Little Black Stoneflies are one of the first major hatches on many trout streams. When on the water, the adults flutter their wings rapidly. The split CDC wing of this pattern helps mimic the fluttering wings of the adult little black stonefly. Tie this pattern in sizes 14-18. The Fluttering Little Black Stonefly can also be tied in a yellow color scheme to imitate little yellow sally stoneflies.
This video features the Fluttering Black Stonefly. The CDC split winging technique gives the appearance of the fluttering wing pairs of stoneflies. While the the fly in this video was tied to match the Early Black Stoneflies, the coloration can be adapted to other stonefly species. This style of fly is an excellent imitation of fluttering yellow sally stoneflies, when tied with a yellow body, red egg sack, and light yellow or cream colored CDC.
For the early little black stoneflies, tie this pattern in size 14-18. A strong fine diameter thread make a big difference when tying this pattern. Threads such as Tiemco's 16/0 or Veevus 14/0-16/0 are strong and build very little bulk. Using these threads on this pattern allow the tier to maintain a slender profile.
Little Black Stoneflies are one of the first major hatches on many trout streams. When on the water, the adults flutter their wings rapidly. The split CDC wing of this pattern helps mimic the fluttering wings of the adult little black stonefly. Tie this pattern in sizes 14-18. The Fluttering Little Black Stonefly can also be tied in a yellow color scheme to imitate little yellow sally stoneflies.