I have written about my creation, The Orb, several times. Before you know it, it will be time to be on the stillwaters and fishing to emerging Callibaetis. This pattern holds the promise to seduce subsurface trout.

I have been asked to post pattern/recipe for The Orb:
Your choice nymph hook; Size 14 (size 16 later in season)
A clear plastic bead strung onto hook
Tail: 3 Ostrich hackles tied in. Wire rib tied in (can be gold or Krystal Flash strand)
Body: 1-2 Ostrich hackles tied in at rear and wound forward to thorax area; wrap wire ribbing over Ostrich body for flash and support.
Thorax: small amount of light brown UV Ice Dub, dubbed up to clear bead. I have used a couple of other dubbing w/flash but not too much.
Please use Search bar (upper right) and put in The Orb and Callibaetis. I remarked before how I witnessed on East L. (Oregon) the emerging nymphs just below the surface (top foot) hanging-bobbing at angle with just this glowing ‘Orb’ visible. They they emerged very quickly. This gave me the idea of the bead, which should help float the nymph (not too heavy a wire hook). You could go straight to a dry when you see the hatch…or some other emerger-dry type pattern. However, this pattern, with a floating line or an Intermediate would slowly present this pattern in the top several feet at the pre-emergence. Or a floating line with tippet greased to within a foot or less of the fly. Don’t use a metal bead…go light and stay in the zone. Good luck!!
Dark

The Orb fly is intriguing. What ie millimeter size of the glass bead say for a size 14 ?
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If I correctly recall, it was either a 2.6mm or 3.0mm. It has been a wonderful fly pattern. Here is another pattern that PlanetTrout pointed out too:
http://www.danica.com/flytier/msmith/bubble_boy_emerger.htm
Mine is a little simpler to tie and fished in the film or teasing it just below the surface with a floating line, greased leader to within 6″ to a foot of the fly is very productive when the Callibaetis are emerging.
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Thanks. Your blog is awesome. I was raised in Wheeler…down by Tillamook. Out in Virginia now after retiring from USAF. Planet Trout is a tying fool is he not.
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Thank you! Yes, PT is an very creative and his pictures are improving ever more. I like his experiments this year with UV Blue and Purple. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I know Wheeler from fishing the Nehalem River!
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Something about that fly says “killer.” Can’t put my finger on it but the “Spidey” sense is tingling..
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Coming from you, that is a very nice compliment. I need to find the outlet for those floating clear beads. I believe I bought them from http://www.feather-craft.com Perhaps any small craft bead might work but these beads were depicted as a floating bead and they seem to….I checked their site and do not see them online. I saw them in the Feather Craft catalog that Ed and family put out. I need to find a new source as I have gone through quite few.
http://www.spiritriverflies.com/materials/beads_cones.php
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Can you send out direction to tying your pattern.
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