Copper John

  This month’s fly is the Copper John nymph. The Copper John was created by John Barr of Colorado in the early 1990s to be the dropper fly below a dry fly on a rig called a hopper-dropper. The sole purpose of the fly was to sink quickly and attract the fish which would trigger a reaction strike. It is strictly an attractor pattern that doesn't copy any specific insect. That said it certainly does work better in certain colors and sizes during certain hatches. A large black Copper John works well in early summer when stoneflies are actively crawling around. Small black is for copying BWO's or other small mayflies. Green is a favorite for any early season caddis hatch. While natural copper is the most common color, I very rarely use it. My favorite is black or green in smaller sizes. One of the biggest brook trout I ever caught was on a chartreuse and black bodied Copper John in April. Two-colored bodies are one way to vary this most versatile pattern. Try tying some and let your imagination create your next favorite pattern.

Hook - Daiichi 1710 size 10-18
Bead - Gold to match hook size
Thread - Black
Underbody - Lead free wire(under thorax)
Tail - Goose biot
Body - copper wire
Thorax - Peacock herl
Wingcase - Thin skin, pearl tinsel, opoxy
Legs - Partridge feather fibers