FLY BOX: Micro Matcher
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Intro
Upon first seeing the Micro Matcher, I was skeptical. “What the hell is this even supposed to be?”, I thought. It looks almost like a stonefly nymph, but the size is too small. As it turns out, this pattern is a perfect imitation of a class of bugs that sometimes fly under the radar amongst anglers: clinger (or crawler) mayfly nymphs.
It’s easy to focus on the adult mayflies and the emergers, but clinger mayfly nymphs are a huge food source for trout. Unlike the later stages of the mayfly life cycle, there does not have to be a major hatch popping off for fish to key in on these leggy little insects.
Trout feed on mayfly nymphs opportunistically, snatching them up as the bugs become dislodged from their rocky refuges. This happens either unintentionally, via increased flows or inclement weather events; or intentionally, via a dispersal drift, during which the insects let go of their old underwater homes in search of a new habitat.
This is where the Micro Matcher earns its paycheck. But don’t take my word for it. Check out what the pattern’s creator, Walter Newman, had to say about this fly:
IMAGE: Umpqua Feather Merchants
“The inspiration for the Micro Matcher came after a tough day fishing on one of Colorado’s tailwaters. I had noticed a lot of Baetis in the water and couldn’t find the right size and profile I was looking for in my fly box. That’s when I decided I needed to create a bug for these scenarios.
I started with a size 22 dry fly hook, and drew inspiration from one of the first flies my dad gave me to use as a kid, the RS2. I liked the tailing fibers, and had noticed many of the mayflies and baetis nymphs I had been seeing had three tails. So I decided to add a 3rd fiber to the famous RS2 tail. After that I knew I wanted 3 distinct sets of legs, and finding the correct material was tougher than I would have imagined. I tried everything from single strands of super hair, to goose biots. Nothing was giving me the profile and shape I wanted.”
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“As I was sitting tying up some stones one night it hit me, why can’t I split these legs small enough to fit the size and profile I want. I did that, and I liked the result, but it wasn’t perfect yet. After some more trial and error I then stumbled across perfect little rubber legs that come in a dubbing package, and that was it. No more splitting big stonefly rubber legs, and the color and size was right.
That Micro Matcher was born as a three tailed mayfly/baetis nymph with three sets of rubber legs for some added motion and appeal, combined with a great baetis profile. This fly has saved many days for my friends and I since its creation. I hope that it will do the same for anglers everywhere.”
IMAGE: Weekender Media
Applications
CATEGORY: Nymph - Mayfly
TARGET SPECIES: Trout
As mentioned in the intro, the Micro Matcher shines as a mayfly clinger nymph imitation. Clingers and crawlers are known to live in riffles and runs. To help get their flies down into the feeding lanes of this water type, many mayfly clinger imitations are tied with heavy tungsten beads. While the beads do help the bugs sink faster, real mayfly nymphs do not weigh nearly as much as the fly patterns do. The naturals twist and tumble through the water as they float downstream. Comparatively, a fly with a lot of weight will sink to the bottom without the same action; a major red flag for selective trout.
The Micro Matcher, however, is not heavily weighted. This pattern can be fished off a tag 10”-18” above a heavy anchor fly like a Tungsten Gummy Crane or Roza’s Red Tag Jig. Attach the fly to your tag via a Non-Slip Loop Knot and the pattern will drift even more naturally. They key is having a fly with a lot of weight to sink your rig to the bottom, allowing the Micro Matcher to drift cleanly through the water column - right through the heart of the strike zone.
VIDEO: Davis James | Anglers All
About the Tyer
Walter Newman, Umpqua Feather Merchants
Scott "Walter" Newman was born and raised in Colorado. He grew up loving life on the water. He first started tying flies at the age of 10, using sewing thread and clumps of dog hair from his shedding Collie, he created his first “fly”. The fly tying really got serious around the age of 20 while living on the western slopes of Colorado. After holding his created flies close to his chest for many years, only sharing them with his closest fishing friends, he decided that he wanted to share as many flies as possible with the world. His first pattern came from a sleepless night, laying in bed trying to figure out a great freestone fly, but one that could also catch fish in the sometimes tricky tail waters of Colorado. The idea came and the first draft of the Micro Matcher was tied at 5 AM that morning. Walter has now moved back to the Denver area where he pursues athletic training and tests his flies on any river every chance he gets. If you ever see him on the water don’t be afraid to ask what flies he’s using. He will not only tell you, but probably give you some flies to try out.
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Material List - Micro Matcher (Purple)
HOOK: Tiemco 101 (#18 - #22)
THREAD: UTC 70 (Purple)
TAIL: Microfibbets (Light Blue Dun)
RIB: Ultra Wire (XS; Silver)
WING CASE: Thin Skin
THORAX: Superfine Dubbing (Gray)
LEGS: Senyo's Shaggy Dub
FINISH: Loon UV Thin + Black Sharpie
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