Overview

The Mop Fly from Fulling Mill is built around a chunk of microfiber mop material, a soft, absorbent body that suggests caddis larvae, crane fly larvae, grubs and other plump, high-calorie food. This version uses a shortened body for better durability and adds a partridge collar for extra movement.

An oversized 3.2mm slotted tungsten bead on a barbless Fulling Mill Jig Force hook gets the fly deep quickly and rides point-up to avoid snags. The mop material soaks up water and keeps moving even when the fly is paused, so it works on slow drifts and under an indicator as well as on a Euro rig. Simple as it looks, trout and other species eat it readily, in rivers and in lakes.

Euro Specs

• Bead: Tungsten, slotted, 3.2mm.
• Bead size by hook size: Size 14 = 3.2mm.
• Hook: Fulling Mill Jig Force, jig style, barbless.
• Role: Anchor/point fly; heavy enough to carry a lighter dropper above it.

How to Fish It

• Euro nymphing: fish it as the anchor on a tight line in riffles and deeper runs; the 3.2mm bead gets it down quickly.
• Under an indicator: dead drift it near the bottom, especially after rain when larvae and worms are washed into the current.
• Stillwater: suspend it under an indicator or retrieve it slowly; the soft body keeps moving on the pause.
• Off-color water: bright colors stand out when rivers are high or stained.

Choosing Color and Size

Corn Yellow and Light Pink are popular, visible colors that suggest grubs and larvae. Chartreuse is the brightest choice for stained water. Black gives a strong silhouette in low light and clear water when bright flies are being refused.

All colors are size 14 with a 3.2mm bead, a heavy point fly for most trout rivers.