One autumn evening on Grandy Lake, the trout were going nuts on small emerging chironomids in the surface film. The lake was awash in boils and bulges from feeding trout that would not give a second glance to a small dry fly or anything largely sitting atop the wind rippled surface of the water. A buddy had a small non-descript fly of unknown origin that seemed to be producing pretty regularly. He showed me the fly and I tweaked a couple of features to arrive at what you’re seeing as the Film Star.
I’m not claiming originality on this one as I’ve seen lots of bugs much like it, but in the absence of a known name, I like to dub it the Film Star, as it truly shines when trout are taking emerging insects in the film. I mostly fish the black version featured and also a grey-bodied one when lighter colored chironomids are hatching. It has proven to be the trick on Squalicum, Pass and other lakes when trout are nose up on the surface taking small chironomids as the insects struggle to break free of their pupal shucks and fly away. The insects are perhaps at their most vulnerable stage and are easy pickings. A fly that presents with half or more of its body subsurface captures the profile of the emerging chironomids very well.
Grab your readers, pinch a tiny hook in your vise and whip up a few Film Stars for your next day at the lake. If the trout are slurping pupa just under the surface and the lake is dimpled with rise forms, this pattern just might save the day as it has a number of times for me.
Film Star Recipe:
Hook: #16-18 Daiichi 1130
Thread: 8/0 Black Uni Thread
Shuck: White Clear Sparkle Emerger Yarn
Rib: Pearl Krystal Flash
Body: Black Superfine Dubbing
Wing: Natural Dun CDC
Overwing: Natural Elk
Head: Peacock Black Ice Dub
Confluence Beer Pairing: Kulshan’s Greenwood Summer Ale is out and we’re going to run with it. We’ve picked it before and it’s worthy of another round in the limelight. Plus it seems to possess the magical quality of making it feel like summer when you’ve got a cold one in the koozy sitting in the boat, even when we are definitely not quite there yet.