In Major League Baseball’s American League, one player in each team’s
line-up is paid millions to do one thing and do it well; the designated
hitter is employed to put runs on the scoreboard. In fly fishing, the Designated Hitter fly pattern is a stonefly
imitation designed to catch big trout – nothing else.
Professional
fly fishing guide and accomplished fly designer and tyer, David Hill,
constructed the “DH” Stonefly during the 1990s while guiding clients in
the Missoula, Montana area, and this highly productive fly pattern is
built to last, cast after cast.
Hill's Designated Hitter - Giant
Black Stonefly (Giant Salmonfly) is a fantastically attractive and
durable imitation of an emergent or adult Giant Black Stonefly. It’s
got rubber legs for the ultimate bug factor, a ragged dubbed body,
closed cell foam butt, and a stiff deer hair wing for visibility and
flotation. When it comes to effective stone fly imitations, this fly
pattern’s got all the bases covered!
Specifications:
- This fly was developed for Umpqua Feather Merchants by well-traveled professional fly fishing guide David Hill
- The fly is constructed with a butt of closed cell fly tying foam, realistic wings, attractive rubber legs, and stiff deer hair for high floatation
- Black stonefly (giant salmonfly) imitation in the adult life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Drift the fly through different water types; faster riffles and shallower water near the banks of a river with moderate to slow currents are the most productive water types for this fly
- Black stoneflies nymphs are available to trout all year long in trout water throughout North America, but are most prolific during the spring months from March through May
- Hatches occur consistently and with long duration throughout the daylight hours
- Strikes on black stoneflies are often far from subtle because trout must often be prepared to rip these strong clingers from their rocky homes
- When approaching a shallow water environment with a stonefly nymph, be extremely careful not to spook happily feeding trout
- SIZE 6
When and Where to Fish Hill’s Designated Hitter - Giant Black Stonefly (Giant Salmonfly)
This
large adult stonefly can be fished as either an impressionistic fly
pattern when searching for trout or as a realistic imitation when
matching the hatch. When searching, fish this fly in riffles, well
defined current seams, areas below faster currents, and near exposed
rocky structure and streamside vegetation. Shallow water near the river
bank will also be productive when fishing a black stonefly hatch, so be
sure to survey the scene thoroughly. These adults do not possess strong
flying ability, however, and are often swept into the main current’s
drift – look for these floating specimens in the main drift as well as
shallower, less energetic water near sheltered areas. Prior to and
during emergence, an angler will easily spot these nymphs crawling from
the rocky depths to the shallower water along the river bank and
eventually to the surface of exposed rocks and vegetation to shed their
shucks and hatch into winged adults – this is the sign to begin fishing
the black stonefly hatch.
How to Fish Hill’s Designated Hitter - Giant Black Stonefly (Giant Salmonfly)
Fish
this fly in a variety of water types; because of their aggressive and
migratory feeding nature, strong crawling ability, and widespread
proliferation in all kinds of trout water, just about anywhere within a
healthy aquatic ecosystem can be prime real estate for black
stoneflies. A popular strategy is to fish these patterns on a dead
drift right through the main current – drifting a black stonefly adult
through faster riffles, current seams, and the slower water just below
these areas can yield excellent results. Stonefly nymphs emerge after
crawling to the safety of the shoreline rather than shedding their
nymphal shucks in the water’s surface film like mayflies. This pre- and
during-emergence behavior renders shallower streamside water quite
productive water for adult stonefly patterns. Black stones make
themselves available throughout the day all year long. Because these
flies are very large, be sure to use terminal tackle that can handle
the size and weight of the fly. Generally a shorter leader of 7 or 8
feet in length and a tippet diameter of 4X will do the trick. Trout
prey on these giant stoneflies hungrily and voraciously, so don’t be
surprised when you feel an aggressive take – set the hook confidently
and with care if you happen to be fishing with lighter leaders and
tippet material!
Black Stonefly (Giant Salmonfly)
The
black stonefly is commonly known, especially in the American west, as
the “giant salmonfly.” This relatively large stonefly enjoys wide
distribution throughout well-oxygenated freestone rivers and streams;
when the ecosystem is healthy, an angler ought to be able to turn a
rock or sift through streamside vegetation and find at least a few of
these clinging nymphs. The black stonefly is deep obsidian in color and
takes on a buggy sheen under light. As winged adults, these stoneflies
loose much of their jet black sheen and develop brilliant orange
accents, especially along their undersides. Giant salmonflies are
easily identified by their long, brown-tipped antennae, long segmented
abdomens, and short pair of darkly colored tails. Populations of these
nymphs are active throughout the year, but can be quite prolific during
the early season from as early as April, with solid hatches often
lasting through the mid-summer month of July.
Black Stonefly (Giant Salmonfly) Emerger Life Stage
During
its nymph life stage, the giant salmonfly is most commonly found in the
medium to fast water of riffles and higher energy current seams. Prior
to and during a hatch, these medium-to-large sized nymphs can also be
found in low energy backwaters, eddys, and other shallow streamside
environments. Black stonefly nymphs thrive among the cool,
well-oxygenated water of rocky riffles and these nymphs are most
vulnerable to trout when they are either swept up by strong currents or
when they leave their rocky homes to hatch into winged adults from the
safety of the shoreline. Their swimming ability is quite weak and these
nymphs expose themselves by making adventurous crawling trips away from
safety just before emergence and subsequent on-land hatching. These
easily distinguishable nymphs are available to trout throughout the
waters of North America on a year-round basis and commonly hatch from
morning to evening hours. Golden stoneflies are another important hatch
on many rivers in North America, and in the west, they are often
associated with the prolific hatches of the giant salmonfly.
Black Stonefly (Giant Salmonfly) Adult Life Stage
After
migration to the foliage and rocks of the shoreline, black stoneflies
shed the remainder of their nymphal shucks and quickly find mates under
the protective cover of streamside vegetation. The fertilized females
will then fly clumsily above the water, quickly darting to the surface
to deposit eggs, making themselves easy targets for aggressive
surface-feeding trout. Many adults will also fall from the safety of
streamside trees, weeds, and other vegetation. These unfortunate bugs
wind up swept along with the main current and will often collect in the
slower water of eddys and along deeper cut banks. Black stoneflies in
their adult stage are easily spotted as they are quite active during
and after their streamside mating time. Adults of the species can be
quite large and take on a distinctive black coloration with bright
orange highlights.
About the Tyer: David Hill
Captain
David Hill is most well known for his Designated Hitter trout flies, a
line of effective fly patterns he designed for Umpqua Feather
Merchants. What most don’t know is that he actually spends over half of
his fly fishing time on the saltwater flats near Oahu, Hawai’i looking
for those silver bullets of the flats, the elusive and magical
bonefish. Even though he more recently discovered his passion for
saltwater fly fishing, David has strong roots in freshwater
environments; he got his start in Ohio chasing big trout and steelhead.
In 1996, he moved to Montana and began guiding professionally. Since
then, David has built his business and has traveled and fished
throughout the world with clients and on his own.
Leland on Umpqua
In
1972 a man named Dennis Black and his fly tying skills found themselves
in high demand. Mr. Black, then a professional production fly tyer, was
famous in the industry for his unsurpassed skill and speed with
whipping up tremendously beautiful and precisely constructed flies. It
wasn’t long until this young fly tying superstar realized that he ought
to take his consistent approach to quality to the next level. Shortly
after this realization, a small army of fly tyers had banded together
to support Mr. Black’s vision. With the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack
Dennis, and Andy Puyans, Mr. Black was officially in business.
Dennis
Black’s new company Umpqua Feather Merchants quickly extended its reach
and fly production capabilities with expansion into India, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand, where the world’s first and full blown “fly tying
factories” were built. Since those early days, only the highest
standard of excellence has marked Umpqua and this commitment to quality
and efficiency continues to spur the company forward. Dennis Black’s
innovative vision for “fly production” has truly revolutionized how the
fly industry operates and has ultimately made the majority of
production flies better. From the first “royalty system” for rewarding
the most creative professional fly tyers to streamlining production
systems and offering a range of other products, Umpqua Feather
Merchants just seems to “do it all.”
Today, Umpqua Feather
Merchants is without a doubt the world’s best and most prolific
supplier of hand tied fly fishing flies as well as fly tying hooks and
materials, and they recently got better! Umpqua’s brand new, state of
the art headquarters in Louisville, Colorado marks another paradigm
shift in the way fly tying business is done. From its vast warehouse to
its specially designed inventory management and tracking system, Umpqua
is poised to continue its energetic trajectory and lead the way for the
next generation of flies and fly tyers.
Umpqua on Umpqua
"As
you may or may not know, we're the largest producer of quality
hand-tied flies in the world. We also make available through your local
fly shop a wide array of the finest fly-tying hackle and Tiemco hooks.
At
Umpqua we offer everything the angler needs to a have a first class
fishing experience. (Everything that is, but the water and the fish.)"
Umpqua on Dennis Black and the “Obvious Quest”
“The
idea first took shape in the hands of our founder, Dennis Black, back
in 1972. As a fast and facile professional fly tyer, Dennis was known
for his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each
year for the larger mail order houses. But he was also quick to realize
how fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of
cottage industry types like him.
The Obvious Quest: To create
excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards.
In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical
plan: First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave
Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the
standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.
Next, Dennis
established the first of what would eventually be five separate
fly-tying “factories,” first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally
in Thailand. The primary focus at each of these factories was on
producing the very best fishing flies possible, constructed of the very
best materials available. From the beginning, the quantity of flies
produced was secondary to the quality and excellence of each fly
pattern. These high standards were assured by the personal involvement
of the fly designers themselves, and by the ever-increasing skill,
imagination and creativity of the Umpqua production fly tiers. Today,
you will find no flies more skillfully tied than those available from
Umpqua Feather Merchants.
Finally, Dennis created a system of
royalty payments, to reward professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty
Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely
good patterns.
The Result: Today, Umpqua produces umpteen
thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic midge imitations to the huge
patterns favored by marlin and sailfish. And the "Umpquality" – you’ll
see for yourself.”
