The Deer Pond Special

The Deer Pond Special

by Jan D. Axtell

Every year, about this time, I take a long look at my fly box. In a typical fishing season, if there is such a thing, mid season is when the gaps start to open up. Flies get sacrificed to stream side trees, lost, and/or retired after landing particularly special fish. The fruits of my April tying sessions start to dwindle shortly after the 4th of July and the old fly box starts looking a little empty. The vacant spots are a reminder that it is time to break out the fly tying vise and fill in the voids as well as spin up a few new patterns that just might bring the big fish of autumn to the net.

This mid season tying session is the perfect opportunity to cross reference my field notes to see what has been working, what hasn’t, and what might be the next best mutation of patterns for given situations. This season’s big winner – so far – has been a bright chartreuse soft hackle. that has been catching lots of rainbow trout not only in Deer Pond, but also in the area streams and rivers as well. There is something about that bright green color that drives fish nuts and whether they think its food, or strike at it out of curiosity or aggression I can’t say. The fact is, they love the fly, and I hate to deny them the pleasure.

In the spring I dressed the fly on a #12 hook with a simple copper wire rib and a Woodcock wing covert feather for the soft hackle collar. This time around I have tied it weighted with a tungsten bead in the thorax as well as in sizes 12, 14, and 16. I believe a smaller fly will work better in the low flow conditions on our summer and fall rivers. I added weight because the fish in Deer Pond seem to be avoiding the warm surface water in favor of the cool depths. Moreover, the chartreuse color is very visible in turbid water conditions.

I think that is what I like about fly tying. It is the fact that you can tweak your favorite patterns to suit your desires, wants, and needs. The more you fish the patterns, the more insight you get on how fish will respond over a wide variety of conditions.

Many of my ”go to” patterns are in a constant state of evolution. If you saw my version of the classic hare’s ear nymph I tied when I was in my early 20’s you would find that it is quite different to those I churn out now in my 40th year; gulp! But that is part of the fun of learning the high art and science of fly tying and I don’t think I would like it as much if I didn’t try new things.

I have decided to call my little chartreuse soft hackle the Deer Pond Special as the feisty rainbows that live in the pond seem to respond to it very well. Moreover, I came up with the color and weighting scheme while tying flies for our guests here at the Lodge, on a whim, with some left over clippings from a chartreuse Zonker strip that I stripped for dubbing. There isn’t anything special about the construction of the fly compared to other soft hackles, but its inception seems to be enough motivation to give it an appropriate name. Add a tungsten bead to it to and the fly will sink like a rock. Throw a shell back over the thorax and soft hackle and you have a nymph. Substitute stiff tailing material, some Wulff Style wings, and a Grade 1 Dry fly hackle and you would probably have a dry fly that Brook trout would attack with reckless abandon in the local small streams. The possibilities are limitless. I love that. The recipe is listed below.

The Deer Pond Special
Hook: 12- 20 wet fly hook
Tail: 3-4 strands chartreuse Crystal Flash®
Rib: Olive/Green wire
Abdomen: Chartreuse dubbing
Thorax: Chartreuse dubbing mixed with Olive Ice Dub®
Hackle: Upper wing coverts from the American Woodcock