With all due respect to John Barr and his brilliant creation of the Copper John (which at the time of this writing remains the best-selling nymph of all time) there were things about the pattern that bothered me. My main hang-ups were that it had a mayfly or micro-stone profile but was tied in outlandish colors more reminiscent of caddis and midges. Thus, like many fly tiers, I took what I liked (in this case a wire body) and made something “new” that was more closely matched a mayflies profile and coloration. This is my hybrid between an Anato-May, and a Copper John. It is very durable with a strong simple mayfly/micro stone profile and strong countershading. It sinks really fast.
Best Sellers: Golden Brown #14-18
Fishing Notes: Just fish it.