Early Black Stonefly
Early Black Stoneflies are among the first insects to hatch each spring, often appearing in February and March before ice is fully off the river banks. On cold, sunny afternoons, fish will sometimes rise to these small, dark adults drifting on the surface. The pattern is simple — a black body and wing — and it's most effective dead-drifted in 4–8 inches of water along the shallows.
- Type
- dry fly (Stonefly)
- Hook sizes
- #14–18
- Target species
- trout
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Best seasons
- spring
Materials
- hook: Dry fly hook #14–18
- thread: Black 8/0
- body: Black dubbing or tying thread
- wing: Black deer hair or black elk hair, tent style
- hackle: Black or dark dun hackle, 2 turns
Tying steps
- Mount a size 14–18 dry fly hook; start black thread and wrap to bend.
- Dub a smooth, slim black body from bend to the 3/4 mark.
- Stack a small bunch of black deer or elk hair; tie in flat as a tent wing at the 3/4 mark.
- Trim the butts to form a head.
- Wind 2 turns of black or dark dun hackle and tie off.
- Build a small head, whip finish, and cement.
- Apply a tiny drop of UV resin to the thread head and cure; this prevents the fine thread from unraveling under repeated use.
- Inspect the wing from above — it should be a tight cigar shape, slightly wider at the back and tapered to the eye.
- Inspect the completed fly — the wing should form a compact cigar shape lying flat over the body, not splayed or bent to either side.