March  Newsletter:  Red  Fox  Squirrel  Nymph  Rob  Fightmaster  Fightmaster  Fly  Fishing    Even  with  all   the  newfangled   fly  patterns  and   fly   tying  materials  available   today,   I  usually   find   myself   sticking   more   with   the   old   staples,   or   at   least   pretty   similar  variations.    And  I  stick  with  them  for  one  main  reason:  They  work!    Created  by  fly  tying  guru,  Dave  Whitlock  in  the  1960’s,  this  fly  definitely  falls  under  the  “old  staple”  category.      

As   disappointing   as   this  may   be   to   some,   the   fly  was   not   named   for   Redd  Foxx  of  Sanford  and  Son  –  you   big   dummy!     Rather,  it   got   its   name   for   the  simple   reason   that   it   is  tied   mostly   from   the   fur  and   hair   of   a   red   fox  squirrel.     It   is   considered  an   impressionistic   fly,  meaning   that   it   is  designed   more   to   look  alive   or   “buggy”   more  than   imitating   a   specific  food   source.     We   also  

lump  these  sorts  of  flies  in  the  categories  of  “attractors”  or  “generals.”    Or  Orvis  likes  to  call  them  “prospecting  flies.”    So  really,  it’s  a  pretty  good  fly  to  fish  anytime  in  the  Smokies,  but  I  think  it  is  at  it’s  best  in  the  early  spring.    I  attribute  that  to  the  abundance  of  Quill  Gordon  nymphs  in  the  water  at  that  time,  as  this  impressionistic  fly  imitates  that  nymph  as  well  as  any  other  I’ve  fished.     I’ve  had  a   lot  of  success  with  the  traditional,   light  red  version  of  this   fly,   but   tie   them   in   a   few   other   colors   as  well.     Different   colors  might   better  imitate  other  food  sources  in  the  water,  but  may  also  better  imitate  the  color  of  Quill  Gordon  nymphs  found  in  a  specific  river,  or  even  a  specific  stretch  of  river.        It’s   hard   to   say   just   how   selective   these   trout   can   get   and   how   important   it   is   to  match   the   color   of   the   nymph,   but   I’ve   personally   found   Quill   Gordon   nymphs   in  

Figure  1:  Red  Fox  Squirrel  Nymph  

Little   River   that   range   from   a   light   reddish  color,   to  tan,   to  grey,   to  dark  reddish  brown,  to   olive.     You   can   see   that   the   Quill   Gordon  nymph   in   the   picture   has   more   of   a   dark  reddish   brown   color.     Though   it’s   probably  more   of   a   confidence   thing,   it   seems   that  some  years  a   certain  color   just  works  better  than   another.       I   like   to   fish   double   nymph  rigs  with  two  different  colored  nymphs  until  I  zero  in  on  their  preference.    In   any   case,   these   Quill   Gordon   nymphs   are  pretty  robust,  and  the  beefy  body  on  the  Red  Fox   Squirrel   Nymph   seems   to   suggest   that  better   than,   say,   the   slender   profile   of   a  Pheasant  Tail  Nymph.    And  the  picked-­‐out  fur  body  and  soft  hackle  provide  a  lot  of  subtle,  life-­‐like  movement.    A  close  cousin  to  the  RFSN,   is   the  Gold  Ribbed  Hare’s  Ear  Nymph.    This   is  another  one  of  those  staple  flies  that  is  really  simple  to  tie  and  can  be  found  in  most  any  fly  shop.      I  will  sometimes  fish  these  in  a  tan  or  olive  color  as  an  alternative  to  the  RFSN  or  even  in  tandem  in  a  two  nymph  rig.      

 In   all   cases,   I’m   usually   fishing  these   flies   in   fairly   large   sizes   –  typically   in   the  #14   -­‐  #10  range.    As   the   season   progresses,   I’m  more   likely   to   fish   them   in  smaller   sizes   and   lighter   colors.    They  can  be  purchased  or  tied  in  beadhead   or   non   beadhead  versions.    The  non  beadhead  will  typically  have  lead  wire  wrapped  around   the   hook   under   the  materials.     I   personally   like   the  look   and   profile   of   the   beadless  version   better.     But   that’s   just  one   man’s   opinion.     Try   them  both  and  tell  me  what  you  think!  

Figure  2:  Quill  Gordon  Nymph  

Figure  3:  Gold  Ribbed  Hare's  Ear