Yellowjacket

[UC Steve]

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Other than this insect's deserved reputation as a nasty customer, I can think of no other reason it is not a popular bait this time of year, as a lot of them end up in the water & trout love them every bit as much as they do grasshoppers. They are heavy & struggle mightily on the surface film, soon sinking themselves, so trout are used to seeing them drowned.

Yellowjacket

Hook: #8 Mustad R50-94840

Thread: yellow UNI 8/0

Abdomen: bright yellow UNI floss

Rib: black UNI 3/0

Thorax: black rabbit on tying thread dubbing loop

Hackle: yellow dyed grizzly saddle, 3 turns over the thorax

I coat the abdomen with Hard As Nails

[DUBBN]

I was 16 when my father and I fished a creek called Anthracite here in western Colorado. We arrived in the afternoon, and it was hot out. Yellow Jackets were swarming and I have no idea how I didn't get stung. The creek had a good population of Brook trout, with some large Browns now and then. My dad and I fished a couple hours with little luck. Dad switched flies a few times. Finally he put on a Hornburg, which for some reason was dressed with a lot of Yellow. You guessed it, that pattern was the ticket. We were camping so we kept a few fish. Back at the camper we cleaned the fish. They were gorged with Yellow Jackets. All I can think is the Yellow on the Hornburg was enough to convince the Brookies it was a wasp.

Your pattern would have been killer in that situation! I should tie your pattern up. I do not keep fish often, and rarely have opportunity to check their stomach contents. Once in a while I see wasps swarming on the river. That day 40 years ago, I never saw a trout actually eat a wasp, but they were.

Outstanding pattern Steve. Great technique. Your post jogged my brain to some fond memories.

Thanks,

Wayne

[tie2fish]

A most excellent imitation, Steve. Thanks for sharing. If I'm not mistaken, there is at least one wasp pattern in Lance's collection of his father's flies, so they must be effective under the right conditions.

[UC Steve]

Dubbin, great anecdote. And says a lot about the conditions in which we find wasps in the water. On hot, bright days I've observed them hovering over a birdbath & then plunging in, as if they possess no knowledge of water. I'm not sure the reason for the behavior. The pattern is a great searcher here, late July into early September.

tie2fish, that Mr. Hidy was observant enough to come up with a wasp pattern indicates to me that his time on the water was probably well spent.

Thanks for the kind words guys.

[William Anderson]

I don't believe I've ever fished a wasp or yellow jacket pattern, nor have I been in a position to see them taken on the stream either. But I'm not stupid (debatable). I can appreciate that there is a time and place for most things and I should probably have something around in the event.

[UC Steve]

William, you probably won't see one being taken. You see one struggling on the film & you wonder why trout aren't exploding on it. Like Dubbin, I've never seen one taken, though I have found a lot of them in the stomachs of summer trout. We see them every evening here, hunting sedges over the river. They grow very aggressive in the heat, grabbing more than they can carry. I observed one bumbling over the water with a caddis under 'each arm', which proved too much weight, & it dropped into the water rather than release its catch. Big trouble. You fish this one on faith.

Walked down to the river & caught 2 nice trout on a Yellowjacket tonight, but the pics proved too large to post here. I'll put them up on SHJ, along with a little more on this.

Steve

[gingerdun]

Steve,
You initiated a lively string here with your handsome pattern. I loved Dubbn's account of the trout bellies full of wasps.
Here are those flies from dad's wallet that Bill was remembering.
Lance

[William Anderson]

Always a joy to see this wallet. Thanks, Lance.

[letumgo]

This thread is exceptional, on multiple levels. Thanks Steve, Wayne and Lance.

[UC Steve]

Lance, thank you for sharing this. I can't even begin to explain to you the extent that Pete's approach has affected my angling life. I find it intriguing, but not surprising, that the old man was onto the value of fishing this insect wet during an age when most fly boxes held only mawkish dry versions like the McGinty. If this page from Pete Hidy's fly wallet aint enough to convince William, I took another walk down to the river this evening & fished the Yellowjacket for an hour (until the smoke got to me) & released two fine trout (like last night), & lost a third when it jumped & threw the hook. Set the camera so the pics fit here, this time.

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