Arlo’s Tungsten Jigstone

Arlo’s Tungsten Jigstone , Gold

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Tying Instructions

1. Slip a slotted tungsten bead onto the hook. This is a size 1/8″ bead, so you may want to use hook tweezers. The hook is a Tiemco 403BLJ size 10, a barbless jig hook.

2.Wrap some leadfree wire behind the bead for extra weight and to securely maintain the position of the bead.

3. Attach the thread behind the wire wraps and secure the wire with thread wraps.

4. Continue the thread as a foundation down to the bend of the hook.

5. Apply a small ball of dubbing to the bend of the hook. This will be the tail tie-in position.

6. Clip off two goose biots and attach one on each side of the hook shank with the length of the biot being about the same as the hook gap.

7. The dubbed ball will splay the biots to a 45 degree angle.

8. Secure the biots with thread wrap and clip off the tag ends. Attach a piece of wire to the top of the hook shank. This wire will be used for the abdomen.

9. Next wrap a tapered thread underbody up to the thorax which will be at the midpoint of the shank.

10. Wrap the wire forward with touching wraps. Wrap up to the midpooint position and secure with thread wraps. Clip off the tag end of the wire.

11. Inverting the hook, secure a piece of Holographic Tinsel to the hook shank behind the bead down to the midpoint. This pattern will ride upside down due to the weight postioned on the jig style hook.

12. Next, attach a slip of Turkey Quill behind the bead and secure also to the midpoint of the shank.

13. Bring the thread to the center of the thorax region and secure two one inch strands of Life Flex with two thread wraps. Orient the strands so that they are parallel to the hook shank and add 2-3 additional wraps of thread to secure.

14. Pull each strand to the side of the hook shank and secure with some additional tight thread wraps.

15. The antennae biots need to be added. It would have been easier to apply these biots just behind the bead prior to the legs being attached, but I got it done.

16. Dub the thread with Antron dubbing and apply the dubbing behind the legs, in the center of the legs, and in front of the legs. It may take 3-4 applications of dubbing.

17. The dubbed thorax should be twice the diameter of the abdomen.

18. Invert the hook once again and bring the Turkey Quill slip over the dubbed thorax for a wingcase. Secure the quill behind the bead.

19. Next, pull the Holographic Tinsel over the thorax as part of the wingcase. Secure with tight thread wraps behind the bead.

20. Trim off the tag ends of the quill and tinsel and secure with a few more wraps. Apply some dubbing as a collar.

21.Whip finish behind the bead.

22. The finished Tungsten Jigstone

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Tiemco 403 BLG size #8-12
Thread	Veevus Tan 8/0
Head	Slotted Gold Tungsten
Body	Antron Dubbing Squirrel Belly and Medium wire, Gold
Tail and Antennae	Brown Goose Biots
Thorax	Antron Dubbing Squirrel Belly
Wingcase	Cinnamon Tip Turkey and Opal Mirage Lateral Scale
Legs	Ginger Life Flex

Arlo Townsend

Arlo’s Tungsten Jigstone

The Tungsten Jigstone is a pattern from Arlo Townsend of Reno, NV. Arlo guides on the Truckee River and Pyramid Lake. He has about 5 patterns marketed by Umpqua Feather Merchants. The Jigstone rides inverted along the stream substrate and snags less than traditional stonefly nymphs. It is a heavy nymph with a tungsten bead, copper wire abdomen, and leadfree wire under the thorax. Use the larger sizes, #8 and #10, for the short and fast holding lies of the stream and the smaller sizes #10 and #12 for the lesser currents and depths. Many will fish the gold version in clear water and the Black version in turbid conditions.

Adapt the pattern to new materials

As with many patterns, the use of materials change with time. Originally, I tied this pattern with an underbody of Antron dubbing underneath the wire wraps of the abdomen. The current version as tied by Arlo omits this step and builds a tapered underbody through the use of thread alone. This provides a more streamline silhouette. Another modification is the wingcase which originally was Swiss Straw but has been substituted for Turkey segments with a Holographic Tinsel strip. This modification gives the pattern much more flash. The Tungsten Jigstone came from Arlo’s experiences on the Truckee dealing with fast moving pocket water.

According to Arlo:

“The Tungsten Jigstone has all of the characteristics of an effective stonefly pattern. It is heavy, easy to tie, a little flashy, durable, and contains the strike inducing rubberlegs, The Tungsten jigstone separates itself from other stone imitations at it’s skeleton. It is tied on a TMC 403blj jig hook (#8,10,12) with a tungsten, slotted, faceted bead which saves the angler from losing countless flies amongst the bottom of snaggy pocket water (hook point rides inverted. The jigstone lessens the amount of lost flies and increases valuable fishing time.”

Single Jig Rigs

“I fish the Jigstone individually with no trailer. Jig hooks don’t always cooperate with other nymphs within the same rigging (tangles occur frequently). Single nymph rigs offer less rigging, easier casting, and less opportunities for tangles. Additional nymphs on the leader are also often the culprit for fish being lost during the battle due to exposed hooks (the hook not in the trout’s mouth) snagging structure during the fight.” 

Presentation

 “The fly is cast directly above the pocket, the rod tip parallel to the water at the finish. As the fly races downstream and through the pocket, the rod tip is kept pointed at the spot where the fly should be. When the fly clears the lower end of the pocket, it is immediately picked up and shot back upstream. The above is repeated ten or fifteen times in rapid succession . . . This type of water should be stone fly water . . . “   

Charles Brooks

“This is a nymphing technique called the Pot Shooting Method described by Charles E Brooks in his book The Trout and the Stream (1974). Mr. Brooks’ description of fishing heavy stone fly nymphs on stout tippets intrigued me from the get go, and was the inspiration of the Tungsten Jigstone. Stone fly imitations work well throughout the Truckee River. The Tungsten Jigstone is heavy, durable and do-able.  A philandering little nymph,  triggering cues of acceptance, exposing flash and displaying class. Euro nymph it. Dead drift it. Fish it under a bobber, by itself and with others. Just fish it. It is the spark which ignites the fire of an absolutely well-thought out technique, gifted to us by a great mind of the past. Bless you Mr. Brooks. Behold the mighty Jigstone!”
– Signature Tyer Arlo Townsend 

Arlo’s Tungsten Jigstone, Black

Hook	Tiemco 403 BLG size #8-12
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Slotted Black Tungsten
Body	Antron Dubbing Black and Medium Soft Wire, Black
Tail and Antennae	Black Goose Biots
Thorax	Antron Dubbing Black
Wingcase	Black Swiss Straw and Opal Mirage Lateral Scale
Legs	Black Life Flex