Description
Taking a cue from the micro intruder in Brown/Yellow, I have come up with this variation for use on light weight single hand rods for micro skagit and 2-3 wt two handed trout spey rods.
This pattern is a versatile and VERY effective nano intruder pattern to swing for trout. It makes for a great baitfish imitation when swung in water conditions that are clearer and running low. The inspiration for this pattern comes from my observation of small trout fry that sit close to the banks along the lower McKenzie River.
Each fly is hand tied by me and is tied on a 18mm custom cut straight eye shank tied intruder style with a trailing #10 stinger hook attached with Senyo Intruder wire. Total length from tip to end of hook is 33-35mm. Easy to cast on a 2 or 3 weight two handed Trout Spey Rod with a 270gr ScandiLite line with a standard 4x tapered trout leader. With the added small dumbbell eye weight on the front, the fly sinks perfectly to get it down a little deeper if using a floating line.
Fish this fly on your 2-3wt two handed trout spey rod or 3-5 weight single hand micro skagit setup using OPST’s micro commando heads and tips when there’s nothing present on the surface – an especially effective pattern in the off season. Tie this on and prepare for potential vicious hook ups with larger fish at the end of your wet fly swing.
Swing this pattern on sunnier days on the river. This pattern is perfect at imitating small baitfish in clearer waters and the all black version is for those darker/muddier water conditions. The silhouette and the bugginess of the materials can elicit a solid strike when nothing else has worked. This dumbbell eyed weighted pattern is very easy to cast even with my 2 or 3 weight trout spey rod due to its smaller size. It also casts easily using my 3 wt or 5 wt single handed micro skagit rods. A solid pattern alternative solution on the waters I fish locally even in the off season for the native McKenzie River Redside’s and the upper middle fork of the Willamette river rainbows.
**Please note that this fly will have the subtle Krystal flash over wing like the Olive version. The images here are of the original prototype fly I designed**
I’m of the belief keeping it simple is key to enjoying time on the river. If you want to order a custom selection for trout spey micro or nano intruders please reach out to me to discuss your needs.
