good selection of Dry Flies

[steve2u42]

I am fairly new to fly fishing and i am not very good at knowing all the types of flies i will need. I am trout fishing Pennsylvania on several streams. Is it possible to have all the flies i will need for the year and cover the hatches and try to keep the assortment down to about 50? Here is a list of what i have so far. How about some feedback on what i do not need, am i duplicating a certain pattern and can delete some patterns and what i should add to my list. This is just a list of dry patterns:
Adam 12
Adam 14
Adam 16
Blue Wing Olive 14
Blue Wing Olive 16
Blue Wing Olive 18
Caenis Spinner 14
Caenis Spinner 16
Cinnamom Sedge 12
Cinnamom Sedge 14
Dark Cahill 14
Dark Cahill 16
Dark Hendrickson 12
Dark Hendrickson 14
Elk Hair Caddis 12
Elk Hair Caddis 14
Elk Hair Caddis 16
Elk Hair Caddis 18
Humpy Red 12
Humpy Red 14
Humpy Yellow 12
Humpy Yellow 14
Light Cahill 14
Light Cahill 16
Light Cahill 18
Light Hendrickson 12
Light Hendrickson 14
March Brown 12
March Brown 14
Mosquito 14
Mosquito 16
Pheasant Tail 12
Pheasant Tail 14
PMD Comparadun 14
PMD Comparadun 16
PMD Comparadun 18
Royal Coachman 12
Royal Coachman 14
Royal Coachman 16
Royal Wulff 12
Royal Wulff 14
Royal Wulff 16
Olive Sparkle Dun 14
Olive Sparkle Dun 16
Olive Sparkle Dun 18
Tan Sparkle Dun 14
Tan Sparkle Dun 16
Tan Sparkle Dun 18
Stimulator Orange 10
Stimulator Orange 12
Stimulator Yellow 10
Stimulator Yellow 12
Sulpher 14
Sulpher 16
[color=0000FF]Dry Parachute[/color]
Adams 12
Adams 14
Adams 16
Pheasant Tail 12
Pheasant Tail 14
Thanks for the feedback.Dry Flies

 

[jayL]

You'll want to carry multiples of each. I do not think that 50 will allow you to get a good variety, as well as multiples of the most important patterns.

I'd say you could easily whittle it down to 50 patterns, but you'll need at least 3-4 of some of them if you plan on fishing a lot.

 

[steve2u42]

thanks for the info. I know i need several of each size. I just looking to see if this is a good list. And, what i need to be covered

 

[jdaddy]

I think everyone is going to tell you that is a pretty poor approach. Identify where you will be fishing, when you will be fishing and narrow down your patterns. You have things on there that would rarely ever be needed and some things that likely need to be expounded on substantially. Example you have "Elk Hair Caddis". I would suggest you need various sizes and colors, as well as variations of caddis. You are in Mechanicsburg. Plan on hitting any tricos?

Again, it all depends on when, where and how you are going fishing. I would not start collecting flys. You will do that over time as needed.

 

[jayL]

Agreed.

Honestly, your best bet is to go to a fly shop for the stream(s) you plan to fish, and ask. They'll help you with whatever you need.

 

[jdaddy]

Ya, I think you said you were fishing Yellow Breaches a lot. Bass Pro is really not a great shop. Maybe head over to Yellow Breaches Outfitters.

 

[steve2u42]

ok, thanks for the info. I thought it would be so much easier to get a good selection of dry flies to use in many locations. I guess my fishing spots and ideas are to much to ask. I travel and like to have what i might need.
I also guess everyone has there own special favorites it to hard to narrow down a good selection

 

[jdaddy]

I travel a lot as well. Part of the fun is hitting local shops and buying your bugs there. You help their economy plus get filled in on whats going on locally.

Don't get me wrong. If you are wanting to load up on flies, you can be pretty safe with a nice variety of caddis, sulphers, olives, etc. You have "Sulphers 12 and 14" listed. You need to know there are sulpher emergers, sulpher spinners, sulpher duns, sulpher comparaduns, parachute sulphers, rusty spinners, etc, etc, etc all within the realm of "sulpher". See how it is kind of hard to do what you are trying to do?

 

[bam]

I don't carry or even have nearly all this stuff at any given time, but you can fish anywhere with an assortment of parachutes, emergers, CDCs and hackled dries with the following:
BWO 18 and 20
Sulphurs 14-18
Adams 12-20
Caddis 16-20

Griffiths Gnat 18-22

Rusty spinners 12-22

Terresterials:
Stimulators 14
ants and beetles 14-18
san juan worm 14
inch worm 16

Yellow Humpy or royal coachman for brookies

Nymphs, soft hackles and streamers:
Hares ear 14-16
Phesant tails 12-20
caddis 16
midges 18-22
buggers 4-10

From there I'd build your box if you anticipate hitting a specific hatch, but if you have those staples you can fish over any hatch or fish

 

[wsender]

I think presentation is more important than pattern. Just find a few nice caddis patterns, mayfly patterns, nymphs, scuds, in a variety of sizes.

Just stop in your local shop, see whats hatching, buy a few flies and bingo; in no time you'll have a nice collection, a good rapport with someone who is hopefully a big wealth of fly fishing knowledge, and the beat on some good spots you didn't know about!

 

[dryflyguy]

With the major hatches long over for this season, you could whittle a lot off of that list - at least until next spring.

I catch most of my fish in summer on terrestials, and would recommend ants and beetles in sizes#14, #16, and #18.
A good all around caddis is a tan colored fluttering style of tie.
I'd carry a few in#14 and#16
As for mayflies, a#14 slate drake pattern will work on streams where they hatch - a #14 adams will work for this also
On streams where tricos hatch, you'll want to carry some of them for the mornings. #24
Later in the fall, you'll likely see BWO's hatch. These are small flies, imitated with a #20 pattern
And I'd round things out with some attractor patterns - wulffs and humpies

 

[steve2u42]

This is amazing science here. I know there are 3 types of Flies. Mayflies, stoneflies and Caddisflies. Mayflies have 32 types of hatches, stone flies have 7 types of hatches and Caddisflies have 9 types of hatches. Each type has at most a nymph(Larva), Emerging Pupa, Adult(spinner) that can be used as a fly. That comes to a total of 48 different flies x 3cycles= 162 different flies. I understand some have different colors and different sizes. Why different colors and sizes i do not understand but it is what it is. Why is a list of flies so hard to come by? Is it really a secret flyfisher man don't want to share? I do know to add to the list you should add: streamer, tricos, midges, and terrestrials, worms and scuds. but i am just inquiring about dry flies at this time. with the list i have posted, i should be able to come up with 48 flies x 3 sizes and 2 colors. 324 flies total for dry flies. I am using the Pennsylvania hatches book for my info. I also know some of the flies duplicate themselves. Go to any Fly shop and most i have been in have 600 flies. Over a one year span, am i really going to need 600 flies to have every fly for every hatch? calculations showing me i will need about almost 1000 flies if i have only 1 of each, 3 sizes and 3 colors and 3 life transitions each. I know i am sounding rough and i am sorry. I just looking for the secrets of Fly fishing without people making me feel really dumb. Sorry i am a detailed person but i really do love being on the stream flyfishing and i am not finding any real list of flies

 

[jayL]

I really think you are taking the wrong approach. Many of the flies you listed are useless (IMO), while you have many holes in your arsenal as well. But that's just because I am applying the list to streams that I fish.

I'd start with the list bam gave, then add specific flies as you approach a certain stream at a certain time of the year. You can do that by inquiring here, going to fly shops, or searching on the internet for hatch information for that stream at that time of year. At that time, you can fine tune your selection.

The idea is that you will accumulate flies that way. It's just how it's done by most FFers.

I can't think of anyone that takes the approach you're trying to take. There's no secrets at play here.

It would be much easier to give you a list of generic attractor dry flies, as they work everywhere. When it comes to hatch matching patterns, like you're looking for, it's simply not reasonable to expect to have a selection up front IMO. There are a few hatches that can be expected everywhere, but it's mostly highly variable by stream, region, and time of year.

Also, the same species of insect can be vastly different, depending on the stream.

My advice is that you should not worry so much about building an arsenal up front, and enjoy the journey of collecting flies as you go. It's so hard to find a list because there is no list.

 

[jdaddy]

I was going to type a big long drawn out message, but I am sending you a PM with my phone number. Give me a call and we will go fishing a few days next week. I have been relearning this sport for about a year so I know where you are coming from.

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

If you have the following, you'll be able to catch fish most places around here. I'll extend jdaddys offer. I only live 15-20 minutes from you.

Sulphur - nymph, emerger, dun, spinner #14-20

BWO - nymph, emerger, dun #16-20

Caddis larva - green and tan #14-20

CDC Caddis adult and spent - green/olive, tan, black #14-20

Ants/Beetles- #14-20

Pheasant tail nymph - #14-20

Rusty spinner - #14-18

Chocolate spinner - #16-20

Sculpins, buggers, zonkers - #2-8

That should be plenty to get you catching fish most places. From there, refine your box to match the streams you fish. I'll agree w/ wsender that presentation trumps pattern. A good drift with the wrong fly will still take fish. The right fly with a bad drift seldomly takes fish.

 

[David]

If I were starting out, and someone gave me that fly assortment, I'd be a happy man. It's a good starting point. I would also consider some of the suggestions such as terrestrials and such made by the other posts.
That assortment, along with good presentation will catch most any rising trout you encounter.
You will see your collection grow and change as you move along, but any approach you want to take to get you into the sport is the right approach if you like it!

 

[steve2u42]

I am using a 5 wt rod set up. The standard size hook sizes are 14-18. I use a 9' 5x leader and when needed i add on 6x or 7x tippet. that takes me to a size 16-26 hook. What do i need to do if i am going to cast a size 2-8 terrestrial? I did not think i could go to the larger size, just a smaller size from a 5x.

 

[Alpabuck]

sight_nymph_17109 wrote:
A good drift with the wrong fly will still take fish. The right fly with a bad drift seldomly takes fish.

Sight knows whats up!

Here's what I'll tell ya. Whenever you feel like going fishing go to the local fly shop and ask whats hatching , what time they are hatching and for how long the bugs will be around. Then by said flies and go fishing.( Just to add to this you dont need 7 or 8x tippet) If they give you lip, punch them in the head and then proceed to ask the nice gentleman on this website. There are a few pretty knowledgeable guys on this site!

Some fly shops are your friend and would be more then happy to help you.

You could always just pm JayL though he knows everything!

 

[jdaddy]

Here is a good video that Afish put in another thread. Discusses presentation v. selection.

 

[jdaddy]

I understand some have different colors and different sizes. Why different colors and sizes i do not understand but it is what it is.

Same reason cats, dogs, humans are different sizes and colors.