You Favorite Wet Fly Patterns

[JeffK]

I only have up to 2X on my tippet holder, which I have used at times. I also have some old gut "light trout" leaders which are 0X - so old timers used some heavy tippets by our standards.

One more data point is fishing in Reno, NV in the Truckee and Little Truckee Rivers. The locals I fish with out there fish down to 4X for midges and larger for wets regular sized nymphs. The Little Truckee is a classic tailwater and both are fished heavily - they are not full of naive trout. However, the locals always use loop knots to let the fly swing free at the end of the tippet. About 5 years ago the fly fishing trade show was in Reno and the visiting tackle dealers thought the large tippets locals used were ridiculous, but the locals outfished the visitors even with the heavier tippets. The big argument out there - do you want 6X on when you hook into that rare 5 lbs brown?

 

[Billems]

The Partridge and Orange works best for me. Partridge and Hares Ear follows. I do tie some traditional wets, mostly the Leadwing Coachman and the Hares Ear in #12. I used the big wets in slow pools, either early or late. It's like a form of bait fishing. I cast them, allow them to settle on the bottom, five or ten minutes later, I'll retrieve them with a slow hand twist. You'd be surprised at the results. I adore wet flies.

 

[wbranch]

It may sound crazy to say this but I don't think I have ever caught a trout on a wert fly. One of my first books was a little hardback about nymphs. I tied them and caught fish. I tied a few soft hackle Leadwing Coachmen and don't think I ever tried one.

 

[dc410]

It may sound crazy to say this but I don't think I have ever caught a trout on a wert fly. One of my first books was a little hardback about nymphs. I tied them and caught fish. I tied a few soft hackle Leadwing Coachmen and don't think I ever tried one.

Maybe you should have! 😉