With all due respect to John Barr and his brilliant creation of the Copper John (which may still be 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 more closely matched a mayfly’s 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, it is durable, and it works!