Hogan’s Little Amigo Nymph

Hogan Brown

Hogan Brown

Hogan’s Little Amigo Nymph

This pattern is designed by fly fishing guide Hogan Brown of Chico, CA . Hogan is a signature fly tier for Rio Products and has designed a number of flies that are marketed throughout Sierran Flyshops. Since Hogan guides on the Yuba and Feather Rivers, many of his patterns have been tested within these waters.

Small Mayflies

According to Hogan, “This fly comes in sizes #16-18 and Brown and Olive to imitate all the small olive and Brown mayfly nymphs on the Lower Sac and Lower Yuba River. That said as I developed the fly I have fished it all over the west. I have been working on this fly for a long time. Basically as soon as the S&M came out and gained mass popularity I figured I needed to come up with a new small mayfly nymph to fish as everyone and their mother was now fishing my old one…the S&M. So I tried all sorts of ideas, hooks, materials, natural, synthetic…you name it.

Always keeping in mind my tried and true may fly principals of may fly nymph design, Trim profile, straight shank hook, darker wing case then thorax, and minimal flash. I have fished the Amigo side by side the S&M and it fishes as good or better most days…some days fish want one or the other more but they are different flies. The Amigo has more movement in the thorax representing gills along with having a slim flash back with epoxy over it.

It also has natural fibers as legs which gives the fly a bit more action in the legs. It is a different fly then the S&M and while my goal for my own fly box was to develop a fly that replaced the S&M but it didn’t do that at all. Many days I fish both at various times and catch fish on both nymphs.”

Influenced by Mike Mercer

Hogan was greatly influenced by Mike Mercer (CB Micro Mayfly) and you will see that this pattern has many of the attributes of Mercer’s Micro Mayfly but handled differently by the materials chosen.

Variations