how good does the fly have to be?

[BTflyman]

Thanks for everyones perspective!!

 

[Cornholio]

Pattern doesn't matter as much as presentation does. Though, specific patterns can help on tough days. Trout ( for the most part) are opportunistic feeders especially in freestone streams.

 

[mcneishm]

In terms of the fly itself, if I'm fishing nymphs, which I am almost all the time on a stream, I think presentation, size, and color (dark or light) are the most important things, in that order, with presentation trumping everything else by miles. I go for "bugginess" in my nymphs. Can't define that term but like SCOTUS and pornography, I'll know it when I see it. Dries are another story, though, and I think they need to be more realistic than nymphs tho presentation still trumps everything else. I will say, tho, that I've caught fish on some really bedraggled dry flies over the years, almost what seems to me to be by accident or stupidity on the part of the fish.

 

[Coughlin]

Interesting conversation. I like the yes and no responses, since sometimes the "look" of a fly does matter. That said, confidence in a fly always matters and presentation will almost always trump anything else. On the other hand, how many of us have seen a trout turn away from a real bug struggling in the water? I've had fish try to eat a leader knot. I think it all starts with the drift. If it doesn't appeal to the fish, not much else matters, except when I accidently drag a fly back while turning back and snag a trout.
Coughlin

 

[dryflyguy]

One of my buddys ties flys that - to be kind here - leave a lot to be desired.
But he still does quite well on them.
I tell him that the fish are taking them for cripples

Actually, he is a very good caster. And I'm sure that his great presentations are making up for his straggly looking flies

 

[PennKev]

trowpa wrote:
The answer is...

Yes. And No.

IMO - Sometimes they care, most often they don't. Presentation usually trumps the fly.

I prefer to fish mostly simple and generic "safe" patterns and not worry about small details. But sometimes you need both presentation AND fly to be perfect.

Totally agree. I would go farther to say that even when fly pattern is important, it is usually a matter of size and general color, not close imitation. Even then, in those situations, presentation still is king.

Kev

 

[tracker12]

Let's face it even a fly that looks perfect to the fisherman does not look like a real fly. There are exceptions but for the most part we are trying to get the right shape. For me I like to catch fish and will fish with what ever works. Green weenies, San Juan worms, eggs, what ever. I had a big lesson on Spring creek one day early in my fly fishing. I was not catching crap when I passed a guy and he said he was killing them. Nice I said using worms. That's when he showed me the two little balls on muskrat wrapped on a size 18 hook. He actually rigged me up (this was my first day trout fishing with a fly rod and is was probably pretty obvious. I fished the next three hours and while I did not kill them I did manage to catch a 1/2 dozen fish which for me a awesome. I am just a guppie when it comes to tying but I like sparse simple fly's and not because they are just easier to tie.

 

[Coughlin]

I've fished flies ( not many) that looked like they'd crawl off the table (not mine). Have to say they haven't fished well, though will concede that may have had to do more with me than the fly.

Have fished Royal Wullfs that cleaned up brown trout on a couple ( meaning few) days, which clearly had nothing to do with what hatching bugs look like.

There are times when the tiny brains of trout tell them that a #22 midge is what they should eat rather than the suculent # 14 caddis that we see on the water. And there are times when the March Brown Hatch is coming off gloriously and we're on the Bushkill at exactly the right time and somehow we thnk this is how it should be...

...except for those tiny brains...
Coughlin