During
his tenure at Hot Creek Ranch, Bob Brooks learned much about
stalking and catching wary trout on dry flies. As he guided
clients along the slow meander of his spring creek, Brooks realized
that trout, when feeding on mayflies, were most often dialed in on the
emergers, rather than the winged adults.
Brooks’ Sprout Emergers are tied to
represent the most common mayflies and are fished throughout the
world’s best fly water. This nifty pattern is tied on a hook with a
severe bend and is finished with a white foam and heavily hackled
thorax for high floatation, allowing the bug to hang on the surface of
the water.
The Brooks’ Sprout Midge Emerger is an excellent
imitation of an emergent Midge in its cripple stage. It’s highly
visible and can be fished effectively on light or heavy terminal tackle
in soft or rough water. Next time you venture to your favorite spring
creek or local lake, pack a row of Sprout Emergers in your fly box and
give them a try.
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was developed by Bob Brooks while seving as river keeper of and guiding clients on Hot Creek, a spring creek near Mammoth Mountain, California
- The Brooks’ Sprout Emerger series is defined by the pattern’s severe bend in the hook shank along with the white foam thorax
- Midge imitation in the cripple life stage
- Fishes effectively in all types of trout water
- Dead drift through slower water and eddies
- Faster riffles and current seams can also be great spots to dead drift a midge larva pattern
- Midges are often most effectively fished when attached as a dropper to a larger nymph or when fished just below the water’s surface with a large dry fly as a strike indicator
- Because of the common and widespread nature of midge species, trout anglers ought to keep a wide selection of midge fly patterns in their fly boxes
- SIZE 20
When and Where to Fish Brooks’ Sprout Midge Emerger
This
midge emerger is most effectively fished as an impressionistic fly
pattern when searching for trout. When searching, fish this fly in all
types of trout environments. Dead drift it through the faster riffles
and current seams of your favorite spring creeks and rivers or lightly
dap it onto the surface of a quiet back eddy or along the shoreline of
sleepy, trout infested lake you like to keep a secret. Because midge
populations are so widespread and so prolific in numbers, a fly angler
can always count on finding a solid selection of midges in the water
they fish. Simply turn over rocks or drag a net through the main
current to find the color and size of the midges in your local water.
Midges are active on water across North America throughout the year and
are an important source of nutrition for feeding trout.
How to Fish Brooks’ Sprout Midge Emerger
Fish
this fly in all types of trout water. Slow water, backwaters, eddys,
and spring creeks are prime real estate for these small midges, so
drift them through these areas to see what action they turn up. These
wormy larvae can also be quite easily caught in the main current, so
don’t be afraid to dead drift a midge pattern right through a
well-defined current seam. Although anglers will find great success on
lots of rivers and lakes with these simple techniques and a single
midge pattern, the most effective use of a midge larva pattern is in
concert with a larger nymph or dry fly. Tie on a midge larva as a
dropper behind your favorite mayfly nymph during a heavy hatch or fish
a midge larva with a large dry fly as an indicator – these strategies
can yield big results!
Midge
Sometimes referred to as “True Flies,” midges are
aquatic insects of the order Diptera, meaning two-winged. Most people
are familiar with the common mosquito which is a midge, and most trout
are familiar not only with the mosquito, but also with the hundreds of
other species of midges that can be found in their watery homes. Midges
are relatively small aquatic insects that can be found in just about
any freshwater (and brackish) environment on the planet, and despite
their diminutive size, the hundreds of species of these mosquito-like
bugs compose a quite significant portion of a healthy trout’s diet.
Midges, like caddis, undergo a complete metamorphosis, and experience a
larva, pupa, and adult life stage within a typical life cycle.
Midge Cripple Life Stage
During
its larva life stage, these small wormy insects are commonly found
throughout the many different types of water where trout are found.
Midge larvae are often transparent and take on hues of color; green,
red, cream, tan, and black are the most common colors for these small
larvae. Midge larvae can be found in large numbers among rocky and
debris littered river bottoms, along the shorelines of lakes, and
floating along the main current of rivers and spring creeks throughout
North America. These relatively defenseless insects are vulnerable to
feeding trout at any point during their life cycle and these simple
larvae can produce excellent results for trout anglers fishing anywhere
in the world.
About the Tyer: Bob Brooks
Throughout
the history of fly fishing, river keepers have played a large role in
assuring the safety and health of aquatic ecosystems that provide
lively environments for trout. River keepers have also played key roles
throughout the history of fly fishing in the development of new and
effective fly fishing techniques, equipment, and flies. Bob Brooks was
one of these river keepers. For several years, Brooks was a staple at
Hot Creek Ranch in California’s Eastern Sierra, where he held the title
of (you guessed it) river keeper.
While guiding clients along
and tending to the long, meandering stretches Hot Creek’s
dry-fly-fishing only section, Brooks was able to develop a new and
wickedly effective approach to stalking wary fish, as well as a line of
fly patterns designed to target selective trout that feed on emergent
mayflies, rather than winged adults. Today, the Brooks’ Sprout Emerger
suite of fly patterns are fished heavily and with success throughout
the world.
Brooks continues to fish heavily in the Yellowstone
region of Montana, throughout Northern California, and wherever else he
can travel with a fly rod. Brooks is a proud member of the Signature
Tyer program at Umpqua Feather Merchants where he designs flies for
production and distribution to anglers fishing fly water in all corners
of the globe.
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.”