Most reliable fly?

[Jessed]

Does anyone have a fly that you always go to when nothing else is working that just catches fish? I've started using griffiths gnats in sizes 14-16 rather than the typical 18-22 midge sizes and it's responsible for more than 50 percent of the fish I catch. it just looks so buggy the fish can't resist. Anyone else have a pattern like that if so what is it?

 

[SteveG]

Sz18 starling and peacock, or 18 black Stewart's spider

 

[CVangler]

Tie between sz12 czech nymph and sz22 zebra midge.

 

[krayfish2]

Forgive my ignorance but I didn't know there was such a thing. Most reliable is the one I use to match what the fish are feeding on.

Nymphing a limestone stream, a shrimp or cress bug might be it. Fishing a freestone stream on a mid June evening, it might be an Iso pattern. Gemmie fishing, any fly made is the most reliable. I think it all depends on the time of year, body of water you're fishing and the time of day you are fishing. Getting well versed on hatches for the waters you fish will help you select your most reliable patterns.

If I read your question wrong and you're basically asking what are patterns that catch fish most often...... Pheasant Tail, Wooly Bugger and EH Caddis always produce fish

 

[Dave_W]

Griffith's Gnat is a good one Jessed. I have a very experienced angler friend of mine who feels the same away about this pattern.

For myself...not really sure as I have reliable flies for different species.

I suppose if I had to pick a single pattern that is most reliable for all the combined types of FFing I do - trout, bass, saltwater, and flats - I would probably vote for a green over white Clouser Minnow.
It's like the 30-06 of flies: does everything well.

 

[shakey]

i think of larger giffirh's gnats as being wooly worms. sometimes it 's hard NOT to catch a fish with a wooly worm.

wooly worms are def go to flies for me,along with nearly any soft hackle.

 

[flyflicker]

Sz. 8 olive Wooly Bugger. All species, all times of year, all situations (if you do not tie it with lead wire (I'm sorry, tungsten wire). The 30-30 of flies ... gets it done with the right placement. All respect Dave_W, but the trusty 30-30 has it in my book . Float it, sink it, dress it in creek mud if you have to... it would be my survivalist fly if I could only choose one

 

[steveo27]

Most reliable dry - Royal Wullf. Most reliable wet - bead head flashback hairs ear.

Both consistently produce fish for me. But most of my fishing is done on smaller freestone streams where the fish will eat almost anything.

 

[Jessed]

^ I also do very well with a royal wet fly!

 

[pete41]

The one I left at home in the box on the table.100 plus miles away..

 

[The_Sasquatch]

This year it's been a sz 12-14 yellow stimy for troutses.

For the bass, I've had a lot of luck w/ a chartreuse bugger this year.

Other years, it's been other things.

 

[FiveWeight]

Something wet and subsurface that I can swing or strip.

 

[sarce]

Flyflicker +1 for trout at least.

For all other species I'm with DW on the clouser

 

[jifigz]

If I had to keep only one fly it would be the woolly bugger. Cheap, easy to tie, quick to tie, can be fished in a huge range of sizes, and will catch any fish in PA with the right presentation.

 

[Char_Master]

Dry: Tan Elk Caddis
Nymph: Wooly Bugger or Mop Fly! (Yeah, I said it XD)
Streamer: Clouser Minnow or 100% silver flash on a size 6 hook, it works, caught a lot of big Trout on it

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Any earthy colored streamer

 

[Swattie87]

The "Thomas Special."

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Swattie87 wrote:
The "Thomas Special."

I thought your go-to fly was a rooster tail now!

 

[Swattie87]

The_Sasquatch wrote:
I thought your go-to fly was a rooster tail now!

Those only catch Chubs.

 

[salmo]

My go to trout fly is a size 14-18 thorax tied adams with cut wings and a split tail. On the water it looks like so many things (fluttering caddis, emerging may fly, spent spinner). I've done a lot of damage with that one fly. A guide out of Bud Lilly's shop in West Yellowstone showed it to me over 30 years ago and I tie about 12-18 of them a year. They actually fish better after they've been hit a few times. You can either fish it full hackle or cut off the hackle on the bottom to let it ride flush in the film.


Good luck.

PM and I will send you a picture of the fly if you want.