Published Jun 19. 2009 - 15 years ago
Updated or edited Jun 4. 2022

Lake Champ

Many years ago, when Colombian Carlos Heinsohn began to tie flies, he didn't have more than a few basic materials and not more than three models of hooks. He wanted a huge dragonfly nymph, so he made one almost entirely with black and brown marabou on a #6 hook with a few wraps of copper wire.

Lake Champs -
Lake Champ - The finished Lake Champ dragonfly nymph
Ready for the box - Lake Champs ready to be stuck in the flybox
Lake Champ
Carlos Heinsohn

This fly is the evolution of one of the first flies I ever tied. Many years ago, when I was beginning to tie flies, I did not have more than a few basic materials and not more than three models of hooks. I wanted a huge dragonfly nymph tied by myself, so I made it almost entirely with black and brown marabou on a #6 hook with a few wraps of copper wire.

The largest one always escapes

The next weekend I went out to fish to a lake. It was my second or third time fishing with a fly rod. I was casting at the shore of a small bay, when suddenly a really large trout took my new fly, perhaps the largest trout I have ever had on the other end of the line.
As soon as it swallowed the fly, the trout came directly at me, hit me on the legs, tangled the line, and ran away.
The ones that escape are always the largest!
Since that day I can’t forget what it feels like when a big trout hit your legs, and how much they like dragon fly nymphs.

Evolution

Since that moment the original fly began to evolve, and in all the models I have developed it has given me good strikes, whenever it maintains certain characteristics of the original one, like the blend of black and brown in the abdomen, the bronze sparkle, the marabou tail, and the legs tied horizontally with brown hackle or marabou, long enough for a good swimming motion.
This fly works great when fished near the shore, especially where grass or other vegetation grows from the water. Does not seem to be a fly for small trout. When I have caught trout with it, they have always been larger than the average of the day.

Step 1 - thread

Step 2 - tail

Step 3 - Larva Lace

Step 4 - Copper Flashabou

Step 5 - woven abdomen

Step 6 - secure Larva Lace

Step 7 - Belt and legs

Step 8 - Eyes

Step 9 - wing case

Finished fly - The result is a fly of a relatively low profile seeing it sideways, and wider if it is viewed from above.  The legs that aim slightly up, give it an appearance of activity, and they work as a level when the fly is in the water.
Finished fly
Carlos Heinsohn
Drying - A whole bunch of Lake Champs drying in wine corks
Side view - Notice how the legs are angled upwards. This helps stabilize the fly in the water
Lake Champ belly - The underside og the finished Lake Champ
Carlos Heinsohn

Use it near the shore, especially in zones where grass and other plants emerge from the water.

I hope you enjoy this fly as I do every time I go fishing to a lake for trout.

Best,
Carlos Heinsohn

Comments

GREAT!! A BIG MONST...

GREAT!! A BIG MONSTRUOSITY AS LIKED BY BIG MONSTER FISH...Fly Fishing Mosqueo Tropical in Facebook is proud of you! Good luck with your next creations too!

Hi Ole, Thanks for ...

Hi Ole,
Thanks for your words! If you search on Internet for "woven flies" you'll find some tying instructions with illustrations. There is also a website called "crotcheted flies"! I found this technique some years ago on a book, and the results are allways nice.

Those were the first illustrations of a tying process I've made. I'm glad you like them! I hope I can improve with the next ones.

Best,

Carlos

Hallo Carlos, nic...

Hallo Carlos,

nice article and nice fly! I did not understand the weaving completely but maybe I have to try it out and see then if it works or not.

Did you do the drawings on your own? They are really great and making your report different to the ones "just" with photos.

Regards,
Ole

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