Flies you on't leave the house without...

Jeff · Mar 17, 2008

Hi friends,

I am one year into fly fishing and am steadily learning as I go, although I don't get out a lot...

My question is:

If you were going to fish a water for the first time in say April to June, what would be the 10 or so immitations and lures that you would be sure to put in the fly box first?

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

Baz Chaz · Mar 17, 2008

pheasant tail nymph, small black buzzers, corixa,hares ear, damselfly nymph ( and have a couple of the last two with a small goldhead) viva (with variation of coloured tag) wooly bugger, hawthorn fly, in fact any variation on those.

As an experiment a pal of mine and me stuck with just about those flies( all blacks and browns) on one of our club waters and did really well all season /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Ged · Mar 17, 2008

AS Baz Chaz but would add olive green nymph. If fishing a river would not be without Greenwell's Glory and from June onwards, sedges and sedge pupas. Freshwater shrimp.

Jeff · Mar 17, 2008

I should have said flies for still waters, sorry about that...

I would love to get on a river but don't know of any in my area on the herts and essex border...?

My local water is Rib Valley Lakes, just outside Ware in Herts, if anyone knows it...?

Alan Tyler · Mar 17, 2008

Know it , but can't afford it!

When it started, it had mayflies; unless they rake the gravel to keep the gaps between the stones clear, I doubt if they've lasted. There seems to be quite a fast turnover of fish, so any of the standard lures should work for stockies; after they've been in the lake a while, their bread-and-butter will be midges - i.e. buzzers.

Paul Canning (I think) had a pattern called the "Dot Midge", a tiny (16) black thread-bodied buzzer, with a white collar just behind a pronounced head. The turns forming the second layer of winding of the head hold a wisp of badger hackle fibres along the back of the fly, like an upside-down beard hackle.

Fish it as middle dropper in April, and report back... only middle dropper I've known to outfish the other two.

Otherwise, bloodworm, buzzers, damsels, alder larvae, PTNs ... and a few hairy plugs. When I gave up fluff-flinging, the Cat's Whisker was - well, the cat's whiskers, and I doubt many trout have lived long enough to go off them!

If you stay at it into late summer and autumn, you'll need sedges and daddy-long-legs patterns, too. Shouldn't have thought there's enough shallow water to make corixa significant, except up by the hut - and probably mostly in September.

Jeff · Mar 18, 2008

Hi Alan,

THe Mayflies are still there, I caught my first off the top trout on a mayfly immitiation last may with the help of a pro' angler. It was great, they were coming off the water quite often come the afternoon.

Thanks for all the other advice!

Paul H · Mar 18, 2008

Crackingly useful thread Jeff, top marks and great information from everyone else.

Jeff · Mar 18, 2008

Cheers Paul,

I started itof courseas the feedbackwill greatlybenefitbeginners like myself!

But now you mention it, Ican see that everyone, right up tothe very experienced anglerscanlearn from sharing such informationforwhile some patterns will appear in most's list of favorites,the odd 'gem-idea' will undoubtably be trown up for all towork with and hopefully enjoy...!

Thanks again, Jeff

Ric Elwin · Mar 21, 2008

Can't comment on stillwaters but on rivers; if I only had goldhead hare's ear to cover 'deep situations', and a few spiders to cover fish feeding around the surface, I wouldn't feel I needed much else.

Morespiders · Mar 21, 2008

Next time you go Ric leave the few spider's at home and take some morespiders. Any luck in Bali?.

S-Kippy · Mar 22, 2008

Can't believe nobody has mentioned Daiwl Bach.

I would be perfectly happy to fish ANY still water with the following.I'm excluding dry flies/emergers because I rarely use the nasty little things !

Black & green tadpole with or without goldhead/White & Green Cats Whisker/Goldhead Olive tadpole

Damsel with or without goldhead inc a very skinny version

Buzzers in black & olive/Red Daiwl Bach/Standard Cruncher/Hares Ears

My standard 3 fly cast [with impact subs] would be

Top dropper : Red Daiwl Bach sub Hares Ear ; Size 12/14

Middle : Standard cruncher sub another Daiwl bach or a smaller buzzer; Size 12/14

Bottom : Buzzer sub Damsel or B&G taddy if I want to get the flies down.: Size 10/12

Fish this very slowly [and I mean dead drift if the wind allows] across thewind and hang on tight ! You WILL catch.If the fish come up then I often shorten the leader right down and fish 2 or even 3 DB's on a 6-8 ft leader.Can be deadly.

Daiwl Bachs can also be devastating fished under a bung if your conscience allows you to use one.Mine does and being a roach angler at heart I will hit the slightest twitch andconsistently outfish those waiting for a proper pull.

I carry hundreds and hundreds of flies but I rarely use anything other than the above.I do alright.

Skippy

Jeff · Mar 23, 2008

Thanks Skippy,

Some very useful and precise information there!

I am almost certain to be going at some point next weekend so will repot back how I get on...

Jeff

S-Kippy · Mar 23, 2008

Jeff

You're welcome.I dont really like lure fishing but this time of year it may be necessary.Something heavyin black & green or an Olive Tadpole/Damsel or Cats Whisker ought to work.Bit early for the Daiwl Bachs...wait till the water warms a bit.

For what its worth having tied hundreds of flies I rarely bother anymore because the Fulling Mill range is so good.I've had so many fish on the red Daiwl Bach [2nd one down] its untrue

http://www.flybuyer.com/acatalog/Catalog_Diawl_Bach_Nymphs_120.html

Flybuyer are very good too.

Good luck.

Brian

Jeff · Mar 24, 2008

I was inroduced to the Dawl Bach lst season and found that the trout really take them aggresively!

Up until the firstday I ever usedthe Dawl Bach I had only ever fished single flies,on that day I met this very experiend angler who introduced me to fishing multiple flies and so fished a 'washing-line'? I think it was called, where the top fliy was a dry/mayfly, 2nd fly Dawl bach, as was the third, with the point fly being another May fly. So the 2 may flies floated at either end with the 2 Dawl Bachs handing in the middle just under the surface...

All I can say is that they hit those DB's hard!

S-Kippy · Mar 24, 2008

They certainly often do but there are other days when they can be a bit cute.

The Washing Line can be deadly.Normally a bouyant booby on the point and two lightweight nymphs which the Booby holds up in the surface layers.

On the subject of cute I remember a day when me and my mate were fishing a concrete bowl ressie when the fish were very close in.Toavoid spooking themwe were casting at a very shallow angle downwind and laying the flyline on the wall.Takes were indicated by the bow in the line between wall and rod tip lifting.As I recall we didn't have a proper "pull" all day but had 16 fish betwen us and half as many again lost.Went back the following week and did it again much to the locals disgust.

But I've fished the same place with two DB's under a bung,flies fished absolutely static with no more than a5 foot leader and had the rod nearly pulled out of me hand.For some reasaon they seem to want to "kill" the DB hence the often savage hits.

When I first started it was all about catching some fish...method didn't matter but as I got better at everything [casting,reading the water,fly selection]etc it became increasingly about how I caught my fish and I love fishing nymphs and buzzers.I may swap other flies around but I have ALWAYS got a DB on the cast somewhere.Usually a red holo one and usually on the top dropper.I reckon it catches me 60% of my fish over the season.

Brian

S-Kippy · Mar 25, 2008

Jeff

Blimey...I nearly forgot that well known imitative pattern the Goldhead Daddy which can begood at any time & devastatingwhen the daddies are about in autumn.I fish it on the point of a two fly cast fished slow figure of eight or slow pulls.No prizes for guessing what thedropper fly is !

Havng been introduced to the rubber legged version I tried it at Farmoor [my nearest] and took it off after 3 fish in 4 casts.I dare say I was dead lucky that day but boy did they ever want it.Always worth having a couple in the box.

I made suremy mate didn't seeme tying it on though ! I'd never have lived it down.

Brian

Morespiders · Mar 25, 2008

Yes, DB's, great nymph's, had six on Sunday in two hour's , another eight anglers had nothing, well chuffed.

S-Kippy · Mar 25, 2008

Nice one Spidey....hardly competitive at all then !

Stuff all the DB variants its the red holo or red head in a 12 for me every time.If they dontwork there aint any fish there ! Move.

Bit keen arent you or did it not snow where you were ?

Skippy

Morespiders · Mar 26, 2008

Yes Skippo, It did snow, rain, wind, and sun. Going again in morning, fingers crossed.

Mart Smith · Mar 31, 2008

Jeff, this is a great thread, especially as I'm taking up fluff chucking again. I did it a few times 10 years ago up in the moutains of Zimbabwe on small streams. I've just booked a lesson at Hanningfield for the end of the month, but I'm reading and surfing to learn as much as possible. Thanks for all those who've replied - lots of valuable information there.

Mart

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