Stalcup’s Stillborn Emerger TBT

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Stalcup’s Stillborn Emerger TBT.

Stalcup's Stillborn Emerger | www.johnkreft.com

Here is another example of Shane Stalcup’s creative mind. He tied this fly backwards, starting at the eye and working towards the bend of the hook. The fly is designed to ride flat on the surface.

In all honesty, it felt very odd tying this fly backwards after all the flies I tie. It really went against my “muscle memory”!

The materials in his book Mayflies “Top to Bottom” (2002) call for a D-Rib body, creating segmentation and translucency. The CDC wing imitates wings stuck in the shuck. I tied the fly after watching a Youtube video on my friend John Sherry’s channel, NetKnots Fly Tying channel. I used midge tubing for the body and marabou instead of ostrich herl for the gills.

Stalcup's Stillborn Emerger - Top View | www.johnkreft.com

I’ve featured a few other Stalcup flies in past Throw Back Thursday posts. Here are links to several:

Here is an Amazon link to Shane’s book – Mayflies “Top to Bottom”

Enjoy…go fish, stay safe!

And Merry Christmas!

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One Comment

  1. Hello
    This is an outstanding fly pattern, I was having a problem with the CDC and marabou and went with pheasant tail and ostrich Herl and that really made the difference in the strength of the fly. The problem was that once I caught one trout is was unusable. Once I went with the pheasant tail and ostrich I was able to catch 20 fish without changing to a new fly.
    I absolutely love this pattern and will keep it as my go to fly.

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