Tying Gary LaFontaine's Roll Over Scud

Gary LaFontaine thought so far outside the box that the box did not even exist. I've always admired Gary's approach to solving fly fishing's tough questions of why. He would first study as much written literature as he could possibly find on the subject, then take that knowledge to the water and execute. Sometimes he would put on the scuba gear and slip underneath the currents while a colleague made drifts, looking at how the trout reacted to a new pattern. Gary's Roll Over Scud is an incredible fly that has some lively action to it that gets the attention of large trout in still water conditions. A piece of lead wire is tied directly on top of the hook shank. When stripping the fly it swims upright, but on the pause, it rolls over due to the top heavy design. This creates a trigger mechanism for the fish, and they react by changing course and intercepting the fly. Genius.

My fascination with freshwater shrimp began in the mid 90's when I started to fish Eagle Lake. Back then the water was much higher than today, like 15 feet! The scud beds during that time were fenomenale and rich with life. I wish I would have had Gary's Roll Over Scud back then, it could have increased my catch ratio. 2 years ago I discovered fresh water shrimp at Lake Davis, which was new to me. I'm looking forward to trying this pattern there.

Mario Dinucci with a fat Eagle Laker ~ photo by Duane Dinucci

I've modified Gary LaFontaine's pattern a bit, something I usually do just to add my own flair. First I use a zip loc plastic bag for the shell back so it looks juicy and succulent. Secondly I add some ice dubbing in the mix, when this pattern rolls over, the ice dub flashes like a neon sign saying "eat me!". Be sure to pick out the dubbing between the ribbing to add more translucently. Standard colors include brown, olive, pink (freshly molted), and orange (pregnant female full of eggs). 
I highly suggest obtaining Gary's book "Trout Flies ~ Proven Patterns", you can order it by clicking on The Book Mailer. I'm dying to see the results of this pattern over the next few seasons, tie some up and give me a report, I

sure would love to hear from ya.

Recipe:

Hook - TMC 2457 #12-16.

Thread - 6/0 color to match.

Tail/Feelers - Jay Fair Schlappen hackle.

Lead - size .025

Dubbing - color to match with ice dubbing mixed in.

Rib - Thread.

Shell Back - Zip loc bag.