Scuds

Jon Baiocchi Reports on 11.17.2016

Hey ALL,  I have no report as I have not been on the water in the last week, but here’s an article I wrote on Gary LaFontaine’s Roll Over Scud pattern. - J.

Gary LaFontaine thought so far outside the box, that the box did not even exist. I’ve always admired Gary’s approach to solving fly fishing’s tough questions of why. He would first study as much written literature as he could possibly find on the subject, then take that knowledge to the water and execute. Sometimes he would put on the scuba gear and slip underneath the currents while a colleague made drifts, looking at how the trout reacted to a new pattern. Gary’s Roll Over Scud is an incredible fly that has some lively action to it that gets the attention of large trout in still water conditions. A piece of lead wire is tied directly on top of the hook shank and hides underneath the added materials. When stripping the fly it swims upright, but on the pause, it rolls over due to the top heavy design. This creates a trigger mechanism for the fish, and they react by changing course and intercepting the fly. Genius.

My fascination with freshwater shrimp began in the mid 90’s when I started to fish Eagle Lake. Back then the water was much higher than today, like 15 feet! The scud beds during that time were phenomenal and rich with life. I wish I would have had Gary’s Roll Over Scud back then; it could have increased my catch ratio. 2 years ago I discovered fresh water shrimp at Lake Davis, which was new to me. The Roll Over Scud has proven effective at the lake in a size 16.

I’ve modified Gary LaFontaine’s pattern a bit, something I usually do just to add my own flair. First I use a Ziploc plastic bag for the shell back so it looks juicy and succulent. Secondly I add some ice dubbing in the mix, when this pattern rolls over, the ice dub flashes like a neon sign saying “eat me!” Be sure to pick out the dubbing between the ribbing to add more translucently. Standard colors include brown, olive, pink (freshly molted), and orange (pregnant female full of eggs).

Recipe:
Hook - TMC 2457 #12-16.
Thread - 6/0 color to match.
Tail/Feelers - Jay Fair Schlappen hackle.
Lead - size .025
Dubbing - color to match with ice dubbing mixed in.
Rib – Thread twisted with a dubbing tool into a single strand.
Shell Back - Ziploc bag.