Overview

The Restless Stone is a large Umpqua stonefly nymph built for high spring runoff and heavy, fast water.

It sinks on its own and helps pull the rest of a multi-fly rig down to the fish quickly, which is exactly what you need when the river is high. A mottled chenille body and lively flex-floss legs give it a buggy, moving profile. Big stonefly nymphs live in the river for several years, so trout eat them all season, and high water knocks more of them loose.

Euro Specs

• Role: Anchor (point) or lead fly that carries smaller flies down.

How to Fish It

• Lead fly: fish it first in an indicator rig and trail a smaller nymph 14 to 18 inches behind.
• Runoff: work the soft edges, eddies and inside bends where trout hold out of heavy current.
• Pre-hatch: stonefly nymphs move toward the banks before they emerge, so fish the margins in late spring and early summer.
• Tippet: 3X or 4X fluorocarbon.

Choosing Color and Size

Black matches dark stonefly and salmonfly nymphs and shows up well in dirty water. Dark Brown-Orange suggests a salmonfly nymph with its orange underside.

Size 6 is the bigger, heavier fly for the largest rivers and highest water. Size 8 is a little smaller for medium water.