On my last outing I took a good look in my box for a certain fly and the conclusion was "get it cleaned up and organized". It was a mess with flies crushing each other, winter flies, big woolly buggers, all mixed in together so that trying to find a partridge and orange spider was impossible.
When I got home I did get the box in order and it looks a lot better today then it did. While I was doing the necessary weeding out of flies I came to the conclusion that for a small stream guy all I needed to fish successfully in those little waters was a simple as "A.B.C."....let me explain.
The "A"...Adam's Parachute... for the small stream guy this is a top fly. In a couple of sizes it works great.
The "B"...Bomber, Fran Better's pattern that is responsible for taking more small stream trout for me than any other fly I have. I tie it in a couple of sizes but size 14 is all I need.
The "C" the caddis..here is the elk hair caddis. I'm showing this fly but I fish several caddis patterns. Most of these patterns work super well on small streams. While I will always carry more than I need it's good to know that I can get by with only 3 patterns. It's easy as A.B.C.
We all do it. I've just gone through my pike gear and ditched the superfluous into a box. That'll be the 'it may come in handy box'. I'm afraid I have different box for each of, nymphs, dries and spiders. They're only pocket sized though. It's an angler's disease! Regards, John
ReplyDeleteThe Two Terriers
DeleteThanks
John an anglers disease is correct. I can also had a bit of laziness to the term. When fishing larger waters I'll take a few boxes but generally I carry one this cuts down on a lot of the junk flies I fool with.
Hi Alan, here's my take: Small young fish, of any species are "uneducated" not yet stream wise are nonselective and will take almost any tried and true pattern. Larger fish are stream wise and require a lot more skill and knowledge to fool. Match the hatch if you care to play this game. Solamente, dos centavos mia.
ReplyDeleteJohn Dornik
DeleteThanks
John the hatch game really does not come into play to much when fishing small streams like the ones I fish. Any size fish has to grab what it thinks is food and they usually are not selective. Now pressured rivers that are very fertile and hatch bugs like crazy the older fish become very selective.
Thank you for the necessary reminder to simplify. I am forever cleaning out the fly boxes only to bugger them up again with grand adventures in experimental tying. It's raining buckets here this morning and it's a perfect chance to clean up my act.
ReplyDeletemike
DeleteThanks
Mike experimental tying keeps me at the bench for many hours, and the fruit of the bench keeps my boxes jammed with flies that will someday save the day....but I can't keep them all in one box although I try.
We could use the rain here.
I wouldn't argue with any of your three choices, Alan, but I would have to find some way to get two "Cs" in there ... can't be without a comparadun for whatever size/color is currently hatching.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Shuck
DeleteThanks
Bill yes the comparadun does have a place in my "Big" water fly box. I think I have a Haystack in my small stream box.
Alan
ReplyDeleteFunny, I was doing the same fly box cleaning a couple days ago. I've found when on the water I just don't make the effort to place the fly I've just use back in it's position in my fly box. I get so occupied with trying to get a take that I'm not interested in getting flies place back in my fly box.
The ABC flies you mentioned are my go to flies when fishing on top. I could actually use 5 or 6 patterns on both tailraces I fish and land trout just about every time I wade into the water. Once I go through those flies and don't make a connection then it may be time to head home. Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
DeleteThanks
Bill there are times when the first fly tied on will pretty much serve you well for the time you spend on the stream, and there are times when you seem to go through everything in the box. Perhaps if we had less maybe we would have better days?
Tailwaters can be problems in that they produce some very selective trout.
I'm a pretty much an A & C kind of guy. Seems to work best out here, but then I've never tried B.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
DeleteThanks
Mark the "bomber" has worked every where I've fished it from Maine to Virginia and I know it would work in northern California...want to try one?
Alan. Couldn’t think of three better choices! Those three and some royal wulfs fill half of my small stream box.
ReplyDeleteMark Wittman
DeleteThanks
Mark your box has to be very similar to mine, perhaps yours is a bit neater.
I love every one of those flies and fish them often.
ReplyDeleteParachute Adams
DeleteThanks
Sam they are pretty much standards for most of us. With the Adams and Elk hair caddis being known worldwide.
When you know what works....confidence in an "A,B,C" selection is comforting.
ReplyDeleteRalph Long
DeleteThanks
Ralph knowing what works keeps us at the vise for so much of our time.
Alan,
ReplyDeleteYou sure make learning fun with your A.B.C.'s! I had to chuckle a bit at your box above and it's current condition! You are reflecting what the rest of us experience during the seasons as they roll by! Maybe I should send along a photo or two of my boxes and their current conditions.....maybe not! They are bad!
Dougsden
Dougsden
DeleteThanks
Doug it seems like us anglers all have the same problem. It is to many flies and not enough room to carry them, as well as lack of organization. I kind of like that, it gives us something to do when those cold nights of winter are in season. Photo's accepted.
Alan - I do about 2/3 of my fishing on smaller streams for wild trout yet I carry 4 fly boxes overflowing with flies. I find them very light and agree that I could cut way back for most of my fly fishing. But along the lines of a quote from a political figure: " I have more flies than I need, but not as many as I want".
ReplyDeleteNJpatbee
DeleteThanks
Wow Pat 4 boxes, your prepared for any situation.
We seem to all be the same when it comes to having enough flies.
Always have an adams. Better not forget the bomber. And you'd be crazy to leave home without a caddis.
ReplyDeleteRM Lytle
DeleteThanks
Rowan as an angler that has fished an ample amount of small streams you absolutely know the value of these 3 flies.
I totally concur with your choices Alan. These are the flies I carry the most of for a good chance of hooking up with our trout.
ReplyDeleteHoward Levett
DeleteThanks
Howard your right. One of those three should work.
Just in case you should probably carry more varieties.
Alan , I would definitely agree on all three. The elk hair is my #1 and always will be. The largest native brook I ever caught was a sz. 16 elk hair. The last outing I had , it was the only fly I threw all day. 14 fish later the fly was still intact. I love simplicity, even though I struggle to keep it that way. You on the other hand always bring me back to reality. Nice post, Alan. Thankyou
ReplyDeleteBrad Basehore
DeleteThanks
Brad your choice in selecting the elk hair caddis as your #1 will not get an argument from me, or from many others. The fly has proven itself many times world wide.
What an awesome day 14 fish. Simplicity is what I favor but being a fly tyer sometimes I get a little off the path.
I reckon I cast 90 % of the fish I catch on dries on a CDC IOBO . This seems to work for all but the very largest upwings . But saying that a large size 14 IOBO worked as a Mayfly ( Danica ) imitation at the weekend ..
ReplyDeleteBecks and Brown Trout North Yorkshire
DeleteThanks
Andy I'm familiar with the fly you mentioned and have had some success with it. Dual use from one fly, simplicity that works.
That is a great Bomber. That has become my small stream goto fly. You're passing your wisdom onto the next generation! What do you use for the tail?
ReplyDeleteFred NJ
DeleteThanks
Fred the bomber most times will bring a response when fishing small streams, and it's easy to see on the water.
The tail is woodchuck guard hairs.
Beautiful flies those are some of my favorites as well....
ReplyDeleteDoug Korn
DeleteThanks
Doug it is hard to pass up these 3.