08-12-2008, 09:04 PM
I've only carried 6 "regulars", in two shirt-pocket sized boxes, for the past 7 or 8 years. I DO have assorted sizes and shades appropriate for the water, and to cover any situation I may encounter.
1. Parachute Adams. (Speaks for itself. The catch-all mayfly and do-all attractor. I carry different body shades and wing colors for different conditions, not just the gray-body, white winged version. So, I guess I should call it the "parachute mayfly", but they're all just different shades of the para. adams.)
2.Elk Hair Caddis. (passes for caddis, adult stones, hoppers, and cicadas in the right sizes and colors. High floating in riffles, and a good attractor.)
3. CDC Mayfly. (tied with both spent wings and upright CDC "compara dun style" wings on the same hook. Passes well for all mayfly adults and spinners from Tricos to Green Drakes. I can trim off the spent wing, and have an adult cdc comparadun. I can trim the upright wing, and have a plain, sparse spinner for picky fish. Its two flies in one, and works great with both wings showing. It makes rusty spinners easy to see in low light with the upright wing still attached.)
4. "Mayfly Emerger" tied with a CDC wing tied in at the head, upright. Passes well for all mayfly emergers in the right sizes and shades. Trim the wing slightly, and its a midge emerger. Floats like a cork with the foam wing-case and looks real with one or two wraps of hackle at the head.
5. Puff Ball. (I don't know if this fly has a name, but it is NOTHING more than a clump of CDC tied splayed on the center of a thread covered hook. No tail, no head, no nothing. CDC on a hook. It's deadly on so-called selective trout feeding on mayflies or midges because its so sparse. I can also trim the wing to leave the silhouette of only spent wings, or fold the wings back to look like a caddis. It shines in small sizes during trico and midge hatches.
6. An adult blue damsel fly. Just one pattern. This is my "candy" fly. I LOVE tossing this fly. Its on a big hook, it floats like a cork, it is easy to see, it is easy to cast because it is sparse instead of bulky, it lands delicately, it works when there's no real hatch of standard bugs, and it brings up quality fish because of its size.
With these flies, I can catch any rising trout on the planet, plus bring a few up that are just looking up but not rising. I've got all the mayflies, caddis, and stone flies covered with just these flies. All of them also have a high hook-up ratio because there are no stiff materials to get in the way of the hook. I use soft Antron for the wings of my parachute adams instead of calf tail.
Last and least, I've been known to have a couple of hoppers, beetles, and ants in the box "just in case." I like the foam ones with rubber legs because they always float and get fish's attention. The legs can always be snipped if necessary.
The theme here is that with a few basic patterns, they can be tied, or modified on-stream to imitate anything I'll encounter. I've never met a trout that can count legs, see eyes on a floating bug, see mottling on a wing out of water, count ribs on a floating insect, or tell an Inermis from an Infrequens![laugh][laugh] It's ALL ABOUT THE PRESENTATION on even the "toughest" rivers and spring creeks. I don't need to wear a 15-lb, 30-pocket vest any more either! Two boxes in my shirt pocket, and hemos, floatant, tippet, and clippers on a necklace. That's it!
I do sometimes buy or tie a local favorite if I'm in an area where I'd like to use something more specific like some salmon fly water or good terrestrial water. I also buy a few flies from time to time at local, river-side shops to keep them going and show them I appreciate their service.
And no, I don't carry nymphs or streamers on the river with me. Those kinds of flies are fine, but just are not my style any more. I've done my time fishing wet. If the fish won't rise, I'll enjoy my float or time on the river just the same.
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1. Parachute Adams. (Speaks for itself. The catch-all mayfly and do-all attractor. I carry different body shades and wing colors for different conditions, not just the gray-body, white winged version. So, I guess I should call it the "parachute mayfly", but they're all just different shades of the para. adams.)
2.Elk Hair Caddis. (passes for caddis, adult stones, hoppers, and cicadas in the right sizes and colors. High floating in riffles, and a good attractor.)
3. CDC Mayfly. (tied with both spent wings and upright CDC "compara dun style" wings on the same hook. Passes well for all mayfly adults and spinners from Tricos to Green Drakes. I can trim off the spent wing, and have an adult cdc comparadun. I can trim the upright wing, and have a plain, sparse spinner for picky fish. Its two flies in one, and works great with both wings showing. It makes rusty spinners easy to see in low light with the upright wing still attached.)
4. "Mayfly Emerger" tied with a CDC wing tied in at the head, upright. Passes well for all mayfly emergers in the right sizes and shades. Trim the wing slightly, and its a midge emerger. Floats like a cork with the foam wing-case and looks real with one or two wraps of hackle at the head.
5. Puff Ball. (I don't know if this fly has a name, but it is NOTHING more than a clump of CDC tied splayed on the center of a thread covered hook. No tail, no head, no nothing. CDC on a hook. It's deadly on so-called selective trout feeding on mayflies or midges because its so sparse. I can also trim the wing to leave the silhouette of only spent wings, or fold the wings back to look like a caddis. It shines in small sizes during trico and midge hatches.
6. An adult blue damsel fly. Just one pattern. This is my "candy" fly. I LOVE tossing this fly. Its on a big hook, it floats like a cork, it is easy to see, it is easy to cast because it is sparse instead of bulky, it lands delicately, it works when there's no real hatch of standard bugs, and it brings up quality fish because of its size.
With these flies, I can catch any rising trout on the planet, plus bring a few up that are just looking up but not rising. I've got all the mayflies, caddis, and stone flies covered with just these flies. All of them also have a high hook-up ratio because there are no stiff materials to get in the way of the hook. I use soft Antron for the wings of my parachute adams instead of calf tail.
Last and least, I've been known to have a couple of hoppers, beetles, and ants in the box "just in case." I like the foam ones with rubber legs because they always float and get fish's attention. The legs can always be snipped if necessary.
The theme here is that with a few basic patterns, they can be tied, or modified on-stream to imitate anything I'll encounter. I've never met a trout that can count legs, see eyes on a floating bug, see mottling on a wing out of water, count ribs on a floating insect, or tell an Inermis from an Infrequens![laugh][laugh] It's ALL ABOUT THE PRESENTATION on even the "toughest" rivers and spring creeks. I don't need to wear a 15-lb, 30-pocket vest any more either! Two boxes in my shirt pocket, and hemos, floatant, tippet, and clippers on a necklace. That's it!
I do sometimes buy or tie a local favorite if I'm in an area where I'd like to use something more specific like some salmon fly water or good terrestrial water. I also buy a few flies from time to time at local, river-side shops to keep them going and show them I appreciate their service.
And no, I don't carry nymphs or streamers on the river with me. Those kinds of flies are fine, but just are not my style any more. I've done my time fishing wet. If the fish won't rise, I'll enjoy my float or time on the river just the same.
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