Does Fly Fishing With The MOP FLY Actually Work? // Euro nymphing my local river

Ok, so I've never been a big believer in the MOP fly... But I hate to give up on patterns that I haven't truly tested. So in this weeks video I'm trying the MOP fly. Does it work? Should you add some to your fly box? Let me know what you think of the MOP fly?
WATCH NEXT:
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○ Top 5 Summer Euro Nymph Patterns: • My Top 5 Euro Nymph Pa...
○ My Euro Nymphing Leader Setup: • My Euro Nymphing Leade...
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#FlyFishing #EuroNymphing #MopFly

[@SantaCruzLocal]

Mop flies are no joke!! That fly works every time for me..amazing lunker catcher..

[@douglasjrhodes]

Yes, please do a tying version. I’ve been debating using it here in Italy for awhile now, and this year looks like a go for me after seeing this. Thanks for sharing!

[@bradnickel6685]

I really like how your experiment was on actual wild fish, this gives a whole new view of the effectiveness of this bizarre fly. I have tied a bunch of them, in a few different colors too as you did, but haven't had any luck with them yet. Thanks for the show!

[@FlyingTies]

Yeah it seems to work really well, I’d keep giving it a shot if I were you. Thanks for watching!

[@chriscosentino1]

Just found your channel while searching for mop flies. This video and your others are great! I can't believe you only have 7.5k subscribers. Keep it up, this is gold!

[@FlyingTies]

Haha thanks for saying that :)

[@jimwieding9801]

Good video, a lot of fun watching you fish the mop! Yeah I vote for a tying video on the mop 😎🤠

[@FlyingTies]

Haha, thanks for watching Jim

[@Riverbugger]

Great video Zach!! I have a few Mops in my box and that natural buckskin color works here in Idaho. Great video and thanks for sharing!!

[@FlyingTies]

Thanks!

[@TheStratfanatic]

Cream Mop with a Zebra Midge below it about 14 to 18" is killer here in the South.The Bows love it and the Browns even get involved here an there...

[@FlyingTies]

Sounds like a good combo to me :)

[@bobdonaldson445]

I fish this combo sometimes and it can slay trout. They come see the mop and take the midge. You can get numbers with this setup

[@blackflycreations]

Cool video Zach! I've followed for a few months and your contents awesome! I normally watch on TV so I'll start posting comments for you on my phone to help u rank. As for the mop I've tied a few on my channel, have 3 in my box but never fished um. I always thought they looked like a big larvae🐛 I gotta commit for a day like you! Anyways Thx for sharing! Look forward to the next✌ Steve at Black Fly

[@FlyingTies]

Haha nice! Yeah I had some in my box for the last year or so and just never really gave them a real shot. It’s such an odd fly to fish but seems to produce fish! Thanks for the support

[@cernhutch]

Super demo on the ‘Power of the mop’! Would love your video on tying it with emphasis on sourcing materials, including the micro-mop & it’s effectiveness. Thanks

[@FlyingTies]

Coming soon :)

[@reserrvoirman]

Thanks for the fishing trip, great job.

[@FlyingTies]

Hey thanks!

[@tomconley8476]

Great video and thanks for sharing! Like you I just had little faith in mop flies, but clearly I need to rethink that! Tying video would be fantastic!!

[@FlyingTies]

Glad it was helpful!

[@chillipphi]

It definitely works, especially on stocked fish. Also the bulk of it helps with casting and it makes a great anchor fly on the euro setup. I find that it helps keep your line steady through the drift once it sinks and you start drifting. Maybe not the best option for fast water but it has a place in the box. I fish a really clear spring creek with lots of stocked fish that get a lot of pressure. There were times when I'd drift tons of flies past picky fish with no reaction and occasionally the mop piques their interest when not much else does.

[@FlyingTies]

Yeah, I'm adding it to my box, or I should say that I may start pulling it out of my box now lol.

[@douglasjrhodes]

Same scene here in a river in Italy where I fish. I’ll now tie a few and give it a go. Thanks for sharing!

[@markinaba4703]

I’ve been a skeptic too. I’m gonna try it tomorrow 😜. Thanks for the great video!

[@likedacheese6531]

You’ll see a lot of husk on that river particularly and if you break one open and take a look at what’s inside you’ll see why mop flies work so well

[@CrazyAboutFlyFishing]

Looks like I'll have to give it a go and see how I go here in NZ. Been doing well with squirmies so may as well do the mop too.

[@FlyingTies]

Yeah it’s for sure worth a spot in your box. Let me know if it works out there were you are :)

[@krawie77]

I was introduced to the Mop on a guided trip in Chile and I caught a LOT of fish on your color and pattern!

[@FlyingTies]

Awesome to hear!

[@chucklapine6782]

Caught a big carp on the mop fly last night. My first carp on a fly rod.

[@hyrumprince5383]

The music in this video reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite 😂 awesome video man. Can’t go wrong without a mop.

[@FlyingTies]

Haha that’s funny

[@bentpolski]

That's what I notice as well. Being the Fly Body hangs back with the small hook short strikes are common.

[@FlyingTies]

Yeah, that bulky mop does make you miss more fish. I think I lost as many as I landed in the video…

[@DuriensBane]

few streams in my area where a mop is the one of the best choices, but you have to think of it as how many times a fish sees a PT or egg pattern or squirmy, or hares ear. A mop looks different and most trout dont pass up an easy meal.

[@larryfitzpatrick840]

great video, i enjoyed it . The mop fly looks like it could imitates caddis ,eggs , larvae, cased larva, and pupa stages . I dont think I have any in my box ? That will change !

[@FlyingTies]

yeah grab some for sure!

[@williamreside5573]

i just tied some up so I am glad to see they work. what was it called again?

[@donpatsy3152]

Mop flies are a definite go to here in Pennsylvania!

[@FlyingTies]

They can be a hot fly that's for sure

[@larrygladue3879]

Great content. It would be great to see you tie one up. Thanks for sharing.

[@FlyingTies]

Sounds good!

[@BluePyramid444]

I do really good with mops dead drifting under an indicator. I tie my mops just under 2” long though. All colors work. I am in the PNW.

[@FlyingTies]

Those sound like some long mops!

[@dalesheehan9404]

I catch a ton of fish on mops both wild and stocked.

[@UnforgivenFUPOS]

smallmouth and fallfish in my local creek love mops .

[@FlyingTies]

I bet they do :)

[@jamesnichols8893]

Yes please do a tying video for the mop fly

[@FlyingTies]

Put one up just a few weeks ago :)

[@OutdoorPursuitsLife]

The only two salmon I hooked on the Milwaukee river and landed were on mop flies w tungsten bead heads

[@FlyingTies]

Ha, that’s pretty funny. Nice that it works for that though!

[@brocmiller7635]

I don’t have very much luck on stocked trout with them here in pa. But there isn’t any lure that can top it for fall fish. If you find a pocket of fall fish here in pa with 100 fall fish you’ll catch every last one. No other fly comes close to it for fall fish. Not a desired fish for me but they can be fun practice when a day out for trout is going slow.

[@sledge760]

What kind of fly line and rod are you using?

[@MarkRambo1]

A tying video would be great, doesn’t seem like many people tie them jig style. They work great on PA stocked fish. Kind of like a Ned rig for bass, it doesn’t really look like natural food but catches fish haha

[@FlyingTies]

Yeah they don’t really look like anything in the water but they do look like some sort of food. They produce!

[@samwell7640]

As one comment mentioned, it could represent a caddis larvae. The cream colored ones also could be taken for a crane larvae. Green ones also a drowned inch worm or substitute for green weenies in PA

[@FlyingTies]

@@samwell7640 yeah I’m guessing that they are eating it for an October caddis out here in the west

[@patrickmccambridge]

Nice job my friend. Those were some chunkers. I did not see an indicator. Were you using a sighter or just tight-lining it waiting for a tug? Thanks.

[@FlyingTies]

Hey thanks! I do have an ultra thin sighter that I'm using, it's just hard to see in the video :)

[@horsefly5728]

It seems that you mentioned the more productive color also had a heavier bead. Which do you think had the bigger influence sink rate or color?

[@FlyingTies]

I did try the other colors in the same bead size so I don’t think it was only the weight. With a fly like this and a body so big I think the color is the biggest factor.

[@garyweglarz]

Mops in cream to brownish grey colors actually look a good deal like a large cranefly larva.

[@FlyingTies]

That is true 👍🏻

[@TEAMSTEAM4LIFE]

I do really well with smallies in my local river with them.

[@FlyingTies]

That doesn’t surprise me :)

[@flyguy4515]

Ever heard of a cased caddis or crane fly larva?? Novi lol. It does imitate something naturally in the water.

[@FlyingTies]

Kinda lol

[@johnyorchak5162]

What nymph do you usually fish that stretch with? Did the mop out fish them? I've done really well over the years with mops on a small creek outside of denver. Not so good this year tho.

[@FlyingTies]

I would say that the mop was at about the same as other patterns I fish but I didn’t a/b test it in the same run. It was more about just giving it an honest try before dismissing it completely as something I would want to fish.

[@johnyorchak5162]

@@FlyingTies Never dismiss the mop! I've used it in lots of different situations and it always comes thru when no other flies were working for me. Keep up the good work on your channel!

[@bradleyeatchel1413]

This fly imitates a cassed caddis, I use glue and roll it in sand, it works well in winter dead drifted on the bottom.

[@bigogfriday]

I’ve had nothing but success with a mop fly caught 14 brookies this weekend I find they like the chartreuse and gray colors here in NC

[@FlyingTies]

Yeah it’s a killer

[@TheFrugalFlyRodder]

Almost didn't watch the video after hearing "mops don't imitate anything in the water"; but I'm glad I did. Good video by the way. Has anyone who has never fished mop flies ever Googled "types of larva"?

[@FlyingTies]

Haha, I know there are things you can try to make a case for that it matches. Not sure it matters as long as the fish eat it :)

[@TheFrugalFlyRodder]

@@FlyingTies yep... thats the point

[@stevenlycke2784]

I've got one rigged up on my 11'. It works 90% of the time. Now let's tie the micro mop.

[@FlyingTies]

Yeah, I need to find some micro mop material and give those a try soon

[@mikemaynard2044]

Any time there are crane flies...fish the mop!

[@markriggins372]

Zach you need tie a few in orange , I'm thinking October Caddis on that river.

[@FlyingTies]

Haha yeah I’m sure that would work pretty well

[@randalltom9750]

I’m a very experienced flyfisher… Since I was 10… I’m 61. I’m old school, and new to Euro-nymphing. I know it’s effective. Now some practice comes into play, and adjusting some technique. Here are some questions and a basic understanding I have. First, the nymphs need to sink rapidly in the water column and bounce (tick) the bottom, ideally without hanging up. This puts the, in the zone… Second, a longer (10’+) medium action rod helps, since no mending is generally required, A leader system which is highly visible, as thin as possible, and flourocarbon tippet (4’) with an anchor & tag nymph in tow. Fly selection is generally beaded, ideally jigged, of varying size, color, and are of the standard genre, namely: PT’s, Hare’s Ear, Copper Johns, Scuds, Zugs, Mops, Stones, Various emergers, a turd or two, yada… (to start) Questions… do you just use backing? Or do you utilize a #3 WF floating? As well, how long is the butt section of the leader? Do you prefer a 30# Maxima, let say 30’, or is it pure 4x sighter 14’, tippet ring, and a 6x dually to the nymphs? It seems as though, your line is easier to cast and manage then my current rig. Love the videos… out here on the Boise river… need some advice. Thanks

[@FlyingTies]

You have the basic understanding correct. I would say that you don’t always want to be ticking bottom, but sometimes it’s good to find the bottom and come up a bit. As for the rig, I use a few different things. Im running a euro specific level fly line with a micro loop to attach my leader with. My leaders are level with no taper built in and they are around 14’ long before I add the tippet. I wouldn’t suggest a thin level leader to someone who doesn’t have much experience with a euro rig or without some practice as it can be a bit tough to cast. Hope this helps!

[@randalltom9750]

@@FlyingTies One thing that got me when I got down to the river, is that I had a hard time seeing and tying a simple clinch knot with flourocarbon… My eyes aren’t as keen as they used to be. And threading a size twenty was hard before… I guess I’ll need cheaters. Thanks… and hey, it looks like you’re on the Dechutes, is that right? Maybe the Yakima…

[@FlyingTies]

Yeah the thin tippet can be tough but you really shouldn’t need size 20s you can get away with 16/14 in most places fishing this technique

[@Artisanwoodworks73]

I just LOVE the "Junk" fly category. Fish love to eat JUNK food just like people.

[@phhdvm]

tough to beat the mop for panfish. If friends give me grief about using a mop, I don't invite them for the fish fry.

[@FlyingTies]

haha I bet

[@flavortown3781]

here in my local creeks they work pretty well

[@FlyingTies]

Right on

[@tomthomas1458]

Would like to know the river you fished and rod and reel you used.

[@FlyingTies]

I try not to say where I'm at so the spot doesn't get burned

[@user-ur2yy7if3d]

I fished the mop on the Deschutes River near Maupin and it worked very well👍🏻

[@holyworrier]

C’mon. Fish don’t really ‘eat’ a fly. They ‘take’ it and get hooked by it, if we’re lucky. You won’t find a fly in a trout’s stomach contends. 😎 Lovely ‘bow! I don’t care if it works or not. I ain’t tying no mop fly to my leader. Lots of random shit ‘works’. Just havin’ some fun with ya. Subscribed.

[@dirktucker77]

Is that the Columbia in Central WA?

[@FlyingTies]

no, but close.

[@flycast4224]

Tan has always been the best color

[@FlyingTies]

yeah, same here

[@LouisianaBlackwaterFlyFishing]

Flying Ties is what my wife tells people I do at home.

[@FlyingTies]

Lol nice

[@darenblonski101]

It’s not that bizarre of a fly it looks like a June bug puppa.

[@garynoonan7373]

My mother used to call it that and my wife calls it 'tie flying' regularly. 😂

[@bigairboarder121]

When that river colors up after a certain other river blows out then the mop/San Juan worm really crushes

[@FlyingTies]

Yeah, I'm guessing the pink version would be great in the winter months. Gonna give it a try in December.

[@lheftw1376]

When that certain river blows out I won’t fish below its confluence with the river. Endless miles above that to fish in good water condition

[@FlyingTies]

@@lheftw1376 that is true, but sometimes that dirty water fishes better also :)

[@lheftw1376]

@@FlyingTies really? I’ve never really messed with that section during blowout from said river. I’ll have to give it a try. You fish bigger/attractor patterns or junk flies or the normal stuff? Thanks for your help and as always thanks for the great content. With you dropping a vid or 2 a week plus my 1-3 days a week on that river, I feel like I never leave our favorite river 😀

[@FlyingTies]

As long as it's green it's fine. You can pretty much fish anything but I usually swing streamers when it gets dirty.

[@jasonerickson1033]

You fishing the Gunnison river ? Sure looks like it

[@bobhammond8067]

I'd like to see how you tie this.

[@FlyingTies]

Noted!

[@JamesMcCutcheon]

I was fishing RUG FLIES 30 years ago. Looks like a mop with the same principle. Fish will take anything really.

[@billperkins773]

Please post video on mop fly

[@FlyingTies]

I posted that a little while back kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJvKmJmdbM2gqK8

[@flyfishingchannel]

💪💪💪

[@FlyingTies]

:)

[@mikdin1]

Was a single nymph rig?

[@FlyingTies]

Yeah I was just running a single nymph

[@JJ_MTB_15]

Grey has always worked best for me.

[@FlyingTies]

Nice :)

[@bentpolski]

They take it for a Caddis Larvae / Caddis Worm.

[@FlyingTies]

For sure, I'm guessing they think it could be a lot of different types of food. Or it just looks like something that should be food.

[@514140mgk]

Best mop color is almost white and a mop is an imitation of the crain fly nymph.

[@FlyingTies]

yeah, I really like the standard tan color

[@514140mgk]

The mop fly: The easiest thing to tie that catches fish. You can dress it up or you can just leave it plain. It will catch fish. Expert fly tie'rs hate it because it's so easy. It competes and is as successful at catching fish as their fancy nymph that uses multiple material and takes 3 times as long to tie.

[@nickbaker3179]

Are you fishing the yak?

[@FlyingTies]

I wish!

[@stevenmay3703]

Looks like the lower D.

[@hankvana2149]

The mop fly is not really outlandish - the tan color you are using is a good imitation of a crane fly larva which trout are very fond of. Dark colors (grey, brown, black) tied on a jig hook and weighted with lead eyes make excellent dragon fly imitations when fished close to the bottom. Bright colors work well as attractors especially in off colored water - you said it yourself: mops "move like food".

[@FlyingTies]

Yup, I agree!

[@Rlec021]

If your waters don’t have crane flies will they still work?

[@SuperLeechboy]

Steelhead will eat those!

[@FlyingTies]

haha yeah I'm sure they would

[@WesV]

Grubs....grubs are everywhere

[@FlyingTies]

lol, yup

[@mikemaynard2044]

Your mop is a bit bulky bro...just sayin. Nice hat

[@martinm1484]

Heard they work better if you call them a crane fly larva imitation

[@FlyingTies]

Haha yeah I've heard that can be true lol

[@dominicregos4902]

In natural colors it imitates crane fly larva!

[@FlyingTies]

👍🏻