Got silver?

[John L]

I am always looking for a best fly, a gold standard, so I know what will catch as good as any before I even see the stream, so I only have to tie one fly. Won't find it? Would take the fun out of fishing and tying if I did?

Surebut -

This may have started when I retired in northern California to fish. I got the impression by talking to fishermen and by trying things myself that a size 14 or 16 Prince Nymph, with or without a gold bead head, might win a one-small-nymph contest on any freestone stream there. Too much a minimalist to tie Prince Nymphs, I tied peacock bodied, brown hackled size 14s with copper bead heads. I liked the look, and usually fished two different flies at once, and rarely did better on some other fly. When I got to Colorado I tried and found the same.

Then things changed.

I bought a home near the Arkansas River and began to fish my home stretch year around, and this stretch kicks its fish population out of winter lethargy with a terrific Brachycentrus caddis hatch. During the month of the peak of that hatch several other flies proved much more productive than my gold standard faux Prince Nymph.

Stung - felt the need to read, ask, tie and try. Reading made me think about Sawyer's Killer Bug (see Google images), apparently his favorite freestone/caddis nymph, which predates the similarly tannish-pinkish Utah Killer Bug (see Google images), which with a silvery bead head, resembles Eagan's Tungsten Surveyor (Google images).

I have long used copper wire underbodies on my wets as a cheap and easy way to add weight. And I occasionally tried various Brassies though without much luck. Then I began to have a lot of luck with a copper underbodied, rainbow scud dubbed, silver bead head fly. Then I tried a reduced version that seems just as effective: that fly with the rainbow dubbing reduced to a collar. So I now have something like a silver headed, light collared Brassie as a gold standard. On a short shanked #14 the profile is fairly small. Is that why it is working so well even during Baetis hatches, now in October? Or is it because fish here are used to seeing at least a few caddis of some sort hatching almost daily except in Jan-Feb? In Jan-Feb will I catch fish as well as with a peacock and brown? Will it hold its own during the Mar/Apr Brachycentrus hatch? Does it resemble your gold standard freestone fly? I or my camera are incapable of fly closeups. Here is a similar looking fly off the internet:



John L

[DUBBN]

I think any time you have a fly that you can fish with confidence chances are that fly will catch fish for you. After all, the fly that spends the most time in or on the water usually catches the most fish. With as much caddis activity as there is in the Arkansas river, I can not think of a better material than peacock to fish year round.

Just curious, are you tying your Brown and Peacock with hen, rooster, or something else?

[John L]

Yes, Wayne, it seems I catch more fish on flies I fish more. Makes it very hard to be scientific. Making it even less sure is that I do not often fish more than one fly at a time anymore and I usually fish alone. Still, when I do fish two flies at once I put the fly I have least confidence in on point, which in my experience is the most attractive position. For months now silver headed, orangish-pinkish flies have had it all over my any-headed peacock and browns or any darkish flies. Actually I have serious doubts that the silvery light colored flies will do so well in mid winter or during the early Brachycentrus hatch. We'll see. Meanwhile I wondered if any other forum readers, and especially you because of our trout sharing similar menues, had much faith or interest in a single fly - then what that fly might be. Also I think your and some others' fly pictures are eye candy.

I am still using reddish brown dry fly hackle, left from years back, for the peacock and browns. Just a turn or two. Not classic flymph or wet fly I know, but I like the look of the perky little barbs sticking out.

ps - I religiously fish close with a short line, no floating indicator, high sticking I guess, with the little flies as heavy as possible, so always tungsten headed now. It helps me flip them up into wind, and keep contact during the drift or draw especially when there is wind. Shallow water? Hold them up. Deep water? Let them down. Hardly fly fishing except for the flies, and I just think of them as lures. Very effective. I have liked dry fly fishing but like this a lot more.

[DUBBN]

ps - I religiously fish close with a short line, no floating indicator, high sticking I guess, with the little flies as heavy as possible, so always tungsten headed now. It helps me flip them up into wind, and keep contact during the drift or draw especially when there is wind. Shallow water? Hold them up. Deep water? Let them down. Hardly fly fishing except for the flies, and I just think of them as lures. Very effective. I have liked dry fly fishing but like this a lot more.

I really like your style with that John. Last week I had to take the bobber off and high stick the faster water with a short leader. Pretty good results.

Heres my go to fly..Pretty drab, but I do like it.

[John L]

Wayne, thanks for another thoughtful reply; seeing a go to fly is what I wanted.

Out of curiousity and politeness I'm going to my local fly shop and buy a few of the nearest fly they have to yours. I will also ask whoever is on duty, again, if they want to show me a small go to fly. A couple times in the past when I asked for small wet fly recommendations they showed me a bunch of different caddis, Baetis and midge patterns of quite various colors and suggested I try any or all. I tried some two tone green wire, gold bead headed "caddis pupa" and some red Copper Johns and some darkish Baetis nymphs, and they all caught, but none better if as good as what I was tying. If they don't have a grey bodied, brown soft hackled, un-beadheaded fly in 18, I will get the materials to tie some. Fished with my tungsten headed flies there will be enough weight. I will let you know how the comparison goes, including through winter and into the Brachycentrus hatch.

I don't really expect to prove anything thereby. It is just fun.

[DUBBN]

John, I tie that pattern as big as a size 10...Size 14 and 16 are what I mostly use.

[Donald Nicolson]

This is a very interesting, thought provoking post.
It raises so many points, that I will have to do a bit of thinking and then
come back with comments on these points.
One thing, Sawyer's Killer Bug was devised to catch grayling on the English Chalk stream
that he was 'river keeping. Grayling were regarded as a nuisance by the rather dry fly obsessed members of the syndicate, who employed him. It is now regarded here in the UK as one of the top, if not the top, grayling fly.

[John L]

Donald, I remember that about Sawyer's Killer Bug. In a book he wrote I think he also told of using it very effectively for trout in a German freestone river.

My current go to fly virtually pictured a few posts back maybe has no name. But of well known flies it is probably similar enough to Eagan's Tungston Surveyor that anyone could use a Tungston Surveyor with the same results. It has been my Great Bright, Light Colored Hope.

Since Dubbn mentioned his go to fly was a Muscrat And Brown, a dull, dark fly by comparison, I decided to try a fishing comparison. I tied some Muscrat And Browns as much like Dubbn's as I could with rooster hackle angled back (All I had, OK, not the same as soft hackle), on the same 14 short hook as my go to fly. I gave the "dull" fly the position of honor on point and put the "bright" fly a foot above. The result for three sessions this week on my local stretch of the freestone Arkansas River, running low and clear, all bright days, virtually no insects seen: 3 to dull vs 13 to bright; 6 to dull to 18 to bright; and on day three, trying a local fly shop recommended Pheasant Tail with a brass head as a dull fly, got 8 to dull and 4 to bright, and that 4 to bright was only after I switched the bright fly to point.

So much for science.

Guess I'll have to try more fishing.

[John L]

Just found this brain and eye candy:

http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatche ... wiltshire/

[DUBBN]

John, did you hold your tongue in your left cheek? Thats big with the Muskrat. One other thing. I have noticed most strikes occur when I am daydreaming about how hot my wifes friend is. The strike can occur anywhere in the drift, just make sure you are thinking "inappropritate" thoughts.