired to create the perfect mayfly nymph.

Itching to replicate the notch he observed in the wing case of a local Pit River Baetis, Sloan rushed home to his vise and got to work. Sloan settled on the common turkey feather, and as he says “colored it black, and epoxied it.”

Sloan’s Bead Head Mighty May Callibaetis fly pattern is an extremely effective choice when imitating mature Callibaetis nymphs. It’s got a black bead that’ll give your offering a sweetly seductive underwater profile – not as garish as a shiny gold bead. From the Pit River to your home water, Dave Sloan’s Mighty May Callibaetis nymph’s notched, epoxied wing case still steals the show.

Specifications:

• This fly pattern was developed by Dave Sloan while guiding clients on the Pit River in Northern California
• The Mighty May nymph series is defined by the dark, notched, and epoxy coated wing case
• Callibaetis imitation in the mature nymph life stage
• Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
• Swim the fly through slow water; lakes, backwater, and eddys are the most productive water types for this fly
• Best results during summer months are obtained mid-morning
• When the weather and water temperatures are a bit cooler, look for Callibaetis in the late afternoon
• Callibaetis strikes are often far from subtle because trout must pursue these strong swimmers aggressively
• SIZE 16

When and Where to Fish Sloan’s Bead Head Mighty May Callibaetis

This relatively small mayfly nymph can be fished as either an impressionistic fly pattern when searching for trout or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch. When searching, fish this fly in the still waters of lakes or the slow backwaters and eddys of rivers. Callibaetis are active at mid-morning during the summer months and later in the afternoon once the weather and water temperatures cool off during the fall and winter seasons. Even though Callibaetis are technically crawling nymphs, they happen to possess strong swimming ability. Prior to and during emergence, an angler will find these nymphs darting from weedy cover to hatch. When fishing the Callibaetis hatch, look for darkening wing pads, a sure sign of an impending hatch. The black bead head on this fly will give you a bit more profile and weight. Fish it in deeper riffles, runs, and pools or in situations when water quality is poor.

How to Fish Sloan’s Bead Head Mighty May Callibaetis

Fish this fly in very slow water; lakes, backwaters, and eddys are prime real estate for these large burrowing nymphs. Generally, the slower the water and the weedier the bottom, the more packed with Callibaetis nymphs the environment will be, rendering lakes excellent Callibaetis water. Note that these nymphs will dart about prior to and during emergence, so when fishing this fly pattern in a lake or river environment, don’t be afraid to “swim” the fly during the presentation. Gently move the rod tip up and down or feed line back and forward through the guides with your stripping hand. Always be sure to cast far enough upstream to allow your Callibaetis nymph time to sink; this species almost always inhabits lower portions of the water column. When Callibaetis make themselves available during mornings or evenings, trout prey on them hungrily and voraciously, so don’t be surprised when you feel an aggressive take – set the hook confidently!

Callibaetis

Callibaetis are relatively small mayflies that occur in the famous trout waters of the North American West. In this storied fly fishing region, these insects are widely distributed throughout rivers and lakes, and this broad distribution makes the species and important staple of a western trout’s diet. During the larval stage, Callibaetis spend the balance of their time in the weedy shelter of slow moving water provided by rivers, spring creeks, and lakes. Callibaetis follows the life stages of a typical mayfly life cycle and hatches across the western United States from spring (April) to mid-fall (October).

Callibaetis Nymph Life Stage

During its nymph life stage, these crawlers are most commonly found in the slow water environments of lakes. In river systems, these small-to-medium sized nymphs call low energy backwaters, eddys, and the gentle currents of vegetation-rich spring creeks home. Callibaetis nymphs thrive among the weedy vegetation of these slow and languid aquatic environments, and these nymphs are most vulnerable to trout when they leave their weedy shelter to hatch into winged adult duns. Their swimming ability is relatively strong and these nymphs expose themselves by making adventurous trips away from safety just before emergence and subsequent hatching. Callibaetis is an important hatch on many rivers and lakes. These nymphs are available to trout throughout the Western United States from spring (April), through late summer, and into the fall season (October). When temperatures are warm, these nymphs are most active during mid-morning hours. During the milder months, an angler will find Callibaetis activity later in the afternoon. These olive green or light tan nymphs are easily distinguishable from other members of the Baetidae family by their possession of three dark-colored tails of nearly identical length.

About the Tyer: Dave Sloan

If you find yourself near rivers with names like the Pit, Yuba, Truckee, or the Upper Sac, you probably won’t be too far away from Mr. Dave Sloan, one of Northern California’s better fly fishing resources. In addition to running a legendary guiding service, Dave works and lives in California’s capitol city of Sacramento where he runs a wide variety of educational programs for fly fishers and fly tyers of all stripes. Dave is passionate about the sport of fly fishing and has built a solid reputation in the American West. Dave has licensed several of his innovative fly designs to Umpqua Feather Merchants for wider production and distribution, and his Mighty May nymph series has taken many trout waters by storm! Dave continues to innovate and push the limits of both fly fishing technique and fly tying, so keep an eye out for Sloan’s next wicked fly!

Leland on Umpqua

In 1972 a man named Dennis Black and his fly tying skills found themselves in high demand. Mr. Black, then a professional production fly tyer, was famous in the industry for his unsurpassed skill and speed with whipping up tremendously beautiful and precisely constructed flies. It wasn’t long until this young fly tying superstar realized that he ought to take his consistent approach to quality to the next level. Shortly after this realization, a small army of fly tyers had banded together to support Mr. Black’s vision. With the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack Dennis, and Andy Puyans, Mr. Black was officially in business.

Dennis Black’s new company Umpqua Feather Merchants quickly extended its reach and fly production capabilities with expansion into India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, where the world’s first and full blown “fly tying factories” were built. Since those early days, only the highest standard of excellence has marked Umpqua and this commitment to quality and efficiency continues to spur the company forward. Dennis Black’s innovative vision for “fly production” has truly revolutionized how the fly industry operates and has ultimately made the majority of production flies better. From the first “royalty system” for rewarding the most creative professional fly tyers to streamlining production systems and offering a range of other products, Umpqua Feather Merchants just seems to “do it all.”

Today, Umpqua Feather Merchants is without a doubt the world’s best and most prolific supplier of hand tied fly fishing flies as well as fly tying hooks and materials, and they recently got better! Umpqua’s brand new, state of the art headquarters in Louisville, Colorado marks another paradigm shift in the way fly tying business is done. From its vast warehouse to its specially designed inventory management and tracking system, Umpqua is poised to continue its energetic trajectory and lead the way for the next generation of flies and fly tyers.

Umpqua on Umpqua

"As you may or may not know, we're the largest producer of quality hand-tied flies in the world. We also make available through your local fly shop a wide array of the finest fly-tying hackle and Tiemco hooks.

At Umpqua we offer everything the angler needs to a have a first class fishing experience. (Everything that is, but the water and the fish.)"

Umpqua on Dennis Black and the “Obvious Quest”

“The idea first took shape in the hands of our founder, Dennis Black, back in 1972. As a fast and facile professional fly tyer, Dennis was known for his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each year for the larger mail order houses. But he was also quick to realize how fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of cottage industry types like him.

The Obvious Quest: To create excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards. In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical plan: First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.

Next, Dennis established the first of what would eventually be five separate fly-tying “factories,” first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally in Thailand. The primary focus at each of these factories was on producing the very best fishing flies possible, constructed of the very best materials available. From the beginning, the quantity of flies produced was secondary to the quality and excellence of each fly pattern. These high standards were assured by the personal involvement of the fly designers themselves, and by the ever-increasing skill, imagination and creativity of the Umpqua production fly tiers. Today, you will find no flies more skillfully tied than those available from Umpqua Feather Merchants.

Finally, Dennis created a system of royalty payments, to reward professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely good patterns.

The Result: Today, Umpqua produces umpteen thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic midge imitations to the huge patterns favored by marlin and sailfish. And the "Umpquality" – you’ll see for yourself.”