Body: Light cream synthetic fur.
Shellback: Slip from dark mottled turkey tail.
Rib: Tan thread, doubled.
Wing cases: Dark brown feather slip (e.g. pheasant church window dyed dark brown).
Legs: Dark brown feather fibres.
BROWN STONE
Hook: Nymph, sizes 12–16.
Thread: Brown.
Tails: Few fibres brown feather fibres (e.g. dyed partridge).
Body: Medium brown fur or wool.
Shellback: A dark brown quill slip (e.g. dyed goose).
Rib: Brown thread, doubled.
Wing cases: Dark brown quill slip.
Legs: Tips of cock pheasant tail fibres.
YELLOW STONE
Hook: Nymph, sizes 10–14.
Thread: Amber.
Tails: Few fibres mallard dyed yellow-buff or wood duck.
Body: Dull yellow-orange fur or wool.
Shellback: Mallard dyed yellow-buff or wood duck.
Rib: Amber thread, doubled.
Wing cases: Mallard dyed yellow-buff or wood duck.
Legs: Tips of feathers used for wing cases.
MONTANA NYMPH
Hook: Nymph, sizes 2–12.
Thread: Black.
Tails: Black crow quill fibres.
Abdomen: Black chenille.
Thorax: Yellow chenille.
Wing cases: 2 strands of black chenille.
Legs: Soft black hen hackle wound through thorax.
The MONTANA NYMPH is perhaps the best-known artificial stonefly, and catches trout where there are no stoneflies! It is also an excellent catcher of small Atlantic salmon (grilse) in Norway and Scotland. TED TRUEBLOOD’S STONE is very similar, but includes brown instead of black chenille, orange instead of yellow chenille, and has two dark brown goose biots as tails.
Randall Kaufmann devised three great stonefly imitations in which the rib was Swannundaze. This is no longer available, but at the time of writing (2009) the similar Vinyl Rib (US) or Magic Glass (UK) is available. Like Swannundaze, this has a D-shaped cross-section and is ideal for ribbing large nymphs. A natural alternative is to take a dyed goose or swan feather quill and to peel, using a sharp knife or razor blade, a thin section of the outer core. Then trim this to the required width before tying in.
KAUFMANN’S BLACK STONE
Hook: Nymph, sizes 2–12 (Kaufmann recommended 12X long).
Thread: Black.
Tails: 2 black turkey biots.
Abdomen: ½ black Antron, ½ black, purple, claret, red, amber, fiery brown, blue and hot orange angora, well mixed.
Rib: Black Swannundaze (see here).
Thorax: As abdomen.
Legs: 2 pairs black rubber (optional).
Wing cases: Dark turkey, 3 sections coated in Fexament (or other clear flexible glue), tied in with thorax.
Head: As abdomen.
Antennae: 2 black turkey biots.
KAUFMANN’S BROWN STONE
Hook: Nymph, sizes 2–12 (Kaufmann recommended 12X long).
Thread: Tan.
Tails: 2 ginger goose biots.
Abdomen: ½ golden-brown fur, ½ claret, rust, black, blue, ginger and purple angora, well mixed.
Rib: Amber Swannundaze (see here).
Thorax: As abdomen.
Legs: 2 pairs black rubber (optional).
Wing cases: Mottled turkey, 3 sections coated in Fexament (or other clear flexible glue), tied in with thorax.
Head: As abdomen.
Antennae: 2 ginger goose biots.
KAUFMANN’S GOLDEN STONE
Hook: Nymph, sizes 8–14.
Thread: Brown.
Tails: 2 brown turkey biots.
Abdomen: ½ hare’s ear (or the synthetic Haretron), ½ gold, amber, rust, blue and orange angora, well mixed.
Rib: Amber Swannundaze (see here).
Thorax: As abdomen.
Legs: 2 pairs black rubber (optional).
Wing cases: Dark turkey, 3 sections coated in Fexament (or other clear flexible glue), tied in with thorax.
Head: As abdomen.
Antennae: 2 brown turkey biots.
Kauffmann also recommends tying some with a goldhead (see here) behind the eye.
Charles Brooks, author of Nymph Fishing for Larger Trout (1976), devised several