Improved Sofa Pillow

HOOK: TMC 200R, sizes 4-8 THREAD: Orange TAIL: Elk RIB: Orange thread or gold wire BODY: Burnt orange yarn or dubbing HACKLE: Palmered brown or furnace WING: Elk HACKLE: Brown or furnace

Uses

Imitates the adult form of the salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica), also known as the giant stonefly. The Improved Sofa Pillow is a traditional pattern still used effectively by many anglers. With all that hackle it floats well and is useful in rough water. My personal preference is for the lower-riding MacSalmon or Clark's Stonefly.

 
The salmonfly hatch is very popular with fly anglers, so if you don't tie the patterns yourself, be sure to fill your fly box with the large sizes before the hatch begins. Once the hatch is underway, eager anglers will clean out the fly bins, and the shops won't restock until the next spring.

Variations

On a slightly smaller hook and with a golden body, the pattern can imitate a golden stonefly.

How to Fish

Stoneflies emerge on land, so adults are not available to trout when the hatch. But they spend several weeks crawling aroun in bankside vegetation looking for a mate. As the day warms up, the adults become active, and in their search for love they are often blown or fall out of overhanging vegetation. Once on the water, they either drown or are eaten by trout (let this be a lesson to you). So the best places to cast a salmonfly imitation are near the bank just downstream or downwind from overhanging vegetation. The river should be 2-4 feet deep, and if it has a rocky, bouldery bottom, so much the better.

 
Near dusk, females salmonflies often gather in hoards, then drop to the river to lay their eggs. This is another fishing opportunity that should not be missed.

 
Standard dry fly presentations are usually used, and the fly is heavily doped with floatant. However, because the salmonfly hatch is so popular with anglers, trout get pounded and soon become wary. A downstream presentation often works best in these circumstances. Also, a skating presentation can sometimes be effective, especially in windy areas.