This is my go-to Stillwater fly and as we approach winter, I thought I would share it with the fly fishing community. I call it the Red Eyed Roach. It’s a cross between a papa roach and a red eyed damsel and to say the least it’s awesome. You can fish it as a nymph on a size 8 dry or in a stream on a size 12 dry, it is just so versatile.
Materials
-zonker-your choice
-plastic eyes-red
-dubbing-your choice
-size 8-12 dry fly hook
-any thread
-lead wire
-scud material
1. Tie in red plastic eyes and invert them; then add about 5-6 wraps of lead wire and apply super glue to stop them.
2. Take the thread back just before halfway. Select your desired colour and length of zonker strip and cut it so that it is just short of the hook eye. Then add a nice ball of dubbing to form the body, which should be from just behind the eyes to where the zonker is tied.
3. Then pull the zonker tight and tie it in securely, and if you want, add some super glue for extra.
4. Cut a bunch of light olive elk hair half the Width of your finger and stack it and tie it in to form a wing case behind the eyes.
5. For the final step, I tie in some black scud material (not necessary) and dub the head and pull the scud tight and tie it in. Then I whip finish and trim the excess material, and then it is ready to go.
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