Fly Fishermen?

[SeekHer]

Any of Randall Kaufmann's, (of Kaufmann’s Streamborn, Inc.), books on tying are excellent but especially his "Fly Patterns" one of the bibles of fly tying,

http://www.kaufmannsstreamborn.com/C...uides/RANDLFP/

to quote: "an amazing collection of 3,600 contemporary fly patterns by over 300 of the most innovative fly tyers of our time"

I tie but have only started in the last five years--recuperating from surgeries, and amazingly, they have actually caught fish--Arctic Grayling and Arctic Char.

I tie the same two patterns in three different hook sizes and they're more a streamer style...I've done them in brown, black, grey, dark yellow, med/dark purple and the last two produce the most fish...I've tried a maroon and a med/dark red this year but haven't fish them yet--still three feet of ice on the lakes.

Then, I'm fishing in Arctic Canada and to prove a point I folded a leaf in half, hooked it like a minnow to a hook and threw it out and caught a seven pound Northern pike on the second twitch of the retrieve...Did this for three other fish within 15 minutes to prove it wasn't a fluke...This is on a fly-in lake that gets four fishermen and two guides for three days/two nights once a year

[Tress]

Originally posted by Patriot007

I know there are a couple of fly-fishing threads so I thought this was as good as any to place this question. It's that time of year here.

Only if you live in the southern portion portion of PA. In the northern portion we have to wait another week and a half.

Originally posted by Patriot007

You're out on the stream and there's no hatch or any aquatics to be found to try to match. What are your go-to flies for your location. If it's one you cooked up post a picture.

In this preferred order:

1. WoolyBugger of some type (I have several and which one I use depends on many things).
2. Black or Yellow Stonefly.
3. Clouser of my own design in color.

If I still do not catch anything after those, I surmise that the fish are asleep, I kick back, drink a beer and wait for the fish to awaken.

Will get some pictures for you when I take them and then figure out how to do the thumb nail thing.....

I have to teach a fly-fishing class tomorrow at a local Boy Scout Camp so I should have a good oppotunity to at least take the pictures tomorrow and hopefully there will be a trout attached to the fly.

[Tress]

Originally posted by SeekHer:

Then, I'm fishing in Arctic Canada and to prove a point I folded a leaf in half, hooked it like a minnow to a hook and threw it out and caught a seven pound Northern pike on the second twitch of the retrieve...Did this for three other fish within 15 minutes to prove it wasn't a fluke...This is on a fly-in lake that gets four fishermen and two guides for three days/two nights once a year.

LOL....

Do you need a man-servant to accompany you on your next trip to such a lake?

You know, to cook, clean fish, wash the boat out, net fish for you?

All expenses paid of course and I will be a fishing fool every time that you turn your back to me?

[CA_TacMedic]

I have been fly fishing since my first year in the Navy...so 91'...Wow 20 years goes by quick. I started tying my own in about 95...I am like others on this topic...I tie about 10 main patterns in a variety of sizes. Lots of nymphs and streamers...maybe a couple emergers for the short hatches. Fish mostly with a hand built G Loomis GL3 6' 9wt. Lots of trout up here in the northern Sierras...I also float tube a few lakes in the area. Unfortunately I have slacked off the last couple of years and am going to get back into it this spring. I love fly fishing and tying....both are a calming art for me.

Wallace

[Bill Harsey]

My fly tying started in the 7th grade.
Last 12 years or so been getting "re-qualified" by a river guide friend of mine...
then I wander off the reservation a lot.

Here are a couple from last year for late season trout, a traditional hopper then my Desert Cammo hopper made from foam and hand colored with water proof marker..

[Tress]

O.K. Let me see if I can do the thumbnail thing....

This should be a photo of the fishing hole that I spent the day at.



Attachment 18397

[Tress]

I started out with clouser streamers since there was not a hatch happening and nothing much was rising. I was doing really well with the clousers and then I switched to nymphs but after trying three different nymphs and not even getting a tug, I switched back to streamers, a wooly bugger, and started nailing the fish again.

Here are the clousers and woolybugger used. Sorry about the quality of the picture. I took it with my phone. My actual camera went swimming and is now drying out in a tupperware container full of rice. Hope it will survive today's ordeal.




Attachment 18399

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey

My fly tying started in the 7th grade.
Last 12 years or so been getting "re-qualified" by a river guide friend of mine...
then I wander off the reservation a lot.

Here are a couple from last year for late season trout, a traditional hopper then my Desert Cammo hopper made from foam and hand colored with water proof marker..

I have to say, these work. Mr. Harsey was kind enough to provide a few of these killer flies to me last year at the SHOT show.

When I got them home, my father said, "You can't use those, you might loose them." My reply was, "Mr. Harsey would feel terrible if he knew I never used any, kind of like having a great bamboo rod hanging on the wall, never knowing the pleasure of a trout on the end of its line." The old man said, "you're right, let's go whip a fly and see what happens."

Great flies Bill.

I've also perfected the fine art of the "Long Distance Release", sometimes even on purpose. Recently discovered the pleasure of not always having to net a fish, or wipe the slime coat. When I get the visual eye to eye contact, the fish saying, "this is going to suck", I do a simple roll cast, the fish spitting out the fly. A few weeks ago, I caught the same fish 3 times, which tells me, it's not the hook the hurts, it the knife in the gills that kill.

[Tress]

And here are some of the trout caught today. All were browns. I caught about 24 to 30 today within three hours. It was almost ridiculous. I also missed about 20. Most were in the 9 to 12 inch range. The largest of the day was about 14 inches. All survived to be caught again another day.




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[Tress]

And some more fish pics.......



Attachment 18407 Attachment 18408 Attachment 18409 Attachment 18410 Attachment 18411

[Tress]

And then there was this fish. Japanese maybe???????


Attachment 18412

[Patriot007]

Those hoppers look like real killers. Thanks! They look like they could do damage on some largemouth as well.

On using a hooked "strike indicator" . I'll never forget the time my nymph got snagged on the bottom, and while I was trying to free it up a 18" + rainbow aggressively attacked my orange foam strike indicator as I watched helplessly...

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey

My fly tying started in the 7th grade.
Last 12 years or so been getting "re-qualified" by a river guide friend of mine...
then I wander off the reservation a lot.

Here are a couple from last year for late season trout, a traditional hopper then my Desert Cammo hopper made from foam and hand colored with water proof marker..

[Habu-MFFI 175]

Some great looking hoppers.

I like these small foam spiders for some great bluegill and bass action.

[kgoerz]

I just dropped $600.00 in order to get back into Fly Fishing. Mostly Pan Fish and Bass where I'm at.
But it will be worth it. Too bad I live in Wilmington. Have to travel just to find a Lake. Anyone know some good freshwater fishing Lakes near Wilmington NC that is.

[KLB]

I love to fly fish - even tried fly fishing for cobia once or twice, not fancy but generally productive.