Do you go back and forth on your favorite nymph? When I first started fly fishing it was the green weenie. Once had some guys behind me complain that they should outlaw the weenie as I caught trout after trout. Then it was a bead head pheasant tail. This year it's a blowtorch. Next year- who knows?
I love Brittanies, too. My current one (Jackson) is now 15 1/2 years old. He is our third. He still gets around fairly well for his age, but gets up in the middle of the night even more often than I do.
I can't say that I have a favorite fly. I suppose it depends on where I am fishing, and saddly I haven't been able to fish for trout in a long time. For dry flies, I suppose my most used was probably Elk Hair Caddis because most of my fishing was in freestone streams. For sub surface? Probably woolly buggers or something similar. For nymphs, I'd have to say it is one that I tie that is similar to a hairs ear with bead chain eyes. But I often use a different fur.
For me, recipes are just suggestions whether I am tying flies or making soup. BTW, I am much better at making soup.
toss-up for dry flies. Either a CDC and Elk or one of my midge patterns. There always seems to be caddis and/or midges on the streams I fish
Same with sub-surface. Either a bead-head soft hackle PT Nymph, or a small(size 12 or 14) bead-head bright green mop fly, with a peacock thorax, green weenie replacement.
Man it is a hard choice to pick a singular favorite nymph. My personal favorite to tie and fish is a hare's ear, non bead head. But if I was regulated to one nymph to catch fish on, it would be a bead head Walt's worm. They just consistently catch fish.
I do. I change my nymphs according to the season. For Spring it will be beaded size 14 and 12 PT's with either a silver or hot bead. I will throw on a worm if the water gets high/turbid. I also like using an olive perdigon nymph in a size 16. As temps increase I use "buggier" looking nymphs. I then transition back to a more sparse pattern in the winter such as midges. My favorite pattern will vary on what body of water I am fishing and what time of the year I am fishing said water body.
I fish a elk hair caddis with a bhpt and a zebra midge under it pretty much all the time till I’m tired of dealing with the knots. So I’m going with 3 favorites
