Mop Fly
The Mop Fly is controversial — its body is made from a loop of acrylic car-wash mop fiber, and it catches far too many fish for many purists' comfort. Its soft, bulky body imitates a cased caddis larva, hellgrammite, or grub with uncanny effectiveness. It works almost universally on trout and has proven itself in competition fishing worldwide. Love it or hate it, it catches fish when other patterns fail. Fish it dead-drift on the bottom.
- Type
- nymph (Caddis)
- Hook sizes
- #10–14
- Target species
- trout
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Best seasons
- spring, summer, fall, winter
Materials
- hook: Jig or nymph hook #10–14
- thread: White or color to match 6/0
- bead: 3–4mm tungsten bead
- body: Acrylic car-wash mop fiber (looped and doubled)
Tying steps
- Mount a size 10–14 jig or nymph hook; slide on a 3–4mm tungsten bead.
- Cut a 1-inch loop of acrylic car-wash mop fiber (white, chartreuse, orange, or pink).
- Fold the mop fiber loop in half and mount the folded base firmly behind the bead.
- Secure the mop fiber with tight thread wraps; trim the tag ends even.
- The body should extend rearward 1/2–3/4 of a hook length beyond the bend.
- Build a tight thread head against the bead; whip finish and cement.
- Rough up the mop fiber slightly with Velcro for extra texture and movement.
- Apply a drop of UV resin to the thread wraps behind the bead and cure under UV light.