There's just nothing like watching the gentle, sipping rises of hungry
trout quietly gorging themselves smack in the middle of a
Trico
hatch. This sublime moment is precisely why Colorado-based professional
fly fishing guide and fly designer, Jim Cannon, drew up the plans for
his brilliant little
Trico dun imitation.
Cannon's Snowshoe Dun
Trico is a wicked imitation of a
Trico
mayfly in the winged adult or dun life stage. It employs the naturally
water-repellent material properties of snowshoe hare fur for extremely
delicate presentations and a high float. Next time you're looking for
that welcome break to the river's solitude only a
Trico-hungry feeding trout can provide, make sure you've got one of these on the end of your line.
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was designed by Jim Cannon, a professional Colorado-based fly fishing guide and fly designer, and includes naturally water repellent snowshoe hare fur for high floatation and subsequent visibility in the drift
- Trico imitation in the dun life stage
- These bugs are active in the spring from July to October
- Use as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch during a hatch of winged adults
- Fish on a dead drift in medium and slow water; slow-moving eddys can be extremely productive areas
- Best results early in the morning or later in the evening
- Minimize surface commotion in clear or shallow water by using long leaders and light tippet
- Giving the fly a few twitches during the drift can simulate the final moves of a newly hatched adult before they take off to find a mate
- Trico duns are an important nutritional source to trout when when they are available, so be sure to bring a solid dun imitation with you when fishing a hatch
- SIZE 20
When and Where to Fish Cannon's Snowshoe Dun Trico
This mayfly dun can be fished as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch. Trico
duns are numerous in the western United States, and are also quite
active in great numbers in the eastern states. Upon emergence and
subsequent hatching, these classic mayflies will move some distance
from faster, choppier riffles to slower water. When trout are keyed in
on spent Trico duns, look for
the gentle, sipping rises of feeding fish and cast your fly to these
areas of subtle yet consistent activity. This bug will yield the best
results in areas where duns are visible along the surface film in the
main drift. Slow-moving eddys below faster riffles and runs often
collect large numbers of these adult mayflies and are prime spots for
hungry trout during and after an intense hatch. Tricos are typically active the morning and evening hours throughout the summer (July) and into the fall season (October).
How to Fish Cannon's Snowshoe Dun Trico
Fish this fly on a dead drift through medium to slow water below faster
riffles and runs. Always be careful to make sure your offering is
riding high in the surface film, the zone where duns sit. When fishing
this fly pattern in shallow water of good to excellent clarity, be very
careful not to disturb the holding trout. Be sure to select a longer
leader with lighter diameter tippet material; creating too much
commotion on the water’s surface with heavy or otherwise inappropriate
terminal tackle can spook wary trout. Adding a few twitches to the rod
tip during the drift can simulate the final movements of an adult
mayfly before it takes off for nearby vegetation to find a mate. Trico
duns can be an important part of a trout's day when the hatch is heavy,
so be sure to bring a solid dun imitation when headed out to fish a
Trico hatch.
Trico
Tricorythodes, or more simply “Trico,”
is a small mayfly that occurs in the famous trout waters of the North
American West as well as in the small spring creeks and rivers of the
northeastern United States. These olive and dark brown mayflies follow
the life stages of a typical mayfly life cycle and are sturdy looking
crawler nymphs with three tails and quite conspicuous triangular gills.
During the larval stage, Tricos
spend the balance of their time in the weedy shelter of slow moving
water provided by backwaters, eddys, and spring creeks. The larger
males of the species hatch before sunrise and are often lost upon fly
anglers fishing a Trico hatch. Fly fishers subsequently must focus on the smaller females, which are active throughout the morning hours. Tricos
can be found in western waters from early summer (July) to late fall
(October). In eastern waters, the season is a bit shorter, typically
ending in September.
Trico Dun Life Stage
These tiny winged adult mayflies hatch regularly during the late summer
and early fall, making them an important staple in a trout's diet.
These duns typically range in color from olive to a grayish blue. Their
wings are a milky white and are very upright, making these otherwise
very small bugs more easily and readily visible. These mayflies are
also easily identified by their three long tails. Females of the
species hatch after the males, who are typically active before
daylight, and are often much fatter looking than the more slight males
of the species. When fishing these bugs, look for calmer stretches of
water below riffles and longer runs. These are prime areas for Trico emergence, but be sure to approach with care as trout are often quite spooky in these areas of low and minimal cover.
About the Tyer: Jim Cannon
Following one’s dreams is the path to success and riches, and Jim
Cannon has never compromised his dreams. Whether it was helping the
homeless in Denver, Colorado or eventually starting a fly shop with a
friend in the late 1980s, Mr. Cannon has chased his passions. Today, he
still runs a popular guiding business in Colorado and designs fly
patterns for Umpqua Feather Merchants, where he has found success in
marketing some of his well designed and successful fly patterns. He is
a Federation of Fly Fishers certified casting instructor and he
continues to provide the fly fishing community with his knowledge,
experience, and love of chasing his dreams.
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.”