Go to flys

[6xAdams(Jones)]

If I had to pick only one, it would be an Adams size 16 parachute (w/ orange post).
-But-
In no particular order, 80% of the time it's a combination off Adams, BWO, Light Cahill, and ants (of various configurations and sizes). For specific times and locations, the other 20% would be Slate Drake, March Brown, Sulphur, Quill Gordon, and other somewhat obscure flies that include my son's experimental dragon and damsel fly imitations.

 

[laszlo]

I see several of yinz picking dry flies, are you fishing them during a hatch or by chance. I rarely fish dries because I rarely see fish actively rising

 

[Bamboozle]

I see several of yinz picking dry flies, are you fishing them during a hatch or by chance. I rarely fish dries because I rarely see fish actively rising

I clarified my earlier reply (#5) by excluding hatches. That's when I use bug specific flies.

Any other time I'm fishing the dry flies on my list I am prospecting because; I THINK they may work, I feel like fishing a dry fly or I saw a few risers and I'm too lazy to get all etymologically scientific...

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I see several of yinz picking dry flies, are you fishing them during a hatch or by chance. I rarely fish dries because I rarely see fish actively rising

No "working" trout, I use an Adams, since it can imitate so many different bugs. Sometimes caddis since they're generally ten-a-penny on the water I fish.

 

[rancid waders]

Articulated sculpin. If that doesn't work a McMurray ant, all that fails then it's time to go dredge the bottom with a PTN variant

I should add that I am a very huge fan of whatever is working at the time

 

[wildtrout2]

I see several of yinz picking dry flies, are you fishing them during a hatch or by chance. I rarely fish dries because I rarely see fish actively rising

Despite of the absense of actual hatches on several of the wild streams I fish, the brooks and browns readily go after my dry fly with a good presentation.

 

[falcon]

Dries - parachute style, CDC wing dries, X Caddis
Nymphs - generic nymphs, stoneflies with rubber legs

DS emerger

 

[JeffK]

These are my go-to's if I am not fishing a hatch. Sulphurs and olives are the most common hatches I run into and I always carry them, but don't fish them if I don't see much going on.

Nymphs
Spring Nymphing: Egan's red dart and something heavy (mop, Pat's, stonefly) to get it down. Red dart has been very good to me for a few years.

Late Spring nymphing: 16 - 20 olive perdigon and something else. When water gets low and clear my starting fly will be smaller and subtler.

Summer limestoner: thread ant and black Avatar

Wet Fly combo: Pass Lake and Teal, Blue, and Silver

Dries
Early Dry: Adams (gray flies for April)

Later dries: Sparkle dun and parachute Cahill. If March Browns are around a March Brown may be my searching pattern. I think trout will come up for a juicy MB or Iso if nothing much is going on.

Attractor Dries: Royal Wulff, Ausable Wulff, Stimulator (Stimulator is my favorite for dry/dropper) Used to be a big Patriot fan as well.

All season: Rusty spinners (rusty spinners never a bad choice IMHO)

Summer dry: Foam beetle

Fall dry: Iso

I'm not a big caddis fisherman, but a CDC tan caddis has saved the day occasionally for spooky fish in flat pools.

 

[Sylvaneous]

I have established my favorite or go-to flies for situations, my favorite 2 designs for spinners, favorite dries, caddis style, etc.... I don't think that's much different than most fly fishermen. I have flies for times, approaches and situations. I would say then, in my interpretation, I don't have a 'go to ' fly. I'm probably in the majority, I think.

 

[dryflyguy]

I go to whatever is - or that I think may currently be - hatching.

If nothing is, I'll try a beetle

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Go to dry flies: Stimulators, Hi-Viz Foam Beetles, Para Ants, Ausable Wulffs, Hi-Viz Para Adams

Go to subsurface flies: Golden Retriever, Thin Mint Wooly Bugger, BH PT, BH Prince, Green Weenie, Eggs

 

[wildtrout2]

Lately, if I walk up to a stream and nothing is happening, I fish a parachute Adams on top and a Frenchie on bottom.

I've also had success with a parachute Adams on top with a Zebra Midge on the bottom.

 

[blitzinstripes]

Other than a few basic nymphs, I don't really have any other 'go to' flies. It's funny, sometimes I'll stumble on to something. Have a crazy day. Huge numbers of fish on some new or kind of obscure pattern. So I end up tying a ton of them. For some reason I do this a lot with steelhead. 😁 Then the next trip they ignore it. Rarely do I have repeat success on 'last year's/ last week's hot pattern' again, outside of a few very basic staple flies.

Which reminds me. I still need to tie up a dozen of those crazy looking streamers I was crushing chrome on that one day last fall....

 

[KeviR]

The last few years I've had a few patterns that came and went as killer flies. Squirmies worked really well a few times in a few different places, but lately - I haven't touched a fish on one in the times I've tried it. I had a few outings 2 years ago when an Iron Lotus was the bomb. Since then, not so much. Similarly with the Frenchie last year. Not sure what changes, but for each of them, I have had success in different places and different conditions. Then later they mysteriously stop working as well. Based on this and other threads recently, I doubt that they become less effective because everyone else is using them around the same time.
Anyway - in the past few weeks I have a renewed appreciation for the black wooly bugger.
And my go-to nymph this year has been a sexy walt's with a metallic pink bead.

 

[shakey]

My answer remains predictable
Maurice flies.
And Maurice variations.
Traditional brown , gray Maurice with a rib , and this year a purple Maurice did great on spring .
A royal Maurice is good for WW