Brooks Stone

Created by Charles Brooks

HOOK: TMC 5263, sizes THREAD: Black TAIL: Black stripped goose RIB: Copper wire BODY: Black wool yarn HACKLE: Brown and grizzly. Strip the fibers from one side of the feathers, then wrap them together around the front quarter of the hook. Make it bushy.

Uses

Imitates the nymphs of the stonefly, especially the salmonfly (genus Pteronarcys), the immature form of the salmonfly, which is common in most rivers of the West. This fly must be fished on the bottom. Period. So weight it heavily under the body, then flatten the weight with pliers. For extra weight, put on a bead head. Yes, you're going to lose a lot of flies.

 
The Brooks Stone was developed with the idea that your fly will tumble as it drifts, whereas the natural does not. Therefore the fly is tied "in the round" so it presents the same image to the trout all the time and looks more like the natural insect.

Variations

Vary the hook size and color to match other large stoneflies.

How to match other stonefly nymphs

How to Fish

The best areas are bouldery sections, riffles, and just below riffles. Use the indicator or tight line presentations.