# Closed out the year on the Mad



## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Water was a bit high from the recent rain last Wednesday, but it was still a day of fishing. Better than a sharp stick in the eye any day. I caught a few on a nymph rig, the nymph that claimed the fish was a double beaded black stonefly attractor I came up with. It used a standard copper bead at the head but a hot spot chartreuse bead behind it. The other fish I got took a size 6 rusty brown sculpin. Strikes on the sculpin were not frequent but violent.

Best nymph victim










Best sculpin fish










This little guy had a rough encounter not too long ago


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## kayaker189 (Feb 20, 2014)

Nice dude, I went yesterday and did well on the prince nymph they were all little guys though. Question when you are using streamers do you cover a lot of water or are you targeting certain areas?


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## FL-boy (Feb 12, 2013)

I'd be curious to see the stonefly attractor you mentioned, sounds interesting! That's where I normally do most of my fishing. PM me and we can try to get out sometime maybe. Always willing to learn from another angler, especially when they tie flies like you!


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

I always found in the winter is when i do best with stonefly flies. After dozens of trout unlimited seinings , i can tell you there are not very many stoneflies in the mad and a 45 degree bright sunny day will bring a decent hatch of them. #16 and black. Also a good time to use a prince nymph


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

FL-boy said:


> I'd be curious to see the stonefly attractor you mentioned, sounds interesting! That's where I normally do most of my fishing. PM me and we can try to get out sometime maybe. Always willing to learn from another angler, especially when they tie flies like you!


I don't have a pic of the fly handy, I'll try to remember to take one tonight. It's patterned a lot after the 20"er stonefly pattern popular out west.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

kayaker189 said:


> Nice dude, I went yesterday and did well on the prince nymph they were all little guys though. Question when you are using streamers do you cover a lot of water or are you targeting certain areas?


I worked downstream fishing the deeper side of the river. Casted across the current, gave a mend or two to help let the fly get down, then stripped back with short abrupt strips as the fly swung downstream.


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## kayaker189 (Feb 20, 2014)

Ok thanks , also cream in this weather should I go natural or bright attractive colors? I have some black,olive rabbit strip cone heads or a cone head autumn splendor type pattern.


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## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

those are some nice fish there!! nice job


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

FL-boy said:


> I'd be curious to see the stonefly attractor you mentioned, sounds interesting! That's where I normally do most of my fishing. PM me and we can try to get out sometime maybe. Always willing to learn from another angler, especially when they tie flies like you!


I snapped a couple of pics of one of them last night with my phone.










From underneath you can see the hot spot bead pretty easily.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

kayaker189 said:


> Ok thanks , also cream in this weather should I go natural or bright attractive colors? I have some black,olive rabbit strip cone heads or a cone head autumn splendor type pattern.


I usually follow the "bright skies bright flies, dark skies dark flies" idea. This day we fished, the water was very cloudy and running fast, so I used the darkest sculpin I had. It was a rusty brown color, I thought it would be a little more visible to the fish than the olive version. My favorite dirty water streamer in WV is a Gonga pattern in black/purple, which I started out that day throwing on the Mad. No strikes on it, went to the sculpin later on and caught fish.


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## FL-boy (Feb 12, 2013)

Thanks for the pic Cream, I see why you call it an attractor now.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

FL-boy said:


> Thanks for the pic Cream, I see why you call it an attractor now.


This is the best SBS of the 20"er pattern. I used this stone in CO in the fall of 2014 and caught a lot of trout on it. Great pattern. 

http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/details.cfm?parentID=28


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## V Fisher (Nov 28, 2009)

I cant help to think why are you closing out your year with temps in the 40's this weekend I will probability in the river


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## FL-boy (Feb 12, 2013)

I assume he meant closing out 2015. I definitely plan on fishing the Mad in the month of January!


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

FL-boy said:


> I assume he meant closing out 2015. I definitely plan on fishing the Mad in the month of January!


Yea, this.


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