Higa's S.O.S.
By Spencer Higa, submitted by Ham.
Description
Higa's S.O.S. (Save Our Skin) is a highly versatile, modern trout nymph created by Utah guide Spencer Higa while fishing the Provo River. Designed to combine the features of a Zebra Midge and a Pheasant Tail, it was developed to avoid constant fly changes during, cold, picky fishing conditions. It typically features a black, slim profile with a red wingcase, imitating Baetis nymphs and midge larva.
Tying Process
Hook size 16-20 start by sliding the bead onto the hook, then start your thread, tie in some silver wire. Tie down the silver wire down to about midways of the hook bend. Tie in your black pheasant tail fibers about a hook gap in length, once tied in, wrap all the way to the bead and then taper the body. Once the body is tapered and smooth, wrap up to the bead, tie in some red large holographic tinsel, take about two or three wraps back behind the bead. You want to add some dubbing, black rabbit dubbing. Make a small ball, then tie in two pieces of crystal flash right behind the bead, tie it in with X wraps. Once those are tied in, wrap the tinsel back over the dubbing and flash legs and tie off right behind the bead, then whip finish and then add some clear UV resin on top of the tinsel.
Materials
- Head: 5/64 silver bead
- Other: Crystal flash black or pearl
- Ribbing: UTC small silver wire
- Tail: Black pheasant tail
- Thorax: Black rabbit dubbing
- Thorax: UTC Red holo tinsel large
- Thread: Utc 70 black
Hooks
- Tmc 2488
Target species: Rainbow Trout
Fly types: Emerger