12 Have To Have Flies In Your Box For Both Lakes And Streams

[Garhan]

OK, lets see. If you had the option of only having 12 fly patterns to carry with you to cover lakes and streams. What would they be?

 

 

1. Wooly Buggers-black size 6 or 8

2. Adams size 12 or 14

3. Humpy- Size 12 or 14

4. Beetle-Black sizes 8 or 10

5. Hooper size 6 or 8

6. Elk Hair Caddis size 12 or 14

7. BH-GR Hares Ear size 10 or 12

8. BH -Pheasant Tail Nymph size 12 or 14

9. Prince Nymph size 10 or 12

10. Doc Spratley size 6 or 8

11. Buzzer- Black size 12 or 14

12. Clouser- hair winged (Buck tail) white size 4

 

This would be must have list for all Alberta and BC waters as a base selection for myself. Then there would many others after this choice of the basic 12.

[DennisS]

The only other I might throw into that list is a Light Cahill just to look after some of your lighter mayflies. sizes 12 & 14

 

Other than that can not go wrong with that list of flies.

 

Good one Gary

 

Tight lines Always

Dennis S

[dipperdan]

I kinda like the G.L. Sparkle Caddis and a Dragon fly nymph as well .

Dan

[Garhan]

I kinda like the G.L. Sparkle Caddis and a Dragon fly nymph as well .

Dan

 

Your short 10 more flies Dan.

[Garhan]

The only other I might throw into that list is a Light Cahill just to look after some of your lighter mayflies. sizes 12 & 14

 

Other than that can not go wrong with that list of flies.

 

Good one Gary

 

Tight lines Always

Dennis S

 

Really dennis you would just go with those flies.

[Junior]

1. Wooly Bugger (obviously)

2. Stimulator

3. Muddler Minnow

4. Snatcher

5. Speck

6. Pheasant Tail

7. Stewart's Spider

8. Takswimmer

9. Paratrude

10. Nuthin Special

11. Nunya Biznass

12. Never You Mind

 

I just threw these choices off the top of my head, so don't hold me to them. A few of the patterns are my own. I think.

[DennisS]

Gary you got me I couldn't go with just those 12 flies if my life depended on it. I like you have that additional 10 boxes of flies just because. And because I can not take my own advise. I don't carry half of your list to boot. Give me my Llama leech, foam hopper, adams. CFF, Evil Wevil and a bunch of soft hackles a pheasent tail and a GR hares ear and I'm good to go. I guess I should also throw in a couple of Woolly Buggers

Then why the extra boxes????????????? BACK UP

 

My go to list

LLama Leech (olive) size 8 to 14

Parachute adams 14 to 18

Hopper (cherynoble ant) 8 to 14

soft hackle (all colors) 14 to 16

CFF 12 to 16

BH.evil wevevil 10 to 16

BH. GR hares ear 8 to 16

BH. pheasent tail 10 to 18

Woolly bugger 4 to 12

 

This is what I love about this sport. There is such a wide veriaty of go to list of flies and none of them are wrong.

 

Tight lines Always

Dennis S

[Garhan]

Gary you got me I couldn't go with just those 12 flies if my life depended on it. I like you have that additional 10 boxes of flies just because. And because I can not take my own advise. I don't carry half of your list to boot. Give me my Llama leech, foam hopper, adams. CFF, Evil Wevil and a bunch of soft hackles a pheasent tail and a GR hares ear and I'm good to go. I guess I should also throw in a couple of Woolly Buggers

Then why the extra boxes????????????? BACK UP

 

My go to list

LLama Leech (olive) size 8 to 14

Parachute adams 14 to 18

Hopper (cherynoble ant) 8 to 14

soft hackle (all colors) 14 to 16

CFF 12 to 16

BH.evil wevevil 10 to 16

BH. GR hares ear 8 to 16

BH. pheasent tail 10 to 18

Woolly bugger 4 to 12

 

This is what I love about this sport. There is such a wide veriaty of go to list of flies and none of them are wrong.

 

Tight lines Always

Dennis S

 

Isnt that the truth.

[Garhan]

1. Wooly Bugger (obviously)

2. Stimulator

3. Muddler Minnow

4. Snatcher

5. Speck

6. Pheasant Tail

7. Stewart's Spider

8. Takswimmer

9. Paratrude

10. Nuthin Special

11. Nunya Biznass

12. Never You Mind

 

I just threw these choices off the top of my head, so don't hold me to them. A few of the patterns are my own. I think.

 

Funny, thanks for your help as always.

[Kristi]

Thanks Shi-Fu for your help I guess putting it that way makes a big diffrence.

[DennisS]

Ha Rick we will have to get you to demo the last 3 flies. I'm thinking that, Nunya Bisnass one should be a sweet bum killer.

 

I'm a bit parshel to the thing a ma jigger myself.

 

I can see this thread going sideways now.

 

Tight lines Always

Dennis S

[Garhan]

Ha Rick we will have to get you to demo the last 3 flies. I'm thinking that, Nunya Bisnass one should be a sweet bum killer.

 

I'm a bit parshel to the thing a ma jigger myself.

 

I can see this thread going sideways now.

 

Tight lines Always

Dennis S

 

Already has. So much for asking a valid question for others to learn from.

[Junior]

I'd be happy to demo the Nuthin Special, but I'll have to think long and hard before showing the Nunya Biznass or the Never You Mind. I might want to keep those 2 under my hat, for now.

 

Just kidding. I'm happy to share.

[dave robinson]

JR:

Keeping flies under your hat doesn't help catch fish and may lead to personal injury.

My favorite fly is the Whatsworkin.

 

Dave

[SnoWolf]

My favorite fly is usually the one the fish takes with him when he leaves...;-)

 

Most have already been mentioned but one I would add is the olive Krystal bugger of Phil Rowley design. For sure a goto fly...;-)

[vince]

Gary

 

Wow, this is a tough one....only 12 eh. Here goes:

 

1. Denny's Seal Bugger

2. Boobie

3. Pheasant Tail Nymph

4. CFF

5. RS Quad - BWO

6.Elk Hair Caddis

7. Ant

8. Letort Hopper

9. Royal Wulff

10. Hare's Ear Parachute

11. Adams

12. Stimulator

 

There you have it.

 

Vince

[DennisS]

Vince you fib theres a couple of those you wouldn't use if you had a mouth full of them. Who held a gun to your head to say pheasent tail nymph.

Truth be Known you would have 6 RS Quades and 6 CFF's and that would be your 12 go to flies.

 

Tight lines always

Dennis S

[vince]

Dennis

 

You have a point there but remember Gary said lakes and rivers...the sunk flies are for the lakes.

 

Vince

[Garhan]

Gary

 

Wow, this is a tough one....only 12 eh. Here goes:

 

1. Denny's Seal Bugger

2. Boobie

3. Pheasant Tail Nymph

4. CFF

5. RS Quad - BWO

6.Elk Hair Caddis

7. Ant

8. Letort Hopper

9. Royal Wulff

10. Hare's Ear Parachute

11. Adams

12. Stimulator

 

There you have it.

 

Vince

 

Thanks Vince, very interesting selection and a great one to boot.

[vince]

Gary

 

The above flies have always produced for me in the past and I know they will produce in the future which leads me to the following...why, on earth, do I carry 6 C & F boxes of flies with me when I fish medium to small streams. When fishing small streams I've always had this goal....to only carry a lanyard along with one box of flies. Sounds simple enough in thought but darn, it's hard for me to do. I can put together 1 box that I'm sure would take care of all of my small stream fishing but I know in my mind I'll feel that I've left the golden fly in the Jeep. I must, I must, give it a try. One day,perhaps this year, it may happen...which may also be the day that I fish a nymph.

 

Vince

[DennisS]

Okay I will get serious with this list and down sizing. Here's my down and dirty list I good almost live with for both lakes and streams.

Gary gave me an analage on Sunday that I think will work in this situation. If you drop your speacil box of flies and they sank to the bottom and couldn't retreiver them, could you replace the majority in the next sporting good shop you stopped in.

here goes:

 

BH GRHE SIZE 6 TO 20

BH PHEASENT TAIL 10 20

PRINCE NYMPH 6 18

WOOLLY BUGGER 2 14

PARACHUTE ADAMS 10 20

PARACHUTE LIGHT CHAHILL 10 20

GRIFFITH KNAT 10 18

ELK HAIR CADDIS 10 18

CHERNOBYLE ANT 8 18

SOFT HACKLE ASSORMENT 12 16

 

The soft hackles would serve as a duel propose emerger & trimmed down well work as a Chroadamide. So there is my short list that will catch fish almost any in the world not just here in North America. If I was to add a wild card fly it would be My red BH Olive Llama Leech.

 

With this selection one should be able to get away with one box.

 

As Vince says it works in theroy but to do it is another matter. Its just the security that the other 6 or 7 boxes give you.

 

Tight lines always

Dennis S

[swingwet]

Quite a shared list of flies most guys are casting with a few "personal favorites" each.I come at a different angle so here are my 12 Flies;

 

Black & Silver BH Chironomid #14

Abbey #12

Beatrice #14

Beauty #12

Cobler #10

Flagger#14

Good Evening #12

Holberton #16

Blue Dun Dry #16

Olive Quill Dry #14

Snipe & Purple S.H.#10

 

I haven't fished a "nymph pattern" in quite a few years now.Although some might call a chironomid a "nymph pattern" I do not.These 12 flies along with floating,intermediate and sink-tip lines and I haven't had a skunk since '97.

[Garhan]

Gary

 

Wow, this is a tough one....only 12 eh. Here goes:

 

1. Denny's Seal Bugger

2. Boobie

3. Pheasant Tail Nymph

4. CFF

5. RS Quad - BWO

6.Elk Hair Caddis

7. Ant

8. Letort Hopper

9. Royal Wulff

10. Hare's Ear Parachute

11. Adams

12. Stimulator

 

There you have it.

 

Vince

 

Your absolutely right, it is not easy. This is something the new flyfisherman go through every day. But they should have a list of flies that are always in there fly box and this would be it or in combination with other top 12 patterns for our local region being Alberta.

[johnk]

For me and my tying business it is all stillwaters. My top twelve are all original patterns tyed by me but there is a likeness to several old standards.

 

#1. The Pumpkinhead (A variation of a baby bugger inspired by Rickards' Stillwater Nymph) Now being sold by Icky Flyworks.

 

#2. The Patrol Car (A variation of the p/head dressed in black with red and blue flash and a blue anodized bead)

 

#3. Flaming Llama (Love llama leeches just like Dennis S.)

 

#4. Redheaded Stripper ( A variation of a flashback pheasanttail which accounted for 3 species of trout over 24" in the Parklands)

 

#5. Balanced Leeches (Absolutely deadly suspended beneath an indicator)

 

#6. Mini Maroon Rabbit Strip Leech (Size 10-12 emulates the size of leech most targetted by trout)

 

#7. Ultimate Boatman (Steve Jennings foam pattern is the only pattern in my box that I don't tie)

 

#8. John's Gammie (Pregnant Gammarus Shrimp, am important staple to a trout's diet)

 

#9. Redback Chromie (A cross between a bloodworm and a gaseous pupa chironomid)

 

#10. Holo Bloodworm (Holographic red with maroon tail and red beadhead)

 

#11. Army Truck (Chironomid pupa that incorporates important earhtone colours)

 

#12. Guns N' Roses (Maroon and grey chironomid pupa)

[flyfish]

I think from all the posts Gary we are back to 6 fly boxes...