Ted's Black Stonefly

The Ted's Black Stone, crafted by fly tier Ted Lewis, is a meticulously designed nymph pattern that emulates the Little black stonefly nymphs. Lewis's creation stands out for its realistic segmented body and micro-movement legs, which effectively mimic the natural insect's behavior. This pattern is particularly effective during late winter and early spring, when these stoneflies are among the first aquatic insects to hatch in significant numbers, providing a crucial food source for trout emerging from winter dormancy. The fly's design encourages a crawling motion along the streambed, imitating the nymphs' natural migration toward the banks for emergence.

Bank Crawling Simulation: Cast upstream near the riverbank and allow the fly to drift naturally along the bottom, mimicking the stonefly nymphs' movement toward the shore during emergence. This technique can entice strikes from trout anticipating this behavior