Tiger Stripe Stonefly Dry Fly
by @dekasso
Chernobyl Ant · Terrestrial
Tiger stripes over emerald canyon water
A size 8 Chernobyl Ant stonefly in orange and blue tiger-stripe foam, with an elk hair wing and rubber legs, for trout on big summer water.
A Chernobyl-style stonefly with an orange body barred in bold blue tiger stripes, held in the vise above a green canyon river. It carries a cream elk hair wing, black barred rubber legs and a short pearl flash tail.
- Pattern
- Chernobyl Ant
- Imitates
- Large stonefly hatches, typically late spring into early summer
- Hook
- size 8
- Tippet
- 3Xrule of three
- Orange and blue tiger-stripe body
- Cream elk hair wing for visibility
- Black barred rubber legs that kick
- Size 8 TMC 5212 dry hook
- Pearl flash tail catches the light
On the water
Orange and blue stripes wrap the body like a tiger's coat. A cream elk hair wing fans back over the top, and black barred legs splay out from the middle. Behind it, red rock walls drop into clear green water.
Drop it tight to the bank in a canyon run and let it ride the seam. A small twitch makes the legs kick. When the big stoneflies are out, this is a bug you can follow down a long drift.
Segmentation is the part to get right. Lash the foam down firmly at the rear and at the wing point so the stripes line up into clean, separate bands.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 3Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Fish on 2X to 3X tippet; the wide body and legs can twist lighter line.
- Cast tight to banks and rock seams and let it drift dead before adding a twitch.
- Hang a small bead nymph 18 to 30 inches below it in faster runs.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Large stonefly hatches, typically late spring into early summer
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Canyon runs, riffle edges and undercut banks
- Also fishes
- Also floats well as the top fly in a dry-dropper rig, and as a hopper stand-in along grassy banks in late summer.
Make it yourself
Beginner4 materials · 11 steps
- Pattern
- Chernobyl Ant
- Style
- Terrestrial
- Hook
- Tiemco TMC 5212size 8
- Thread
- Black 3/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- TailPearl Krystal Flash
- BodyOrange and blue tiger-stripe 2mm closed-cell foam
- WingCream cow elk hair
- LegsBlack barred round rubber legs
Details
- Imitates
- Stonefly
- Colors
- Orange, Blue, Cream, Black, Pearl
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (11)
- Mount the size 8 TMC 5212 in the vise and start the black thread behind the eye, wrapping a smooth base back to the bend.
- Tie in a short tuft of pearl Krystal Flash at the bend, about a third of the shank long.
- Cut a strip of the tiger-stripe foam roughly the width of the hook gap, with a tapered point at one end.
- Lay the foam on top of the shank, tapered end at the bend, and bind it down firmly over the tail tie-in to form the rear segment.
- Wrap the thread forward to the two-thirds point on the shank.
- Pull the foam forward along the top of the shank and lash it down at the two-thirds point to make the main body segment.
- Clean and stack a pencil-thick bunch of cream elk hair and tie it in on top at the same point, tips reaching just past the bend.
- Trim the elk hair butts short and cover them with a few thread wraps.
- Tie in two black barred rubber legs on each side at the wing tie-in point, splayed out in an X.
- Trim the foam head square, leaving it to overhang the eye slightly.
- Whip finish at the wing tie-in point and add a drop of cement to the thread.
Proportions (4)
- Tail: pearl flash about one third of the shank length.
- Body: foam strip about as wide as the hook gap, overhanging the eye slightly.
- Wing: elk hair tips reach just past the hook bend.
- Legs: each leg about one shank length, front and back pairs angled apart.
Tips (4)
- Line the stripes up across the strip before cutting so each segment shows clean blue bars.
- Use firm, narrow thread wraps at each tie-in point so the foam pinches into tight segments.
- Stack the elk hair well; even tips give a neater wing silhouette.
- Stretch the rubber legs slightly while tying them in so they lie flat and kick on the water.
Common mistakes (4)
- Cutting the foam too wide makes a bulky fly that spins; keep it close to the hook gap width.
- Loose tie-in wraps let the foam roll off the shank; anchor it on a firm thread base.
- Too much elk hair hides the stripes; a pencil-thick bunch is enough.
- Trimming the legs too short kills their movement; leave each about a shank long.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 8 · Materials only · 12 flies
$36.25
$3.02 a fly
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 3/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$3.95
- Orange and blue tiger-stripe 2mm closed-cell foam$7.90
- Cream cow elk hair$5.50
- Black barred round rubber legs$3.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 8 · Materials only · 48 flies
$87.83
$1.83 a fly
Bought separately $92.45 · you save $4.62
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$13
Thread & wire
- Black 3/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$11.85
- Orange and blue tiger-stripe 2mm closed-cell foam$19.75
- Cream cow elk hair$22
- Black barred round rubber legs$14
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 8 · Materials only · 144 flies
$210.76
$1.46 a fly
Bought separately $239.50 · you save $28.74
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 8 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$35
Thread & wire
- Black 3/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$31.60
- Orange and blue tiger-stripe 2mm closed-cell foam$59.25
- Cream cow elk hair$55
- Black barred round rubber legs$35
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 8 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$186.25
$15.52 a fly
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$6.50
Thread & wire
- Black 3/0 thread$2.95
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$3.95
- Orange and blue tiger-stripe 2mm closed-cell foam$7.90
- Cream cow elk hair$5.50
- Black barred round rubber legs$3.50
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 8 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$230.33
$4.80 a fly
Bought separately $242.45 · you save $12.12
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$13
Thread & wire
- Black 3/0 thread$5.90
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$11.85
- Orange and blue tiger-stripe 2mm closed-cell foam$19.75
- Cream cow elk hair$22
- Black barred round rubber legs$14
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 8 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$342.76
$2.38 a fly
Bought separately $389.50 · you save $46.74
Includes Tiemco TMC 5212 · and 16 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Hooks & beads
- Tiemco TMC 5212$35
Thread & wire
- Black 3/0 thread$17.70
Materials
- Pearl Krystal Flash$31.60
- Orange and blue tiger-stripe 2mm closed-cell foam$59.25
- Cream cow elk hair$55
- Black barred round rubber legs$35
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
How it was made
1 iteration led here; the saved one is marked
1 Saved
Remixes
2 steps back
- Red Canyon Foam Cicada@dekasso · the original
- Tiger Stripe Stonefly Dry Flyyou are here
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“make the body orange and blue tiger stripe”
fly pattern · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- chernobyl ant
- stonefly
- dry fly
- terrestrial
- tiger stripe
- orange
- blue
- elk hair
- rubber legs
- trout
- canyon
- dry dropper