No one is
more familiar with these finicky feeding habits on the Yampa River than
longtime guide and fly tyer, Paul Russell. In fact, one selective trout
in particular, the "Rotary Park Trout," named for the stretch of river
he inhabited, was considered "uncatchable" by folks who fished the
Yampa regularly. Uncatchable the Rotary Trout was, that is, until
Russell developed a fly pattern specifically for this wily monster.
Russell's Pablo's Cripple
Trico is a phenomenal fly pattern designed to imitate a crippled
Trico
mayfly. The fly's design focuses on the color changes in the abdomen of
emergent mayflies as well as the trailing shuck left behind the bug
during a failed emergence. Give this fly a shot next time you find
yourself scratching your head as your flies float past that supremely
selective trout.
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was developed by Paul Russell to fool the wariest trout on Colorado's Yampa River
- The fly focuses its design elements on color differences and a trailing shuck in order to better imitate a crippled emerger
- Trico imitation in the cripple life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Fish this fly on a dead drift in slow water; backwater, eddys, and lazy spring creeks are the most productive water types for this fly
- Determine whether trout are eating sub-surface nymphs or gently sipping emergers and cripples in the surface film
- Best results occur throughout the morning when presenting smaller female imitations
- SIZE 20
When and Where to Fish Russell’s Pablo's Cripple Trico
This
small mayfly cripple 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 and spring creeks. Tricos
are reclusive and are typically only active just prior to their quick
hatch to adult duns. Prior to and during emergence, an angler will
often find many of these cripples hung in the shuck as they try to make
their way from their muddy and weedy cover to hatch into winged adults.
When fishing the Trico hatch, look for darkening wing pads, a sure sign of an impending emergence.
How to Fish Russell’s Pablo's Cripple Trico
Fish
this fly in slow water; backwaters, eddys, and spring creeks are prime
real estate for these small crippled emergers. Generally, the slower
the water and the weedier the bottom, the more packed with Trico nymphs and emergers the environment will be, rendering lazy spring creeks excellent Trico
water. Note that these emergent insects do not spend much time
traveling from their homes among the weeds to the water’s surface when
hatching. Trico become quite
vulnerable while actually shedding their nymphal shuck in the surface
film, they spend a lot of time here, so make sure you can determine
whether the feeding rises are for nymphs or crippled emergers.
When fishing a classic Trico
hatch, try to observe at what level in the water column the trout are
actually feeding. If it’s sub-surface, make an upstream cast, throw and
upstream mend, and dead drift a small emerger or cripple right down the
feeding lane. Males generally hatch before the sun comes up, so most
fly anglers miss out on these bugs, but females are active throughout
the morning hours. Due to egg-laying patterns, Tricos
hatches often overlap, ultimately extending the emergence period for
several hours during the morning – these hatches can be prolific and a
good angler will always be prepared with a box of Trico nymphs, emergers, cripples, duns, and spinners.
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, Trico
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 Cripple Life Stage
During
its nymph life stage, these crawlers are most commonly found in the
slow water environments of backwaters, eddys, and the gentle currents
of vegetation-rich spring creeks. Trico
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,
rendering their emergence prime time for feeding trout. Their swimming
ability is relatively strong and these hatching nymphs expose
themselves by making adventurous trips away from safety just before
emergence and subsequent hatching. They are most exposed, however, upon
their lengthy emergence itself; many of these nymphs are crippled
during emergence, hung in the shuck and remain in the surface film for
long periods, rendering them perfect targets for hungry trout.
About the Tyer: Paul Russell
Some
anglers are so observant of their fly fishing environments, they become
almost as instinctively connected to what's going on as the resident
trout they pursue with flies of feather and fur. Paul Russell has
guided clients on the Yampa River in Colorado for years, and he's well
known for his keen observation skills; nothing on a trout river gets by
Paul. In addition to becoming one of Colorado's most respected fly
fishing guides, Russell has also become one of the best modern fly
tyers in the western United States. He is a contract fly designer with
Umpqua Feather Merchants and is most famous for his Pablo's Cripple
pattern.
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.”