$1.75

A very successful trout fly pattern, the "lightning bug" has become more widely recognized in the past few years. The fly's originator, Larry Graham of Kirkland Washington, developed the pattern in the 1992 season, with the final version emerging in 1993. Larry Graham is a noted northwest fly tier, and Yakima River guide. His very fine flies are exquisitely prepared.
The introduction of brass beads for weighting nymphs was the beginning of the Lightning Bug. It was immediately apparent that the bead headed nymphs got into the fishes feeding zone much quicker than traditional weighted nymphs. Successful use of flashy materials (namely Flashabou) in the design of nymph patterns began to expand. Larry used the Flashabou as ribbing in his earliest bead head nymphs. The thin material seemed to be productive but was less than durable. The addition of a wire rib to protect the flashabou changed pretty quickly to wrapping the entire abdomen with the flashabou and ribbed with the copper wire. Another flashy pattern, favored by western guides, the "flashback pheasant tail nymph" was used by guides and clients across the country. Larry searched for a material that would be more durable and quicker to tie, as his clients used the Lightning Bug with great success. He found pearlescent mylar on spools, which worked very well not only for the different widths available but also for the green color realized when wrapped on the hook. The appearance of new colors and holographic versions of flashabou were integrated into the patterns design

Product Code: THEG5