Overview

The Jig Sticker is a Dylan Gonzales design, developed over four years and tied by Umpqua. Gonzales is an Umpqua signature tyer from the Southern Rockies, and he built this fly to be simple, heavy enough to get down and durable enough to keep fishing.

Its slim, two-tone segmented body suggests several of the small foods trout eat every day: midge larvae, Baetis nymphs, cranefly larvae and even riffle beetles. A slim body cuts through the water instead of fighting it, so the fly reaches the bottom and the trout's feeding lane quickly. The jig style lets it ride point up, which helps it slide over rocks.

Euro Specs

• Hook: Jig style.
• Role: Both. Point fly in shallow or moderate runs, dropper above a heavier anchor in fast water.

How to Fish It

• Euro or tight-line: fish it on 6X tippet as a dropper above a heavier fly, or as the point fly in shallow riffles.
• Indicator rig: trail it behind a larger nymph on tailwaters and freestone rivers.
• Year-round: midge larvae and Baetis nymphs are in the drift all year, so it fishes in every season.
• Water types: riffles, runs and soft seams where trout hold close to the bottom.

Choosing Color and Size

Fire / Brown and Fl. Orange / Brown add a bright hot spot for clear-water attraction or a bit of color in the water. Yellow / Brown is a lighter look that suggests pale larvae and riffle beetles.

Size 16 is a good all-around size. Size 18 matches small midge larvae and Baetis nymphs on technical water.