Ismo Pupa

The Ismo Pupa comes to us from Scandinavia. Pronounced “Ismo” (not I.S.M.O as I did in the video) and developed by Ismo Hyvärinen out of Kiruna, Sweden. The Ismo is a superb caddis pupa imitation, that is designed to perfectly imitate the profile and movement of a skating caddis pupa on the surface of the water. The Ismo is commonly used for big brown trout and graying in the Sweden and other Scandinavian countries. Although not popular here in the states yet, give it time….anglers will slowly become believers once they see the Ismo in action at dusk. The Ismo Pupa is crafted from Balsa Wood, which makes it durable and high floating. It is best to apply the epoxy in several thin layers, allowing them to dry between coatings. Although I did use UV resin in the video, it is not the best glue for this fly. A durable epoxy is really a must. The Ismo can be colored any variation you want. Most caddis pupa have olive, tan, or burnt orange hues to them. So best to stick with those color tones.

Ismo Pupa Fly Tying Recipe:
(Materials can be purchased below from Charlie's Fly Box)
Hook: #12-14 Daiichi 1530 or Daiichi 1180 (Or similar Tiemco 100)
Thread: Black Veevus 8/0
Body: 1/4” Balsa Wood
Glue1: Superglue
Color: Olive, Burnt Orange and Black Permanent Marker
Body Glue: Epoxy
Legs/Antenna: 8LB Maxima Chameleon