What dry flies for my box

[greenhead55]

Guys, I am fairly new to tying and haven't tackled dry flies yet. However I would really like to have a box of dry flies to take to the stream with me. I haven't been lucky enough to get one on the top yet. I will be fishing Western PA streams for the most part. I know each stream has different insects but what flies would be all around and help me to build a nice box ? Where should I purchase them ? Size and type please. I appreciate anyones help and info. Thanks again !

 

[jmh159]

I'm a somewhat beginner as well, and I don't tie at all. I just try to buy a variety of sizes in a variety of different patterns. Normally I just buy a few at a time, and something different everytime. So as you get better at identifying aquatic insects on the water, your pattern selection starts to grow as well. I sometimes go to a fly shop or Gander Mt. right after fishing and try to find colors and sizes that matched what were on the water that day and buy a few varieties. I don't always know the name for the bugs I see on the water, but I always note the size and color and what I think they might look like from below the surface. I feel that if you can match what the flies looks like, it doesn't seem to matter what their names are to the trout. After a few months of doing this, you will find your box to be filling up quite quickly, not only that, but the constant studying of the insects on the water will teach you alot as well.

 

[jmh159]

I have purchased flies from Mike Heck. He is fireandfeather on the board. He ties good flies and I have had the opportunity to have him as a guide for a day on Falling Spring. He has monthly specials on his website where you can get an assortment of different flies for a pretty low price. These will be better than most of the mass-produced flies you can find elsewhere.

his website is: www.fallingsprings.com

 

[dryflyguy]

I'd start off tying ants beetles and ants #14 and #16.
Then tan and gray caddis size #14 and #16
For mayflies, cahill and adams in #14 are great all around flies

As for buying them, don't know if ther 's a fly shop in your area of town. But International Angler has a pretty nice selection of flies

 

[MKern]

Don't go overboard at first, you could spend a ton on filling a dry fly box.

 

[gfen]

Don't get too hung up on exacts, just get some different colours and in some different sizes and see what you can use when the time comes.

So, my theory is if you've got Adamses, BWOs, Light Cahills, and Sulphers you'll have a great base to work from and chances are you'll have something close enough.

Get a couple in parachute form, and throw in some rusty spinners and maybe a few Royal Wulffs when you just want something big and gaudy. And your mayfly needs are covered.

Caddis are easier, elk hair, or elk and CDC, caddis in tan and black.

Finally, a few ants, beetles, and maybe a hopper or two.

There's plenty of places online that can sell you flies for next to nothing if you don't want to pony up for the expensive ones just to lose 'em in trees. On the other hand, maybe you've reached a point where you don't lose them in trees....I think that happens eventually, but I wouldn't know.

 

[JoeE]

Parachute Orange Ants-16’s
Parachute Black Ants-16’s
BWO’s-18’s-20’s
Parachute Adams-16’s
Royal Wuffs-14’s-16’s-20’s
ICSI Gray-22’s


Joe E

 

[tomgamber]

I think gfen's suggestions are right on the money.

 

[ryguyfi]

I'm in western Pa, so if you ever want someone to fish with, let me know. I am a bit more north than you though.

Here's what I would get. Most of the guys advice is pretty good.

Caddis in black and tan sz 16
Royal wulffs and hi viz adams parachute in sz 14 & 16
BWO's in sz 14, 16, 20
griffiths gnats in sz 22
rusty spinner sz 16
black foam ant and beatle sz 14 & 18

Those are fairly easy ties. You can get the materials for those and crank them out.

I'd buy some crickets and hoppers in different sizes. They can be a bit envolved.

Once you start tying some dries it becomes easier. They're all practically the same. Get the ones above down and then work in some new patterns... sulphur, march brown, drakes, etc. It's an addiction, so be prepared!


Ryan

 

[AlwaysWading]

I can show you four different fly boxes I carry with me, two are dires, one is nymphs, streamers, eggs, insects and the other is San Juan worms in different colors, sizes, head, and configurations.

My dries are a variety of much of what can be found when you enter the Cabela's fly shop, although most were tied by the guide I use for steelhead.

Out of well over 400 dry flies, I always, always, always start with the same ones no matter what water I am one or what time of year. I love the Wulff. Nice big white wings, nice reddish body, and that for me always seems to be a great starter.

Yes, during the sulfur hatch I will break out some nice creamy colored dries, but I still can throw that wulff on and get a strike.

Stock up on whatever looks good to you but have enough variety to switch as needed.

Bottom line, you can never have enough in your fly boxes....

 

[bam]

Adams 14-18
BWO 16-20
a light and a dark hair caddis pattern 16
Beetles or ants 16
Royal Wulff 14
a Humpy pattern 14

Carry a few of the adams and BWOs tied parachute style. I'd also locate a BWO and Caddis Emerger pattern tied with CDC for dry fly fishing.

 

[osprey]

greenhead...................since your just starting out i'd go with a fly you are good at tying and have confidence that you can catch fish on , by this i mean flies that you have caught fish on already , that are proven to you , they should also be ones you've tied more of because you KNOW they will work. If you keep that in mind and follow those patterns you'll get better at tyin them as you'll have to replace the ones you lost or even better were chewed up by fish. Just a few suggestions of patterns that worked for me following the above logic 1.Foam bodied ants , black or cinnamon , with a few wraps of hackle in the middle , all sizes , really small ones are good in the summer , it's a pretty easy fly to tie and really works. 2. Caddisfly/Stonefly/Downwing patterns of all sizes and color and material , as long as it floats and casts. You will learn how to tie these these quickly cause you will have to replace the casualties from the last great trip you had , beleive me. 3. Bunched Woodduck or Hackle Tip style mayfly patterns , hatches are iffy of the natural insect but if you get into one onstream you need the right fly and you will have some of thee most fun you can have fly fishing , the so called "matching the hatch" is one of the most rewarding feelings you can get in fly fishing , doesn't happen all the time but when it does if you can tie and fish a mayfly imitation that passes for food you will have a BLAST!!!!! I HOPE YOU NAIL EM O.

 

[Fishidiot]

Good advice in previous posts.

I'd start with:
Sulpher or Cahill type, #14
Blue Winged Olive (BWO) #18
Cream Caddis, #16
Dark Brown or Gray Caddis, #16
Black Ant, #16 and 18
Foam Beetle #16
Griffith's Gnat #22
Foam Hopper or Cricket, #10

(Don't forget to throw in a few poppers for smallmouth bass. Bass are more numerous in western PA)

 

[littlelehigh]

Funny I didn't see anyone suggest a compardun pattern. I love those flies with an anton trailing shuck. BWO, Cahills, etc.

They are a pain in the butt at first but they get easier with time. But there materials are cheaper than trying to buy dry hackle. I never seem to get as full of a wing as the ones they sell at fly shops but fish don't mind.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

littlelehigh wrote:
I never seem to get as full of a wing as the ones they sell at fly shops but fish don't mind.

The big, plump wings and bodies on a lot of fly shop flies aren't what you want anyways. That thick clump of deer hair has to be tied down, and the resulting lump throws off the proportions of the rest of the fly.

The real bugs are very slender. Sparse is a good thing for wing, body, and tail (or shuck). If you fan out the sparse wing so that it extends a bit past 180 degrees, it immitates legs, and helps the fly ride upright in the film. Do this after you dub the body so the dubbing helps hold it in place.

 

[jayL]

H-A,

Remind me to ask you to show me some comparadun tips the next time we are hanging around a vise. I can tie most anything, but my comparaduns look like crap.

 

[littlelehigh]

Heritage-Angler wrote:

littlelehigh wrote:
I never seem to get as full of a wing as the ones they sell at fly shops but fish don't mind.

The big, plump wings and bodies on a lot of fly shop flies aren't what you want anyways. That thick clump of deer hair has to be tied down, and the resulting lump throws off the proportions of the rest of the fly.

The real bugs are very slender. Sparse is a good thing for wing, body, and tail (or shuck). If you fan out the sparse wing so that it extends a bit past 180 degrees, it immitates legs, and helps the fly ride upright in the film. Do this after you dub the body so the dubbing helps hold it in place.

Thanks I'll try that H.A. I really like tying these. As far as a slender tapered body I'm still having issues with this. I've gotten my comparduns to the point they are still to thick in heighth but slender in width. In other words I think the profile from below is correct. I'll have to show them to ya next time we meet up.

 

[afishinado]

Heritage-Angler wrote:

littlelehigh wrote:
I never seem to get as full of a wing as the ones they sell at fly shops but fish don't mind.

The big, plump wings and bodies on a lot of fly shop flies aren't what you want anyways. That thick clump of deer hair has to be tied down, and the resulting lump throws off the proportions of the rest of the fly.

The real bugs are very slender. Sparse is a good thing for wing, body, and tail (or shuck). If you fan out the sparse wing so that it extends a bit past 180 degrees, it immitates legs, and helps the fly ride upright in the film. Do this after you dub the body so the dubbing helps hold it in place.

True HA. Many of the commercially tied flies are way too fat and the wing is way too full. Thinnner and sparser is better IMO. To prevent the fly body from being too robust to match the naturals, I tie in the deer hair tips backwards from most tyers - tips facing the rear like a caddis wing. After it is sucured, I wrap behind the wing and add a little dubbing to prop it up. This way of tying also stops the wing from angling forward over the hook eye and creates a slimmer body profile.

 

[ezpickins]

In addition to the good advice above

I saw another a good method for comparaduns - I believe it was in Charlie Craven's book - If I remember correctly

What you do is to tie in the body first (up to the wing tie-in area) - and then tie in the hair-wing with the butts back toward the tail-end. Trim the butt-ends of the wing, prop the wing up with some thread wraps and then dub the front portion of the fly.

I know I probably didn't describe it very well - but you end up with a nice slim body and a properly "fanned" wing. The butt-ends of the wing will be visible on the top of the fly-behind the wing (but the fish don't seem to mind).

Tying them this way helped to solve my compardun woes.

 

[afishinado]

ezpickins wrote:
In addition to the good advice above

I saw another a good method for comparaduns - I believe it was in Charlie Craven's book - If I remember correctly

What you do is to tie in the body first (up to the wing tie-in area) - and then tie in the hair-wing with the butts back toward the tail-end. Trim the butt-ends of the wing, prop the wing up with some thread wraps and then dub the front portion of the fly.

I know I probably didn't describe it very well - but you end up with a nice slim body and a properly "fanned" wing. The butt-ends of the wing will be visible on the top of the fly-behind the wing (but the fish don't seem to mind).

Tying them this way helped to solve my compardun woes.

Never thought of that EZ. I'll give it a try.