Grayling Patterns

[kemo99]

One of the volunteer anglers asked me about patterns for Grayling. For dries, I like the Renegade, Adams, and Griffith's gnat. I've used Dennis' Llama Leech with good success as well.. Any other favorites?

[DennisS]

Ken this should be an interesting topic. You will be getting a wide range of flies here for sure. A few more would be the Parachute Royal Wulff, SA hopper, Chyrnoble ant(yellow, tan, olive) Humpy, and Don Andersons CFF.

Just a few others good one's

 

Tight Lines Always

Dennis S

[Paulf]

...all you really need is an elk hair caddis...various sizes...16 - 12...works all the time...

[Junior]

I believe I've caught about 80% of my Grayling on a #14 black foam beetle, 10% on wooly buggers, and 10% on just about any other trout fly, mostly dries.

 

Paul, I'm sure you're better at using them than me, but an EHC definitely doesn't work ALL the time. At least, not for me. Do you usually fish for grayling all season, or just in the fall? I find in the summer they can sometimes be just as picky as any trout.

[dave robinson]

Time for me to wade in on this one (so to speak)

Firsly, I wouldn't exactly call the grayling we see around here descriminating fish.

Living in low nutrient watersheds, wth short growing seasons, they are opportunistic feeders.

Of course in early season they aren't stacked up like in he fall, so you have to keep moving

My personal feeling is presentation is more important than pattern.

That said, here's the flies I find effective (not necessarily in order of preference)

Griffith's Gnatt #16 & #18 (fished surface or sunk on the swing)

Parachute Adams #16 (good old reliable)

Blue Winged Olive #18 (on those few picky days when nothing else works)

Royal Wullf #14 & #16 (occasionally)

Pheasant Tail #16 & #18 (with orange butt) probably the most efective for me in the big pools

Eevil Weevil #16 (orange butt)

Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear #14 to #18

Chernobyl Ant #10 to #14 (tan or yellow bottom)

SA hopper #16 (as an indicator ina 2 fly system)

Elk Hair Caddis #18 (very light tan late in the season)

That thing designed by Wally Ltuz that is a bunch of deer hair wound with a stubby hackle that looks like a stick

(the effectiveness of this one says much about grayling feeding habits)

O course Dennis will settle for a red bead llama leech in a pinch

And I can't imagine Vince not mentioning a CFF

Dave

Edited June 13, 2012 by dave robinson

[Michael Dell]

That thing designed by Wally Lutz is his Tom Bomb (cross between a Tom Thumb and a Bomber). He originally called it a "No-Brainer" because whatever you did when you fished it (dead-drift, skating, pulled under, swung, dragged or whatever) the grayling would take it. Here is a link to the pattern published under its original name: http://www.danica.com/flytier/wlutz/no_brainer.htm and some of Wally's other patterns: http://www.danica.com/flytier/wlutz/wlutz.htm

[dave robinson]

Thanks Michael. I'd forgotten the pattern name. Hey maybe in the fall we should do a Wally Luz night, He sure comes up with some interesting patterns.

[vince]

Dave

 

Way too many of those things they call nymphs in your post ...not that there's anything wrong with that its just not for me. I've always caught mine on drys and yes, the CFF is top of the list and dare I say it never fails to catch fish. I never have fished the Renegade but I did tye some up this year because last year I fished beside Ken Monk and he was doing one hell of a lot of catching on the Renegade (he outfished me a whole bunch to one) so I figured it should be one of those flies that occupy a row in one of my boxes.

 

Vince