Flies

[pete41]

yeah -I went down to 16s ,even 18s until the cheapskates[NPI] started making the eyes so small the evening was over if I had to retie-
tied the little guys by the gross-

 

[pete41]

What happened to Letort cricket-used them all over the country and as Henry said,any color as long ---

 

[pcray1231]

lol at Jay... Nonetheless, we agree, though I still think we're more likely imitating caddis than hoppers, not that it matters.

 

[gfen]

I tied up some letort crickets this year for the first time, and I hated them. I just had the hardest time doing anything with them, which seems ridiculous, but so be it.

 

[jayL]

pcray1231 wrote:
lol at Jay... Nonetheless, we agree, though I still think we're more likely imitating caddis than hoppers, not that it matters.

Yeah, my stimmies are either huge or 12-14. No need for anything else, personally. If I go below 14, I just use an EHC.

 

[wsender]

Loren Williams has a good tutorial on tying a Stimulator if you're interested gfen.

 

[jayL]

The tutorial is a good one, but I didn't use it when I learned.

The stimmie is the ultimate example of the fact that you're not tying flies, but rather constructing them. There are so many steps involved in the stimmie, and not a single one of them comes close to difficult. It's all about piecing it together.

And I absolitely hate tying them. I buy 90% of the stimmies I use, and have no regrets about it.

 

[wsender]

jayL wrote:
The tutorial is a good one, but I didn't use it when I learned.

The stimmie is the ultimate example of the fact that you're not tying flies, but rather constructing them. There are so many steps involved in the stimmie, and not a single one of them comes close to difficult. It's all about piecing it together.

And I absolitely hate tying them. I buy 90% of the stimmies I use, and have no regrets about it.

I'm beginning to feel the same way about the Royal Humpy I'm tying for the Royal swap...

 

[Acristickid]

The stimulator is a good fly to attach a dropper off of.

Admittedly, dont use them much but for skinny water you want a nymph to float through or brookie fishing it works well. Orange or yellow. That's all I got.

 

[pete41]

or the stimulator as a dropper with an unweighted muddler marabou on the tail-old Madison river favorite for may caddis hatch in slightly off colored water-you just might get the fish of the year to hit the tail fly and good action on the dropper dancing on the surface like the natural.

 

[wetnet]

gfen wrote:
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.

This is a good standard list and good advice... beginner or not. It is a standard list that works.

 

[NewTyer1]

There is a guy on Fly Angelers Online Forum that ties awesome flies. $18.00 for 24 flies. I have bought PTN an Amhurst Pheasant Nymphs from him. Great guy to deal with.

 

[boychick]

Unless on my home waters, I stop in a local shop to buy flies. The local fly shop will always know what's hatching at the time and the little differences might be bigger than you think. You can't beat local knowledge.