Flies

[smallie]

I know once I start fly fishing, I will tie my own. For now, does anyone on here sell flies? Should I order from myFlies. With all the different flies, not sure what to get. I know it depends on the water I'll be fishing, but I want to try different streams and rivers. Plus the size hook is a little confusing. Thanks for any help.

 

[David]

Myflies is a good choice in that at least one of the tiers is a regular and productive contributor to the site as well as an award winning tier. I'm sure a quick note to Mr. Myers will get you some specific counsel on recommended flies. see here: http://www.paflyfish.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=197

I know that many people like http://www.theflystop.com/index.cfm as many of us have met the owner when he worked at the outdoor shop in volant. they are cheap, too.

as far as a very basic fly selection for PA, you don't need to go crazy to start. some hare's ears for nymphs in #14 & 16, wooly buggers for streamers in black and a light color, caddis pupa #14, and for dries go with adams 14-18, sulphers in 14-18, and a caddis dry of your choice.
It will be extremely easy to build upon that, but for starters...those are some must haves!

Beyond that, I would start looking at terrestrials (ants, hoppers, beetles, bees), stonefly (both nymph and dry), basic midge (pupa and dry), and junk flies (san juan, green weenies, egg flies).

The next stage, you can start getting into specific imitations for specific mayflies and stages (bwos, green drakes, hendricksons, etc in different variations such as emergers, cripples, comparaduns, parachutes).

 

[troutslammer]

i would get pheasant tail nymphs sz 14 & 16 , same with hares ear , caddis larvae in sz 12&14 . orange glo bugs sz 12 , pheasant tail & hares ear soft hackle in sz 14&16 . Drys sz 14&16 tan caddis , adams sz 12,14,16,18 , sulfurs sz 12,14,16 , light cahills sz14,16 , basically what david said , when you see a bug you don't have capture it to immitate or remember it to buy one like it. this is only a short list of course there is blue wing olives , slate drakes , crane flys , midges , brown drakes, grannoms etc etc . good luck

 

[gfen]

Buy some pheasant tails and some hare's ears for nymphs, 14-18.
Buy some peacock soft hackles for wets, 14.
Buy some elk hair or CDC-and-elk caddis dries, 14-16.
Buy some Adams dry flies, regular and parachute, 12-18.
Buy some Blue Wing Olive dry flies, regular and parachute, 16-18.
Buy some Sulphur dry flies, regular and parachute, 14-16.
Buy some beetles 14-16, grasshoppers 8-10, and ants 14-16, and Royal Wulffs, 12-16.
On edit..
Buy some Wooly Buggers in olive and black for streamers, 6-8

Go out and have a good time. You've got your bases covered. You'll figure the rest out with due time.

If its graceful and slender while it flies, its a mayfly.
If its mothlike and spastic, its a caddis fly.
If its anything else, use an appropriate caddis or mayfly anyways. Its fishing, not rocket science.

If the bug coming off the water is light, use a sulpher. If its dark, use an Adams. If its tiny and olve, its a BWO. If you can't tell, use an Adams or a BWO (you'll figure them otu quick enough). If there's nothing, but you want to prospect or just have fun, use one of the terrestials or the Wulff.

That's it. Seriously. Don't let anyoen tell you its more complex.

 

[jdaddy]

gfens post should be stickied.

Search through the newbie section here and you will see this thread come up over and over. There is a lot of information/opinions on the matter. But what gfen says makes a hell of a lot of sense.

 

[smallie]

Thanks and yes I like the way gfen put it. I have been reading about the different groups. I understand it a little better.

 

[Pontus]

Just FYI, I was a total beginner last year. I did more or less what gfen said up there plus a few random flies that caught me more than the fish. I caught all of my trout last spring/summer on the flies he listed up there plus woolly buggers. Thats the only thing I'd add.

 

[gfen]

Suggestion edited, now i'll just keep it handy for the next round of threads.

I wish I had the forethought to ask this question, I still have unopened boxes of the stupidest things.

 

[jdaddy]

Solid edit, but frankly (oh dear god the wrath is gonna be vast and brutal) the Royal Wulff can go if you have caddis to prospect with.

 

[gfen]

No.

 

[gfen]

...And still no!

Seriously though, it could, sure, but the Wulff has many benefits: Its bouyant (bouyant? boyuant? damnit). Its generic. Its attractive to fish because of its outlandishness. Its easy to see because of those big wings. People recognize it as a signature fly of fly fishing (actually, I'd say the Royal Coachman, but that's more of a PITA to use).

It deserves a spot in every box, not because I love it like Shakey, but because its ticked off just about every box on the important fly list.

Oddly enough, I never fish proper caddis dry patterns. The Usual is good enough, and frankly a far superior fly to most other dry pattners IMNSHO; but the Royal Wulff is far more common to find and thus on my list.

 

[jayL]

Stimulator >>>>> royal wulff, imo.

I only fished the wulff in MT because I was out of stimmies. It covers grasshoppers (which could be removed from the list) and stoneflies too.

I personally think it's easier to keep afloat.

 

[gfen]

I think I shall take this moment to make a mental tick to tie and fish a stimulator at some point this year. I never have, because it just doesn't grab my attention.

What colour choices do you prefer in SEPA?

 

[pcray1231]

Agreed. I love me some stimmie fishin.

Most of my topwater caddis these days is with CDC. It is also the one hatch where I do use my share of true wet flies.

When I fish the true high floaters, its usually skittering them to imitate egg layers. Stimmies work great for that. I have almost no use for the elk hair varieties now...

 

[pete41]

When I fish the true high floaters, its usually skittering them to imitate egg layers.//Quote- Elk hair tents about 12 or 14 fished on ponds or river right at dark and skittered made many an evening for me-love em

 

[jayL]

gfen wrote:
I think I shall take this moment to make a mental tick to tie and fish a stimulator at some point this year. I never have, because it just doesn't grab my attention.

What colour choices do you prefer in SEPA?

Yellow body, ginger body hackle, standard deer hair, red thread base under forehackle, which I like to be grizzly.

But basically, if it has lots of yellow and a splash of red, it should work well.

And I don't fish them, but royal stimulators are pretty common. I'd think you'd enjoy that.

 

[gfen]

Last question, size? The Stimulators I have tied in a class were always big affairs to look all grass hopperish.

 

[pcray1231]

Elk hair tents about 12 or 14 fished on ponds or river right at dark and skittered made many an evening for me-love em

Yup, and a small stimmie will do that even better. Not so much that it looks better, but it'll skitter better for you.

Last question, size? The Stimulators I have tied in a class were always big affairs to look all grass hopperish.

yeah, a lot are. Used to immitate hoppers or salmon flies and such. I use them as skittered caddis more often though. Caddis colors (tans), size 12 or 14 usually. Don't know whether fish take them for a caddis or hopper, and don't really care, but I suspect the former.

 

[jayL]

gfen wrote:
Last question, size? The Stimulators I have tied in a class were always big affairs to look all grass hopperish.

About an inch long is most common for me. 12 and 14. (edit: Credit goes to Jay. pcray edited after I posted this. ) I go bigger, but mainly use them as hoppers like you said.

I've actually had great days fishing them in glassy pools on a relatively famous limestone stream. Anywhere with a canopy, really. It just looks like food that would fall from a tree.

 

[gfen]

Works for me. I'll add a few to the rotation. Not sure how well they'll toss on the 1'er, but life is all about experimentation.