Randall Kaufmann's Stimulator is the king of attractor dry flies for Western-style fast water. Its elk hair wing, palmered hackle, and bold body trigger strikes on everything from trout to steelhead. Yellow imitates Yellow Sallies and small stoneflies; orange targets Golden Stones and Salmonflies; chartreuse and tan serve as general attractors.
1. Thread base — Attach thread in your chosen body color behind the eye and build a base to the bend.
2. Tail — Stack a small bunch of elk hair and tie in at the bend, pointing rearward. Should extend about one hook-gap past the bend.
3. Rib — Tie in a length of gold wire at the bend.
4. Abdomen hackle prep — Tie in a ginger hackle by the tip at the bend.
5. Abdomen — Dub a tapered yellow body from the bend to the 2/3 point.
6. Palmer abdomen — Wind the ginger hackle forward over the abdomen in open spirals. Counter-wind the gold wire through the hackle to lock it. Tie off both.
7. Wing — Stack and align a substantial bunch of elk hair. Tie in at the 2/3 point, pointing rearward over the body at a low angle.
8. Thorax hackle & finish — Tie in a grizzly hackle at the wing base. Dub a bulky orange thorax ahead of the wing. Wind the grizzly hackle forward through the thorax. Build a small head, whip finish, and apply head cement.
