Whether it's a river I've fished a thousand times, or one I'm standing in for the first time, this is typically the first fly I tie on. I began creating and fishing the Lickety Split over 8 years ago. Since then I've simplified the way I tie this pattern, and it's not only quicker and easier to tie in this fashion, but I believe it fishes better than the original.
Confidence in a pattern comes with success and time on the water. I've fished this pattern all over the Western US with great success. The Lickety Split is a mayfly nymph imitation, and since most rivers throughout the world have mayfly populations this is a year-round go-to fly pattern on nearly any trout river or stream. I fish this nymph on a Euro nymphing setup, under a dry dropper, and on an indicator rig. It get's to depth quickly and grabs the attention of the fish. It is a deadly pattern that is straight forward and easy to tie. I invite you to give it a shot!
Recipe:
Hook: Umpqua XC400BL Jig 14-18
Bead: Gold Slotted Tungsten
Thread: Black Uni Thread 8/0
Tail: Coq De Leon
Rib: 4X Tippet
Wing Case: Black Holo Tinsel - Medium
Underwing: Pink Foam
Coating: Solarez - Bone Dry or Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails (Clear Polish)
The black and pink variation I tie in this video is my top producer, but I also tie it in rusty brown and yellow (PMD), along with a few other color variations.
Fun side note, the original Lickety Split was my first pattern to get picked up commercially by Rainy's flies 8 years ago :-)
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