Umpqua Copper John Jig Tungsten Nymph Fly

Overview

The Copper John Jig is a jigged, tungsten-bead version of John Barr's Copper John, one of the most widely fished nymphs in the West. Barr built the original with a copper wire abdomen, a biot tail, a flashy epoxy-coated wing case and a bead to get it down, and Umpqua ties this version on a jig hook so it rides point up.

The segmented copper body suggests a mayfly or stonefly nymph and catches light as it tumbles, which helps trout find it in faster water. The tungsten bead gets it down quicker than a brass bead of the same size, and the jig hook lets it bounce along rocky bottoms with fewer snags. That makes it a dependable searching nymph and a good heavy fly to lead a two-fly rig.

Euro Specs

• Bead: Tungsten, gold.
• Hook: Jig hook, rides point up; sold barbed.
• Role: Anchor (point) fly in a Euro or indicator rig; also works as a dry-dropper nymph under a large foam dry.

How to Fish It

• Euro nymphing: fish it on the point and tie a lighter nymph 18 to 20 inches up the leader. The tungsten bead keeps the rig in contact with the bottom.
• Under an indicator: Barr's own setup is the Copper John first, with a smaller unweighted nymph on about 10 inches of 5X tied off the bend. The heavier fly pulls the dropper down.
• Dry-dropper: hang it under a high-floating foam dry in riffles and pocket water from late spring through fall.
• Where it shines: runs, pocket water and the heads of pools where you need to get down quickly.

Choosing Color and Size

Copper is the original color and the one to carry first. It reads as a natural nymph in clear water and still shows some flash in stained water.

Choose 14 for faster, deeper water and larger stonefly and mayfly nymphs, and 16 for smaller mayfly nymphs, clearer water and lighter tippets.