Copper John

The Copper John is the most commonly used trout fly in the west these days. For a good reason, the Copper John is a great attractor pattern and it works! The Copper John was developed by legendary fly tier John Barr. The Copper John can be tied in a wide variety of colors, making it very versatile. The most popular color is red, and it is my favorite as well. A red Copper John catches more fish on the Arkansas River than any other fly out there. The Copper John does not really imitate a specific bug, but it does resemble a stonefly and mayfly very well. What makes the Copper John so effective is it's profile. It just looks buggy! My other favorite colors for the Copper John are: Copper, Chartreuse, Yellow and Black. Tie it the same way, just change the color of your wire!

Copper John Fly Tying Recipe:
Hook: #12-18 Daiichi 1710 or Tiemco 5262
Bead: Gold Cyclops Bead
Underbody: .010 or .015 Lead Wire
Thread: Black Veevus 12/0 or Veevus 14/0
Tail: Brown Goose Biots
Body: Copper Wire
Thorax: Peacock Herl
Casing: Black FINO Skin or Thin Skin
Casing2: Small Pearlescent Tinsel
Legs: Partridge
Glue: Epoxy or Thick Loon UV Fly Finish