Fly Tying: Trout and Steelhead:

The Steelhead Lightning Bug

This is an adaptation of a fairly poplar pattern, originated by a Yakima River guide, Larry Graham. Graham used a hen hackle for legs, other tiers use pheasant tail, or goose biot, for legs. Legs or no legs, and material can be adjusted depending on size, etc.

This is a general attractor pattern, imitating a variety of insects. Fireflies themselves are uncommon, but not unknown in the Pacific Northwest. Montana is another area where the pattern is popular.

A few other examples:
http://www.theflybench.com/nymph/fly0323.htm
http://www.fineflies.com/Steelhead/Steelhead4.htm#Rogue%20Nymph - some nice steelhead nymphs. Orvis, Kaufmans, etc also sell the fly.
http://sfotf.ca/main/Lightning_Bug.163.0.html
http://www.danica.com/flytier/jmundinger/lightning_bug.htm

Both dubbed thorax and Peacock herl thorax versions are common, with most commercially available being dubbed. (the original was peacock)

Hook: These are tied on a size 6 Tiemco 3769, a standard 2x heavy wet fly hook, would probably also work on a curved shank hook. I'll probably tie the next batch on a size 8, depending on location, is often tied in smaller sizes (to 14).
Thread: I use tan or pale green, don't see much of it.
Tail: pheasant tail. (or a "v" of brown biot)
Body: holographic silver mylar tinsel
Rib: fine gold wire (or gold oval french tinsel, copper wire, etc)
Legs: Sili legs (these are pumpkin/black)
Thorax: dubbing or peacock herl
Shellback: a piece or two of tinsel and several flashabou, or turkey quill, etc
Antenna: (optional) Sili legs"I wrap these on fairly bulkily, try to keep out of the way of eye, tie off, apply head cement, and then place the bead wide opening toward hook eye, and slip over antenna tiein. Then I tie tail in, tinsel, and wire, and wrap a smooth slim thread body, then tinsel and rib, leaving room for thorax. Tie in flashback at body/thorax, over the tail, then tie in legs, then dub with your choice of dubbing or peacock. The dubbed version I used a dubbing loop with a blended mix (SLF- kaufman tan, kaufman stone, hare's mask, light grey antron), whereas the peacock herl version uses 3-4 (adjust for hook size) herl's wrapped around the thread. I put some head cement on the thread, then a couple half hitches behind bead. I also put a couple coats of head cement over the flashback.

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