No Fly-By-Night Product

Every generation or so a fly pattern emerges from the thousands of new flies and joins the ranks of such legendary all-purpose patterns as the Royal Coachman, Adams, Elk Hair Caddis, Pheasant Tail Nymph and the Muddler Minnow.

Such a pattern is the Stimulator, created by Randall Kaufmann of Portland and now used widely by fly fishers.

The Stimulator, depending on the version, can simulate stoneflies, caddisflies, grasshoppers and, at times, even mayflies.

Six of the seven Stimulator versions have orange thoraxes. The seventh has an amber thorax. It may be the orange of the thoraxes that has something to do with the success of the pattern. Amber, incidentally, is yellowish-orange.

Most of the Northwest’s fly fishers who fish streams and even some who fish still waters wouldn’t leave home without a good supply of Stimulators. Guides love the pattern because it catches fish for their clients.

Kaufmann’s pattern is in a class by itself because it deceives wary rainbows, cutthroat, brook and brown trout, as well as steelhead. It will even take bass and other spiny-rayed species.

Almost certainly, many Northwest fly fishers who are tying patterns for this year’s fishing are tying Stimulators.

They’ll be casting Stimulators when the olive-bodied Skwalla stoneflies start hatching in March along the Clark Fork River and Rock Creek in the Missoula area.

The Skwalla, one of the important pre-runoff insects that trout relish, is a relatively small stonefly. A Stimulator tied on a No. 10 hook is ideal to deceive the fish.

The fly fishers also will tie Stimulators to suggest the 2-inch-long Pteronarcys californica (salmon fly) that will hatch along numerous Northwest streams, including Rock Creek, Big Hole and the Madison in Montana and along the Henry’s Fork and other Idaho streams, in May, June and July.

Excellent salmon fly patterns, including the improved Sofa Pillow, Whitlock’s Adult Stone and the Henry’s Fork Stonefly, have been created, but a No. 4 orange-bodied Stimulator, with the elk hair wing somewhat flattened, will take trout just about as efficiently as patterns created especially for the salmon fly hatches.

The Stimulator also is an ideal pattern to use when the golden stoneflies hatch in June along numerous Northwest rivers. Fly fishers tie yellow-bodied Stimulators on Nos. 8 and 10 hooks. The Stimulator is just as effective as patterns developed to imitate the golden stones.

The Stimulator has a silhouette similar to that of the Elk Hair Caddis, created by Al Troth of Dillon, Mont., and one of the best known caddisfly patterns in the world. Now the Stimulator is widely used to simulate various caddisflies, including the big “traveling sedges” of British Columbia.

Scores of patterns have been used to suggest the traveling sedges. Many, including Mitch’s Sedge, are exceptionally productive when the big caddisflies are hatching.

But olive-bodied Stimulators, tied on Nos. 6 and 8 hooks, are just as effective, many fly fishers believe, as the older patterns. Big Kamloops rainbows in British Columbia’s trophy lakes will smash Stimulators so hard that they often break tippets.

The black Stimulator is an excellent imitation of the black caddisflies that hatch on many Northwest lakes, including the trophy lakes in Canada.

Dave’s Hopper, created by nationally known Dave Whitlock, is generally conceded to be the premier hopper pattern. Several other hopper patterns, including Joe’s Hopper and the Madam X, also are widely used. But a high percentage of the Northwest’s fly fishers cast the yellow-bodied Stimulator when hoppers fall into Northwest streams in July, August and September.

Like the patterns developed especially to imitate grasshoppers, the Stimulator’s silhouette resembles that of hoppers. The lack of legs on the Stimulator doesn’t seem to be a major drawback.

Because the Stimulator floats well, steelheaders who cast dry flies are now using versions tied on large hooks. The black and orange-bodied versions are especially popular.

The Stimulator may never be as popular as the Royal Coachman, but, judging by its acceptance by fly fishers, it will be around for many years. That’s not true of the thousands of patterns created each year and soon forgotten.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos

MEMO: You can contact Fenton Roskelley by voice mail at 459-5577, extension 3814.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Fenton Roskelley The Spokesman-Review