A Classic Fly - The Picket Pin

"Give me a brace of wet flies on the Lower Beaverkill on the second week of May and you can have the rest of the world, I won't need it" The reported words of an old time Catskill fisherman circa 1930's

The first time that I saw this fly I had to have it. Then I had to tie it and it may have been one of the first "pattern" flies that I ever tied. And I caught trout with it using that stout fiberglass rod that could have doubled for pole vaulting. And my "method" was to cast 3/4 downstream and then strip it back which would usually drive the stockers crazy!

But as the years went by and skill level increased and my understanding of aquatic entomology improved I began to leave this critter out of my fly boxes. "Just an attractor fly" I would think and not something a hatch matcher would want to use. But it looks sooooo buggy it has to match something. That something may be the damsel fly and dragon fly nymphs. These nymphs, especially the damsels, hatch en mass on sunny days in late May or early June by crawling to the shore or to rocks or logs that protrude above the surface. The Picket Pin looks a lot like that dark, drab nymph.

Hook - standard nymph hook. I like a size 12

Tail - brown hackle barbs (the traditional recipe calls for this but it won't make a difference if you skip it)

Body - peacock herl, about four swords

Hackle - brown palmered hackle (don't go overboard with the hackle. A size smaller and sparsely dressed will do)

Wing - Grey squirrel tail. Don't use too much. I've used red squirrel too and it works.

Head - peacock built up over the base of the wing.

I don't build weight into this fly and would NEVER befoul this classic tie with a bead head but I would use a micro shot about 8 inches above the fly if I had to.

We are one month beyond the shortest day on the year and have gained about 32 minutes of daylight. EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS. In another 30 days the sap lines will be out in the sugar bush and we will have turned a corner.

Think Spring,

Ken