So what are your guy's favorite flies for native trout??? For me my absolute favorite dry is a Royal PMX. This fly just catches fish, for a dropper I like a black copper john size 16 or 18. For beaver ponds a Zug Bug is hard to beat.
Submitted by tinpusher on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 08:07.
I was thinking of tying up some Royal PMXs for the upcoming trip so I did a google search. More than half the hits were a link to you mentioning the fly Gary. Lol. Is there anything else in your dry fly box? Nothing like fishing a fly you are 100% confident in. For me in a lake it is a Black Wolly Bugger or Chironomid and in the streams a Copper John or Royal Wulff.
Submitted by WVBrookie on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 18:23.
I fish an 18 EHC (tan or green) almost exclusively for brookies. Early in the season, when the water is cool and the fish are not looking up yet, I drop down to a 16 and drop an 18 BHPT.
Beetles and elk hair caddis are my two favorites when not matching the hatch. I'm not much of a nympher, but when I have to throw something on, it's a beadhead, copper twist, antron trailing shuck thing.
My absolute favorite is the cripple caddis. 15 or 20 years ago a local shop used to carry this pattern and stopped. I've never seen it anywhere else since. This is my version. It might be a prototype of Cutters caddis, I don't know. I've always had better luck with this pattern than the EC Caddis. At least better than the EC Caddis available in the fly shops. The reason I think is that the shop flies are tied too thin and too neat. Caddis are beefy bugs and as La Fontaine used to say, you want that wing "ragged".
Gary, I'd never heard of PMX's until a few months ago. Then I saw some for sale at Sierratradingpost, so I bought two dozen Royal PMX's, 1 each in 12 and 14. I will try them out later this month.
Size 12 is my favorite by far. I have been experimenting with a new
version with a mirage flash midsection on this trip with very good results. This fly has a great profile in the water and is highly boyant. Good traits in my opinion.
Hi Gary, as someone who was raised on size 20 to 22 flies at Hot Creek, I am always amazed by the number of flies in larger sizes used by so many anglers. I just am not used to it. This isn't a criticism, btw, just my own personal observation. I know that this PMX is a terrestrial/attractor pattern, but even still...
I found once, at a tiny Little Kern tributary, that the 3 inch fish I was trying to catch couldn't mouth my huge size 14 flies. At least that is what I observed. These guys were very hungry too.
I wonder if my observation/conclusion is correct? If so, then catching the typical (small) native trout with smaller flies might be more productive?
Terry, I hope you don't mind. I resized your pic by adding an attribute in the html. It was really bugging me the way it was going off the page. If anyone is adding photos, you can always change size in the text editor by selecting them and then grabbing the corner and moving it.
This photo is from an outside site. But if you are uploading a photo, you can also automatically resize it by selecting one of the thumbnails on upload. Then you will have a choice of using one of the thumbs or the original in your post.
Submitted by Organo195 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 22:21.
Not my favorite but works a lot of the time. I'm talking about a #18 Griffith Gnat. After I've thrashed the water for awhile with no results I tie on a gnat and it always seems to get a hit. For fast water a #14 Royal Wulff with a Beadhead Flashback.
Part of the reason that I fish such a large size, is to keep some of the smaller fish off. I find that size 12 flies tend to greatly reduce my catch of fish under 5". These fish are usually the most likely to hurt themselves when hooked and represent the next generation so I like to avoid catching them if possible. Beyond that most of the bugs that this fly imitates are usually a bit on the large side.
Love the Copper Johns
I was thinking of tying up some Royal PMXs for the upcoming trip so I did a google search. More than half the hits were a link to you mentioning the fly Gary. Lol. Is there anything else in your dry fly box? Nothing like fishing a fly you are 100% confident in. For me in a lake it is a Black Wolly Bugger or Chironomid and in the streams a Copper John or Royal Wulff.
The "Big Ugly"
A proven cutthroat catcher...
http://www.nativetroutangler.com/2005/08/wyoming-cutt-slam_113004141982996993.html
I do have many other dries in
I do have many other dries in my box, but they are getting rather dusty anymore....
I fish an 18 EHC (tan or
I fish an 18 EHC (tan or green) almost exclusively for brookies. Early in the season, when the water is cool and the fish are not looking up yet, I drop down to a 16 and drop an 18 BHPT.
Chris
Beetles, Elk Hair Caddis
Beetles and elk hair caddis are my two favorites when not matching the hatch. I'm not much of a nympher, but when I have to throw something on, it's a beadhead, copper twist, antron trailing shuck thing.
For NY brookies, its either a
For NY brookies, its either a Usual, Ausable bomber, or Ausable wulff. If I must fish a nymph, its just a BH prince.
I usually use a olive colored
I usually use a olive colored hare's ear beadhead, mostly out of habit. You guys have inspired me. I'm going to start trying some of your suggestions.
Size 16 Cripple Caddis
My absolute favorite is the cripple caddis. 15 or 20 years ago a local shop used to carry this pattern and stopped. I've never seen it anywhere else since. This is my version. It might be a prototype of Cutters caddis, I don't know. I've always had better luck with this pattern than the EC Caddis. At least better than the EC Caddis available in the fly shops. The reason I think is that the shop flies are tied too thin and too neat. Caddis are beefy bugs and as La Fontaine used to say, you want that wing "ragged".
http://www.highcountryflyfisher.com/images/Photos/misc/fly32.jpg
What size PMX?
Gary, I'd never heard of PMX's until a few months ago. Then I saw some for sale at Sierratradingpost, so I bought two dozen Royal PMX's, 1 each in 12 and 14. I will try them out later this month.
What size do you use?
IIRC, you're in the Sierra right about now.
Dale
Bivisible
I forgot to post that my favorite flies for native trout would be a sparse Bivisible, Yellow and Golden Stim, and Red Humpy, all in size 14 to 16.
Dale
Half Ausable Bomber, half Mr. Rapidan
Dale,Size 12 is my favorite
Dale,
Size 12 is my favorite by far. I have been experimenting with a new version with a mirage flash midsection on this trip with very good results. This fly has a great profile in the water and is highly boyant. Good traits in my opinion.
Size 12 flies
Hi Gary, as someone who was raised on size 20 to 22 flies at Hot Creek, I am always amazed by the number of flies in larger sizes used by so many anglers. I just am not used to it. This isn't a criticism, btw, just my own personal observation. I know that this PMX is a terrestrial/attractor pattern, but even still...
I found once, at a tiny Little Kern tributary, that the 3 inch fish I was trying to catch couldn't mouth my huge size 14 flies. At least that is what I observed. These guys were very hungry too.
I wonder if my observation/conclusion is correct? If so, then catching the typical (small) native trout with smaller flies might be more productive?
I resized your pic
Terry, I hope you don't mind. I resized your pic by adding an attribute in the html. It was really bugging me the way it was going off the page. If anyone is adding photos, you can always change size in the text editor by selecting them and then grabbing the corner and moving it.
This photo is from an outside site. But if you are uploading a photo, you can also automatically resize it by selecting one of the thumbnails on upload. Then you will have a choice of using one of the thumbs or the original in your post.
Favorite Fly
Not my favorite but works a lot of the time. I'm talking about a #18 Griffith Gnat. After I've thrashed the water for awhile with no results I tie on a gnat and it always seems to get a hit. For fast water a #14 Royal Wulff with a Beadhead Flashback.
Part of the reason that I
Part of the reason that I fish such a large size, is to keep some of the smaller fish off. I find that size 12 flies tend to greatly reduce my catch of fish under 5". These fish are usually the most likely to hurt themselves when hooked and represent the next generation so I like to avoid catching them if possible. Beyond that most of the bugs that this fly imitates are usually a bit on the large side.