Madison Valley Foam Salmonfly
by @sunny
Foam Salmonfly · Dry fly
Orange stonefly over a sagebrush valley
A size 6 foam salmonfly dry in orange and rust with elk hair wing and barred legs, for trout during the western salmonfly emergence.
A big foam salmonfly dry with an orange extended body, a long elk hair wing and barred rubber legs. Rust dubbing shows between the foam segments, a brown hackle frames the thorax, and a yellow foam spot sits up top.
- Pattern
- Foam Salmonfly
- Imitates
- Salmonfly emergence, typically late May into early July on western freestone rivers
- Hook
- size 6
- Tippet
- 2Xrule of three
- Orange extended foam body floats high
- Segmented with rust dubbing bands
- Natural elk hair wing over the back
- Barred rubber legs front and rear
- Yellow foam spot for easy tracking
On the water
A slab of orange foam runs back past the bend like a fat stonefly abdomen. Rust dubbing bulges between the segments, a mottled elk hair wing lies flat over the back, and orange and black legs kick out front and rear. A bright yellow foam dot rides on top.
Slap it tight to the bank where willows hang over a fast run, and let it drift drag-free along the seam. When the big bugs are crawling and flying, a small twitch now and then makes the legs wiggle like a fallen insect trying to right itself.
Foam segmentation is the part to get right. Wrap the thread over the foam with firm, even turns at regular gaps so each segment puffs out the same size and the rust dubbing shows in clean bands.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 2Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Fish on 2X or 3X tippet; the bulky foam and legs twist lighter tippet on the cast.
- Land it hard near the bank and let it sit, then give one short twitch before the drift ends.
- Its float carries a stonefly or beadhead nymph dropper on 18 to 24 inches of tippet.
Where and when
- Water
- Madison River, Southwest Montana
- Hatch
- Salmonfly emergence, typically late May into early July on western freestone rivers
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Freestone rivers, undercut banks, riffles and willow-lined edges
- Also fishes
- Also works as a big attractor through summer on boulder-strewn pocket water, or as the top fly over a dropper nymph.
Also on this water
- SalmonflyJun–Jul
- CaddisJun–Sep
- BaetisApr–May, Sep–Oct
Fished out of Ennis, West Yellowstone and Cameron.
Make it yourself
Intermediate6 materials · 12 steps
- Pattern
- Foam Salmonfly
- Style
- Dry fly
- Hook
- Tiemco 5212size 6
- Thread
- Orange 3/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- UnderbodyRust Antron dubbing
- BodyOrange 2mm closed-cell foam
- HackleBrown saddle hackle
- WingNatural elk hair
- LegsOrange and black barred rubber legs
- IndicatorYellow 2mm closed-cell foam
Details
- Imitates
- Salmonfly
- Colors
- Orange, Rust, Brown, Natural tan, Yellow, Black
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (12)
- Mount the size 6 hook in the vise and start orange 3/0 thread behind the eye, laying a base back to the bend.
- Dub a thin layer of rust Antron along the hook shank to form the underbody.
- Cut a strip of orange 2mm foam about hook-gap wide, and tie it in on top at the thorax with the rear extending about one shank length past the bend.
- Wrap the thread back over the foam and shank in evenly spaced bands, pinching between wraps to form four or five segments, then return forward.
- Dub rust Antron between the segments over the body so the bands show at each joint.
- Tie in a brown saddle hackle at the front third of the shank by the butt.
- Stack and tie in a clump of natural elk hair flat over the back, tips reaching the end of the foam body.
- Tie in a pair of barred rubber legs on each side at the thorax, angling one leg forward and one back.
- Dub a short rust thorax, then palmer the brown hackle forward through it in three or four open turns and tie off.
- Fold the front of the orange foam forward to form the head and bind it down behind the eye.
- Tie a small square of yellow foam on top at the head as an indicator.
- Whip finish under the head and trim the legs and indicator to length.
Proportions (5)
- Extended foam body reaches about one shank length past the bend.
- Elk hair wing tips reach the end of the foam body.
- Hackle fibres about one and a half times the hook gap.
- Rubber legs about one shank length, front pair angled forward, rear pair angled back.
- Yellow indicator roughly the width of the foam body, trimmed short.
Tips (4)
- Cut the foam strip with a slight taper at the tail end so the body narrows like a real stonefly abdomen.
- Stack the elk hair well so the tips line up; an even wing sits flatter and looks neater.
- Use a lighter wrap to set each segment, then a firmer second wrap so the foam does not cut.
- Tie the legs in with figure-eight wraps so they splay instead of lying flat.
Common mistakes (4)
- Over-tightening thread on the foam slices it; snug it just enough to dent the strip.
- Uneven segment gaps make a lumpy body; mark the spacing on the foam with thread before binding.
- A crowded wing pushes the hackle flat; leave space at the thorax before the hair goes on.
- Too much dubbing hides the segments; keep the rust bands thin so the orange foam shows.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 6 · Materials only · 12 flies
$56.65
$4.72 a fly
Includes Tiemco 5212 · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5212$6.50
Thread & wire
- Orange 3/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Rust Antron dubbing$4.50
- Orange 2mm closed-cell foam$7.90
- Brown saddle hackle$11.95
- Natural elk hair$5.50
- Orange and black barred rubber legs$3.50
- Yellow 2mm closed-cell foam$7.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 6 · Materials only · 48 flies
$157.84
$3.29 a fly
Bought separately $166.15 · you save $8.31
Includes Tiemco 5212 · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5212$13
Thread & wire
- Orange 3/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Rust Antron dubbing$18
- Orange 2mm closed-cell foam$19.75
- Brown saddle hackle$47.80
- Natural elk hair$22
- Orange and black barred rubber legs$14
- Yellow 2mm closed-cell foam$19.75
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 6 · Materials only · 144 flies
$400.88
$2.78 a fly
Bought separately $455.55 · you save $54.67
Includes Tiemco 5212 · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5212$35
Thread & wire
- Orange 3/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Rust Antron dubbing$45
- Orange 2mm closed-cell foam$59.25
- Brown saddle hackle$143.40
- Natural elk hair$55
- Orange and black barred rubber legs$35
- Yellow 2mm closed-cell foam$59.25
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 6 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$206.65
$17.22 a fly
Includes Tiemco 5212 · and 18 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5212$6.50
Thread & wire
- Orange 3/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Rust Antron dubbing$4.50
- Orange 2mm closed-cell foam$7.90
- Brown saddle hackle$11.95
- Natural elk hair$5.50
- Orange and black barred rubber legs$3.50
- Yellow 2mm closed-cell foam$7.90
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 6 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$300.34
$6.26 a fly
Bought separately $316.15 · you save $15.81
Includes Tiemco 5212 · and 18 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5212$13
Thread & wire
- Orange 3/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Rust Antron dubbing$18
- Orange 2mm closed-cell foam$19.75
- Brown saddle hackle$47.80
- Natural elk hair$22
- Orange and black barred rubber legs$14
- Yellow 2mm closed-cell foam$19.75
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 6 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$532.88
$3.70 a fly
Bought separately $605.55 · you save $72.67
Includes Tiemco 5212 · and 18 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco 5212$35
Thread & wire
- Orange 3/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Rust Antron dubbing$45
- Orange 2mm closed-cell foam$59.25
- Brown saddle hackle$143.40
- Natural elk hair$55
- Orange and black barred rubber legs$35
- Yellow 2mm closed-cell foam$59.25
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
fly pattern · made
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- salmonfly
- foam salmonfly
- stonefly
- dry fly
- foam fly
- elk hair
- rubber legs
- orange
- rust
- madison
- trout
- freestone