[Olive bugger]

Found someone that suggested the sofa pillow as a substitute.
I only know a pattern of chenille and rubber legs. Might try
the sofa pillow or stimulator pattern.

 

[The Drifter]

Are you asking when and where? Or what patterns?

 

[Olive bugger]

Neither, just rambling. A fellow gets old and does strange things.
My wife has had surgery and I have a severe need to
wet a line. Been a long dry summer for me.

 

[tinman207]

Found someone that suggested the sofa pillow as a substitute.
I only know a pattern of chenille and rubber legs. Might try
the sofa pillow or stimulator pattern.

I've heard that golden stones emerge spring through mid-late summer, largely nocturnally. But stones also emerge sporadically throughout the day, and fish become accustomed to seeing them so don't always key on them like a timed hatch unless that particular stream has a period of hatching in greater numbers. Since they are used to seeing them, they are usually willing to take them any time of the day, and that may be why a yellow stimulator pattern makes such a good searching pattern when you see some surface activity. I have good luck with golden stone surface patterns mid-morning on the Cedar after the sun first starts hitting the water, and late afternoon/evening when surface activity picks up. I toss stone nymphs any time of day as my anchor pattern on a double nymph rig with good success.

 

[The Drifter]

Hands down my favorite golden stone is the chubby chernobyl, color sunrise. This thing just gets it done.

Fishing with my buddy and his wife during the salmon fly hatch this year and she stuck her biggest trout (on a dry) ever on a chubby. Not uncommon.

 

[Jeremy Floyd]

Even though you backed out of asking the question, I'll show you what I use anyways.

I use hatch charts. They help with tying goals for upcoming trip also.

 

[Olive bugger]

That is one mean looking brownie, Swimmie.
Thank you all for your replies. I guess I will
go back to scheming and plan on some
September fishing. Maybe the golden is not
the best choice after all.

 

[River Is Polluted]

@Swimmy - looks like that would also work as October Caddis imitation. Color as shown is even close...

 

[Golden Trout]

Golden stones are a fun hatch to fish. I just tie an oversized EHC with the right body color which I feel is the real triggering action. Well oxygenated, almost boiling, water has these big bugs coming to the top with regularity. The streams I fish feature these big bugs mostly in mid June to, sometimes, early July. Unlike many other hatches Golden Stones like to come out in bright, sunny weather.

 

[Stonefish]

Kaufmann's had a stimulator pattern that they sold as a golden stone with a redish brown wing and a similar colored body.
It work good when goldens were around but just murdered in the fall when October Caddis were popping off. I alway thought they had the bin mislabeled but it was like that for years.
If I can find one in my stash I'll post a picture.
SF

Edit....found a picture.

 

[Abomb]

The bug in swimmys pic just plan gets it done! Won't sink, skidders with ease and catches fish like crazy. End of June early July for the hatch. Best fishing is usually mid day once adults warm up and head to water to drop eggs.

 

[Kyle Smith]

I like the nymphs in the winter. Gallatin Canyon rainbows clobber 'em.

 

[generic]

If I get caught in a hatch, that I don't have a pattern for, here's what I've learned:

Skwala hatch - cut the legs and hackle (if any) off of your smallest hopper, and trim the head so it tapers more to a point.

For hoppers - grab a Muddler (or similar), pull the turkey feathers apart, pinch them in the middle, so they point down, for the back legs.

I can't believe sometimes how you can change one fly, to look like another, and have great success.

I've even used hoppers as stone nymphs, as long as I have....wait for it.... split shot.

 

[freestoneangler]

My best experiences with that hatch have been on the West Fork Bitterroot around the 4th of July. Lots of stimulator type patterns seem to be effective and at times, when the hatch is in full bloom, I swear you could throw a size 13 Converse and have success.

 

[Tracker]

+1 on the Chernobyl.