Of all the quarterly boxes we've put together, this might be one of our favorites. Our goal for this box was to build something that would work just as well on high country cutthroat as it will for wild fish on a freestone river. Consider this your swiss army box, able to do it all wherever you plan to fish this summer.
1. Chubby Chernobyl—#8
2. Yakoda Chimera—Cinnamon #14
3. Elk Hair Caddis—Black #14
4. Yakoda Classic Beadhead Bugger—Olive #10
5. Zebra Midge—Black #18
6. Yakoda Green Machine—#16
7. Beadhead Scud—Tan #16
8. Mosquito—#16
9. Soft Hackle Hares Ear—#14
10. RS2—Grey #18
Ice-off at high country lakes is one of the best times to chase hungry brook trout and cutthroat. This mix of flies will cover the most common buglife found at lakes around the country. Everyone loves fishing dries and dry-dropper rigs, and you can pair either the Yakoda Chimera or larger Chubby Chernobyl with any of the nymphs in this box as your dropper. A personal favorite would be the Green Machine, Zebra Midge, or Beadhead Scud, fished anywhere from 18” below your dry to 3-4 feet below, depending on the depth of the lake. Best results will come when you’re fishing these flies over a weed bed.
Switching up tactics, stripping the Classic Beadhead bugger with the Green machine trailing behind (like a dropper) 24”-30” can be highly effective. Cast perpendicular to the bank—ideally right to a spot where the depth drops off— give the flies a few seconds to sink, and begin stripping the flies back in. The fish will often see the beadhead but commit to the smaller fly. Until you figure it out what works, try different stripping rhythms to induce the eat.
If you’re new to stillwater fishing, or just need a refresher, check out this series of posts for some valuable intel:
Stillwater 101—Part 1: The Basics
Stillwater 101—Part 2: Techniques and Bug Life
Stillwater 201—Putting it All Together
If you’re hitting local creeks and rivers, here are some ideas for how to fish this box. Fish the dries and dry-dropper setups as mentioned above. If you’re seeing fish rising, mix the bugs up a bit and pair the Black Elk Hair caddis with the smaller Mosquito for a double dry combo. An if you’re seeing fish sip vs. aggressively rising for dries, tie on the Grey RS2 or the Soft Hackle Hares ear below any of the dries to mimic the emerging bugs those fish are eating right below the surface. A lot of times when you think you’re seeing risers, the action is actually happening just an inch or two below the film at the surface.
If you want to nymph a deep pool or run, pair the Green machine and Soft Hackle Hares Ear or the Classic Bugger + Green Machine combo 18-24” under an indicator.
Wherever your plans take you this summer, have confidence that the bugs in this box will work. Mix things up as you see fit as well. Experiment and have fun. Thanks for being a member of the Yakoda Fly Club, we appreciate you!
