Umpqua Smitherman's Immortal May Fly

Overview

The Immortal May is a mayfly nymph from Umpqua signature tyer Josh Smitherman, and as the name says, it is built to last.

It has rubber tails and legs, a wire-ribbed abdomen and a CDC dubbing thorax that moves in the current. A tungsten bead gets it down into the zone, and it is tied on a TMC 226BL, a barbless hook with an upturned eye and a generous gap that hooks and holds fish. Smitherman notes the wire rib is usually the first thing to wear out, long after most nymphs would be retired.

Euro Specs

• Bead: Tungsten.
• Hook: TMC 226BL, barbless, upturned eye.
• Role: Both; anchor in light rigs, or dropper behind a heavier point fly.

How to Fish It

• Euro nymphing: fish it as the upper fly above a heavier anchor, or on the point in slow, shallow water.
• Indicator rig: trail it 12 to 18 inches behind a larger nymph on 6X.
• Dry-dropper: hang the 18 or 20 under a small foam dry.
• When to fish it: before and during mayfly hatches, and year-round as a small, buggy searching nymph.

Choosing Color and Size

Black gives a dark, strong silhouette that suggests many mayfly nymphs and shows up in stained water and low light. Choose 16 for faster water, 18 for all-around use, and 20 for small Baetis and clear tailwaters.