FLY SPOTLIGHT - What we currently can't keep enough of in our boxes.

The Shop Vac

For such a simple pattern the shop vac seems to deliver in every season and is one of my go to flies.  It is essentially a zebra midge with pearl midge flash, white zelon etc. that supposedly represents the air bubble of small emerging bugs.  I’m not sure about all that, but I am absolutely sure that this thing works!  It, like a zebra midge, imitates a midge pupa or other small larva, cranefly, baetis nymph etc.  I have most recently been using it in olive green to imitate the caddis larva that our local waters are currently full of.  I like to tie mine with peacock herl at the thorax as opposed to dubbing, but that is just my preference.  For the past several weeks on guided trips I have started my clients on nymph rigs in the morning hours and on pretty much every rig I have tied on a shop vac with something like a stonefly or pheasant tail as the top fly with the shop vac on the bottom.  Easily 80% of the fish have been on the shop vac and when the bugs start really hatching I go to a dry fly.  You better believe if I dropped something off of the dry it’s been the shop vac as of late, and the takes continue.  I have tied them in many colors but I personally like olive, black and red.  If you don’t have shop vac’s in your box you better change that, and trust me you won’t regret it.