Showing posts with label Fly Patterns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fly Patterns. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Top Five Fly Patterns for Winter

I am sure a lot of you guys have heard of Hatch Magazine, if not I thought I would share a blog post that was written back in November of this past year. The post details the top five fly patterns for the winter months. I use some of the same patterns that were mentioned in his post, but what I found interesting is the various comments he received from his readers.



I have become a fan of Jonathan Barnes Fly Fishing Videos. His videos are filled with lots of information about the type of flies, equipment, and the techniques he uses to land the different trout species he is pursuing. If you are free for the next 25 minutes this one video featuring soft hackles is worth the watch.
  



Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Deciphering a Midge Hatch

When I fish the Sipsey Tailrace I usually notice a midge hatch. The best hatches usually occur in the afternoon. Seeing a hatch on the Sipsey doesn’t always mean one will be successful landing trout fishing the hatch. As most of us know landing trout during a hatch depends on matching the hatch and how you present the pattern to the trout, and sometimes that doesn’t work. I know all of us have been there; where you are watching trout feeding heavy on a midge hatch and we cast everything in the fly box at the feeding frenzy and come up empty.

As most you know I just can’t let this hatch mystery go without doing a little research that hopefully will help all of us out on our next hatch adventure. The following image and explanation below are some of the best examples of hatch feeding I found. Keep in mind the bugs mentioned here are mayflies, caddis flies, emergers and a midge, but the surface action trout image below could be the same regardless of the insects.
Watching trout rise from a vantage point at the water's edge will tell you where to cast. But by taking an even closer look and noting how those trout are rising, you can also see exactly what type of fly to throw at them—especially when there are different insects flying in the air. Here’s what to look for.
1 - The Sip
What you see: A very subtle dimple in the water, and only the nose of the trout appear.
What that means: The fish are either sipping midges or eating spent mayfly spinners.
What to fish: A Rusty Spinner—but no bigger than a size 18.
2 - The Slurp
What you see: More pronounced “beaks,” eating on the surface.
What that means: The fish are dialed in on a hatch—likely mayfly duns.
What to fish: A size 18 Parachute Adams. When the fish are really chopping, try a cripple variation.
3 - The Splash
What you see: A sudden, explosive pop with some splash.
What that means: Trout are on moving targets, like skittering caddisflies.
What to fish: Tie on a caddis pattern, such as a size 16 Lawson’s Caddis, and don’t be afraid to give it a twitch.
4 - The Boil
What you see: Disturbed water but no faces—only a dorsal fin and maybe a tail.
What that means: They’re eating emergers before they reach the surface.
What to fish: A size 20 Flashback Barr Emerger just beneath the film.

The following illustration came from a Field and Stream publication

I stocked up on some hatch patterns on my recent visit to the new Cabala’s in Huntsville Alabama this past Thursday. This store had the largest selection of flies I have seen in any fly shop ever!!! I would also say that Cabala’s has a leg up on the Bass Pro fly shops when it comes to quality fly fishing equipment and accessories.

I’m curious what fly size and pattern would you select to get a hit using images 1, 2, 3 or 4?
 
 
 

Hope all you guys have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!!!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Perfection in the Picket Pin & Soft Hackle Flies

I decided late last fall towards the end of my fishing season that I didn’t need any more flies or poppers. Well you guys know how long that resolution lasted; right after I saw the Picket Pin and Soft Hackle flies Alan had tied at Small Stream Reflections. Both these patterns impressed me not only for their success rate but also for their fishy look. For those of you who follow Alan’s blog know he is an accomplished fly tier and an excellent photographer.
I can’t wait to get out on our local tailrace and introduce both these patterns to the rainbow there.

The Picket Pin is one of Alan’s go-to flies and one that I feel will be productive for me as well.
The Soft Hackle Dry is another stellar pattern from Alan’s collection; I haven’t fished this fly on our tailrace and anxious to give it a try.