Why the TJ Hooker Fly Pattern Just Works
You won't find many fly boxes in the particular West that don't have a tj hooker fly pattern tucked away inside a corner someplace, usually looking a bit pummelled plus bedraggled. It isn't the prettiest fly in the world—in fact, it's totally ugly compared to those delicate dried out flies or intricate perdigons—but it's a good absolute workhorse whenever the water is usually high, cold, or just plain pushy. If you're looking with regard to a fly that will looks like a meal and gets right down to the fish fast, this is your own bug.
I actually remember the 1st time We tied one upon. I was angling a tailwater throughout a period of high release, and the usual size eighteen nymphs were simply getting lost within the chaos. A buddy handed me this chunky, rubber-legged thing and informed me to "throw the Shatner. " I had formed no idea exactly what he was speaking about until We saw the fly. It looked such as a Girdle Bug had a run-in along with a disco ball. I tossed it in, and three drifts later, I was hooked in to a chunky rainbow that will had ignored anything else for two hrs.
What specifically is a TJ Hooker anyway?
At its primary, the tj hooker fly pattern is a contemporary evolution of the classic Girdle Pest or Pat's Silicone Legs. It's the stonefly imitation, specifically designed to imitate the big nymphs that live under rocks in fast-moving water. The title is a bit of the joke, of course, nodding in order to the 1980s cop show starring Bill Shatner. Why? Probably because it's "arresting" to the seafood, or possibly just mainly because fly tiers possess a weird spontaneity.
The between this and also a standard Pat's will be the material. While a Pat's uses chenille, the TJ Hooker usually incorporates variegated chenille or some kind of flashy, sparkly body material. It also almost always features a weighty bead head plus lead wire wraps under the entire body. It's meant in order to be a "heavyweight" fly. If you hold one, seems considerable. It's designed to drain like a stone and stay in the strike zone, even if the present is trying its best to press your line in order to the surface.
Why trout can't seem to resist it
Trout aren't always searching for a tiny, microscopic snack. Sometimes, they want a steak. The tj hooker fly pattern signifies that high-calorie food. Since it mimics the stonefly nymph, this triggers a predatory response. Stoneflies are usually big, they're crunchy, and they're the staple for bass in almost any kind of river system with decent oxygen amounts.
Yet it's the hip and legs that really do the work. The rubber legs on this pattern move plus wiggle even when the fly is definitely just sitting there. In turbulent drinking water, those legs are dancing like insane, creating vibrations that fish can choose up with their particular lateral lines. Even if the water is a bit murky, the fish can "feel" this fly arriving. It's also got just enough adobe flash to catch whatever light is blocking down through the particular water column. It's not so very much flash that it scares them away from, but just enough in order to say, "Hey, look over here. "
It's also a tremendously versatile bug. While it's primarily a stonefly, it can pass for a large crane fly larva or perhaps a small crayfish in case you link it in the right colors. It's that ambiguity that makes it so effective across various seasons and riv types.
Exactly how to tie your personal TJ Hooker lures
If you're new to the particular vise, the tj hooker fly pattern is one of the greatest places to begin. It's nearly impossible to mess up due to the fact "messy" actually appears more natural to the fish. You don't need to worry about perfectly pointed bodies or sensitive wings. You just need a big hook, a few thread, and some wiggly bits.
Begin with a long-shank nymph hook, usually a size four through 10. Glide on a brass or even tungsten bead. If you really want it to sink, wrap about 15 in order to 20 turns of lead-free wire behind the bead and shove up within there. This gives the fly the "keel" and assists it get down deep. For that entire body, you want variegated chenille. Coffee and black is the particular classic combo, although olive and dark and even brown and orange work excellent too.
The particular legs are the most important component. You'll want four to six pieces of round rubber legs. Tie some in from the tail, a pair in the particular middle, and also a pair right behind the bead. As a person wrap the chenille forward, just place it around the particular legs. Don't be concerned if they point in weird instructions at first; you can trim all of them to length once the fly is finished. Provide a good whip finish, and you're done. It's a five-minute fly that will catch more fish than some patterns that will take an hour to tie.
The best ways to fish this particular pattern
Angling the tj hooker fly pattern isn't about gewandtheit; it's about depth and drift. You're almost always going to fish this below an indicator. Mainly because it's great fly, you'll require a float that can handle the weight without having sinking. I such as using a big foam indicator or even a New Zealand constructed from wool style if the water isn't too choppy.
The key is to get the fly quickly the bottom. If you aren't occasionally snagging a rock and roll, you probably aren't deep enough. You wish to cast upstream, allow fly sink, and then manage your range to ensure a dead drift. When the fly is definitely directly across from you, pay close attention. Often, trout will grab the stonefly right since it starts in order to "swing" at the end of the particular drift, thinking it's a nymph increasing towards the surface in order to hatch.
Don't be afraid to make use of it as being a "lead fly" in the two-fly rig. I frequently tie a smaller, unweighted nymph about 18 inches behind the TJ Hooker. The heavy stonefly functions as your weight, pulling the smaller bug into the fish's face. It's a deadly combination. In the springtime, I'll run a TJ Hooker along with a small San Juan worm or even an egg pattern behind it, and it's usually sport over for the fish.
When in order to swap colors plus sizes
While the coffee/black combo is the gold standard for the tj hooker fly pattern , it is well worth your time to have a several variations. In the particular early summer, when the Golden Gemstones are getting energetic, I like to switch in order to a tan or golden-yellow version. These types of are a bit brighter and stand out in the clear, summer water. If the river is really blown out plus muddy, I proceed straight to aircraft black. The shape of a black fly is a lot easier with regard to a fish in order to see in "chocolate milk" water compared to any other colour.
As with regard to size, don't become afraid to go big. In high water, a size 4 TJ Hooker is perfectly great. In lower, clearer water, you might want to drop down to a size 10 or 12 to end up being a bit more subtle. But honestly, the whole point of this fly is definitely to be the big, chunky meal.
The particular tj hooker fly pattern may not be the particular fly you display off for your buddies to prove how great of a rate you are, but it'll definitely become the fly you're glad you have whenever the fishing gets tough. It's durable, easy to see, and fish completely like it. Next period you're heading out to a river having a lot of pocket water or weighty riffles, make sure you've got a row of such within your box. They may just save your own day when nothing else is operating.