When the cinder worm hatch is on, the cinder worm fly is the whole toolkit. There is no big flashy pattern that saves the day, just a small, slim, reddish worm imitation and a good drift. It is a fly built for one job: fooling striped bass that are sipping worms by the thousand.
What it imitates
It matches the small swimming marine worms that swarm the surface of salt ponds and marshes on warm spring evenings, typically an inch or two, reddish, orange or wine-colored, with a slim profile and a hint of undulating motion. The key is a silhouette and color that disappear into the swarm.
How to fish it
Fish it on a floating or intermediate line with a dead drift, letting it tumble naturally with the current exactly like the naturals. Lead a sipping fish so the fly arrives quietly in its window, and resist the urge to strip, worms drift and wriggle, they do not swim fast. When a fish sips, come tight gently.
Tip Match the size and the color of the actual worms, then obsess over the drift. During the worm hatch, a fly that drags even slightly gets refused, so mend and reposition until your worm floats down-current with zero tension.