The wiggling legs at the front and rear of the Black and Orange Bitch Creek Nymph fly pattern move with the water current. Trout interpret this movement as life. If it is moving it must be good to eat.

BITCH CREEK FLY PATTERNS. Hook size 10 - $US each

When you arrive at the water’s edge for a day’s fly fishing and nothing appears to be happening on the surface what fishing fly should you use? Why not try an attractor nymph to start the day. Once you catch a fish you can then spoon the stomach and to find out what they have been eating. Then fish flies to match the local bottom dwelling insects. One of my attractor nymphs of choice is the Bitch Creek. It is tied with rubber legs that wiggle about and entice nearby trout. It sends out the message that this thing is alive and kicking. Because of the size of the fly the temptation for a substantial meal is normally not something the fish will let pass.

The Bitch Creek nymph looks very much like a Montana Stonefly nymph, named after that large USA State where they originated. I class Montana and Bitch Creek nymphs as attractor fly patterns because they are not an exact imitation of the natural stonefly nymph. A number of stonefly nymph species have orange bodies with black or brown markings. This is why the Black and Orange Bitch Creek nymph catches fish that feed on these natural insects that can be found crawling over the river or stream gravel and boulder strewn bottoms.

On my last trip to the the Rockies I decided to have a go at float tube fishing. It is normally too cold in Britain for this type of fishing. I joined an organized group for a 12 mile river trip. We were dropped off near a bridge and would be picked up later down river. There had been a summer thunderstorm two days ago so the river was high and cloudy in the middle. Visibility was better near the edges as it became shallower. Willows and 5 foot tall bushes grew near the river bank which provided shade. I started the trip by casting streamers to this location and fishing them along the river bank. I had a few hook ups and caught some small 8 inch browns which I immediately released. After a lunch stop I changed tactics and tied on a Black and Orange Bitch Creek nymph. I was soon into fish, but this time there was a noticeable size difference; they ranged from 16 - 18 inch.

I was lucky enough to spend a day fishing on the Colorado River. I had done some research before I went and noted that it had a good population of Stoneflies. With a Black and Orange Bitch Creek tied onto my leader I waded into the river and began to cast upstream. I mended the line as the fly sank and guided it towards the river bank. I let it drift down the shallows and then, bang. I was into a 16 inch rainbow trout. After letting him go I tried again. Within the first hour I had landed five rainbows all over 14 inches and one of them was 19 inches long.

So why is this Montana nymph fly variation called a Bitch Creek ? I’m not 100% sure but my best guess is that it was named after the remote and difficult to get to Bitch Creek that flows through the American states of Idaho and Wyoming before joining the Teton river north of beautifully dramatic Grand Teton National Park. If you know the name of the fly’s designer send me an e-mail with his/her photograph please.

CUSTOMER'S COMMENT
I spend all my vacation time fishing in western USA. I always have a Bitch Creek in my fly box. This fly has caught me fish in the following rivers; Colorado and Gunnison river in Colorado State, the Laramie, Green and Snake rivers in Wyoming, the Madison, Beaverhead and Yellowstone rivers in Montana. Do not leave home without one. - John Davidson

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