Copper John

Copper John

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Tying Instructions

1. Mash down the barb and attach the Gold Bead. I am using a 3/32 Tungsten bead.

2. Apply 7-8 wraps of 0.020″ leadfree wire behind it. Push the leadfree wire into the void of the bead.

3. Attach the thread to the shank behind the leadfree wraps. Apply thread wraps of the wire to secure and build up a thread base behind the leadfree wire wraps for a smooth transition of shank to the wire wraps. When finished with the transition, wrap back to the bend of the hook.

4. Select two goose biots, with the convex sides facing each other. Even the tips. The biot tails should be about one half the shank length.

5. Position the biots so that they are split and roughly horizontal to the shank.

6. Secure the biots with a couple of loose wraps at the bend of the hook, then tighten the thread toward you maintaining the biots in position.

7. Wrap the tag end of the biots up the leadfree wraps. This helps to bridge the edge of the wire wraps for a smoother body. Wrap the shank to create a tapered foundation over the biots and leadfree wire, then bring the thread back to the tail tie-in position.

8. Attach the copper wire at the at the base of the leadfree wire wraps and secure the copper wire to the tail tie-in position. Now wrap a smooth tapered thread body foundation covering the wire, leaving the thread behind the bead.

9. Start to wrap the copper wire. Make sure that the wraps touch the previous wrap and cover the thread underbody.

10. Wrap the wire forward to about a little more than one bead width behind the bead. During the wrapping, bring each wrap against the previous one to keep the wraps snug.

11. Attach a piece of flashabou behind the bead on the top of the hook shank. Apply a couple of thread wraps and double the strip back to the rear with some some additonal thread wraps over the thorax region.

12. Attach a strip of Kiley’s Nymph Skin just behind the bead on top of the flashabou. Apply thread wraps so the the Nymph Skin wingcase extends about a little more than a bead width behind the bead. This will be the thorax region. Check that the Nymph Skin and the Flashabou are centered behind the bead when you bring the tag ends over the thorax.

13. Attach 2-3 peacock herls by the tip behind the eye. Secure the herl to the base of the thorax region. Twist the herl into a 5-6 times around itself.

14. Wrap the hurl to just behind the bead for a full thorax. Secure with a couple of thread wraps and trim the tag ends.

15. Select a Henback feather. John Barr originally used Partridge but found that the Henback was more durable.

16. Clip the tip of the feather, leaving a selection of fibers extending from both sides of the quill.

17. Laying this “V” just over the bead, secure the feather to the shank with a couple of loose wraps. You can pull the feather to get the desired fiber length necessary. On the Copper John, the fibers should extend just beyond the thorax. While pulling the feather with your right hand, use your left hand to keep the fibers from pulling to the top of the shank. Once you hace the proper length, secure with a couple of tight thread wraps.

18. Bring the Nymph Skin and Flashabou over the thorax and secure behind the bead with a couple of thread wraps. Trim off the tag ends of the skin and flashabou and apply two more wraps in front of the the tag ends behind the bead to secure.

19. Whip finish behind the bead.

20. Apply a drop or two of UV Fly Finish, Thick to the wingcase.

21. Use a bodkin to distribute the finish to the edges of the wingcase and up to the center of the bead covering the upper portion of your whip finish. Take care not to let any epoxy finish enounter the partidge fibers or the peacock herl.

22. A UV lamp will harden the finish in about 15 seconds.

23. The finished Copper John.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Daiichi 1710 #10-18
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Gold Bead
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Medium Copper wire
Tail	Brown Goose Biots
Thorax	Peacock Herl
Wingcase	Pearl Flashabou and Black Kileys Nymph Skin coated with Loons UV Fly Finish, Thick
Legs	Brown Hen Back

John Barr

Copper John

The Copper John originated from John Barr of Boulder, Colorado. John’s original pattern, in 1996, called for a copper wire abdomen, a tail and legs of Hungarian Partridge, and a thorax of peacock herl with an epoxied Turkey quill wing case. He designed it as an attractor fly to draw attention to a more realistic dropper fly to be used below it. John wanted to achieve a slim, yet heavy, nymph pattern that would allow for a quick descent and have a flashy look to get the trout’s attention. It took John three years to achieve the pattern he desired.

Modifications to the Pattern

Since 1996, the pattern has been modified to have a Goose Biot tail, Brown Hen Back for legs, and Thin Skin for the wingcase material with a Pearl Flashabou over the top of the Thin Skin. The biots and hen back were much more durable than the original materials. The Thin Skin is more durable, but it also accepted only one drop of epoxy, rather than the two drops that were required by the turkey quill. In 2001, Wapsi came out with multiple colors of tarnish-proof wire to give the pattern a wide range of colorations.

Attractor pattern similar to Mayfly or Stonefly Nymph

It is an attractor fly shaped to look like a mayfly or stonefly nymph. Having a broad nymphal shape, it can pass as a caddis larvae with the chartreuse wire abdomen. Larger sizes in black or brown wire can pass for dark stoneflies, and the red patterns can be used for PMD hatches or Yellow Sallies. Black colors in size 18-22 make excellent Baetis or Trico imitations.

His favorite colors are copper, red, chartreuse, and black. John likes to use a Hopper pattern as the floating fly and drops the Copper John pattern below it. His preferred rig set-up is a 7.5 foot 3X mono leader with a heavy butt section to the Hopper fly, next is 2-4 feet of 4X fluorocarbon to the Copper John, and 12 inches of 5X Fluorocarbon to the dropper. Under a strike indicator, John may use the Copper John as the first fly and have two nymphs dropped below it.

Colored Wire

Barr has found that red wire, green, and zebra (Black & Silver) wire variations in sizes 14-18 work very well in stillwater applications when bounced along the bottom below an indicator on a floating line in shoal-type areas. John feels that the fly resembles a chironomid pattern when used in this manner. The fly makes an ideal replacement for any split shot that may be desired for a nymphal rig in sizes 12-14.

Presentation

John indicates that his friend, Doug Ouellette of Reno, NV has a great technique in stillwaters by using two Copper Johns, the heavier one being the point fly, on a 14 foot fluorocarbon leader without an indicator. As the rig drops through the water column using a countdown method, he looks for any unusual movement of the line, as trout will often hit the fly on the drop. Then, when the countdown is complete, he uses quick erratic retrieves of less than 2 inches with 2-4 second pauses. Doug believes that this retrieve resembles the erratic wiggle of an ascending midge and the trout will hit the Copper Johns hard. The Copper John can also be a useful fly for Crappie, Bluegills, and Largemouth Bass.

Select the correct bead size

For a smooth abdomen, build the foundation with as few bumps as possible. Bind the biot tail butts up to the lead wire and trim the excess closely. Bead sizes change according to the hook size. Use 7/64 inch beads for sizes 16-18, 1/8 inch for size 14, and 5/32 inch for size 12. Lead wire should also be used according to hook size. Use .010 for size 18, .015 inch for size 14-16, and .020 inch lead for size 12. Wapsi’s Ultra Wire comes in a wide selection of colors and sizes. The “BR” size is good for hooks #12-14. Use the “SM” size for hooks #16-18.

Copper John, Olive

Hook	Tiemco 5262 #10-18
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Gold Bead
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Medium Olive wire
Tail	Brown Goose Biots
Thorax	Peacock Herl
Wingcase	Pearl Flashabou and Black Kileys Nymph Skin coated with Loons UV Fly Finish, Thick
Legs	Brown Hen Back

Copper John, Red

Hook	Tiemco 5262 #10-18
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Gold Bead
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Medium Red wire
Tail	Brown Goose Biots
Thorax	Peacock Herl
Wingcase	Pearl Flashabou and Black Kileys Nymph Skin coated with Loons UV Fly Finish, Thick
Legs	Brown Hen Back

Silver Copper John

Hook	Tiemco 5262 #10-18
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Silver Bead
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Medium Silver wire
Tail	White Goose Biots
Thorax	Peacock Herl
Wingcase	Pearl Flashabou and Black Kileys Nymph Skin coated with Loons UV Fly Finish, Thick
Legs	Gray Hungarian Partridge

Copper John, Chartreuse

Hook	Tiemco 5262 #10-18
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Black Ruby Plummeting Bead
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Medium Chartreuse wire
Tail	Brown Goose Biots
Thorax	Peacock Herl
Wingcase	Pearl Flashabou and Black Kileys Nymph Skin coated with Loons UV Fly Finish, Thick
Legs	Brown Hen Back

Copper John, Brown

Hook	Tiemco 5262 #10-18
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Gold Bead
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Medium Brown wire
Tail	Brown Goose Biots
Thorax	Peacock Herl
Wingcase	Pearl Flashabou and Black Kileys Nymph Skin coated with Loons UV Fly Finish, Thick
Legs	Brown Hen Back