It’s hard to go wrong with black and copper on New York’s Salmon River. The Copperhead Stone is the proof. A small steelhead nymph, easy to tie, and you won’t get upset about losing one on the bottom because you have a dozen more in your box.
Hook: Orvis 62KC size 10
Thread: Black 6/0
Tail: Black goose biots
Body: Black wool
Head: Copper solid and krystal tinsel chenille
I have an emotional connection to this pattern — it’s the fly I used to land my first steelhead. It was given to me on the river with the guarantee that I would hook a steelhead. And so it came to pass.
I kept that fly so I could duplicate it at home. The original had a black wool tag that extended a few turns below the tail; I have eliminated it, apparently with no ill effects.
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