Best patterns for a begginer

bobbymo

bobbymo

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Mar 1, 2010
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Hi all. New to the forum here but looking around this seems like a great and very helpful site. I have trout fished all my life. However, I have always used spinning gear and am now just trying to learn the fine art of fly fishing. I have tied flies for a couple of years but only Erie steelhead flies and the occasional wooly bugger. What I wanted to find out is what are some of the most productive flies for this area. I usually fish near my home in Plum. I fish pine creek, deer creek, buffalo creek. However, this year I am taking a week vacation in late April to really try and get into fly fishing. I would love some advice on which flies are the best to begining tying that will produce on local streams. Any and all help would be greatly appriciated!

Thanks in advance.

Bob
 
San Juans, Green Weenies, and pretty much anything with 3 materials/steps or less is easy to tie and will catch fish if fished properly.

Ants and foam beatles are easy and productive dries.


Keep in mind any fly will catch fish, even improperly tied flies.

What I did when I started was open the cabelas and orvis catelog and try and mimic those patterns. Well, once I had the basic skills and basic concepts of fly tying.

Good luck and have fun; most of all --- welcome.
 
Wow fast response time on this board! Thanks for the advice. I have tried doing some pheasant tails and gold ribbed hairs ears and I think I have the tying thing under control, at least somewhat. I just don't know where to start as far as what flies to use/tie. It is good to know though that even if my flies don't look like an orvis picture they will still catch fish! I really can't wait to get out on the streams with the fly gear this year!


Thanks again!
 
Pheasant tails, hare's ears, zug bugs, prince nymphs and caddis pupa are pretty standard patterns and catch a ton of fish every year by every angler; so you can't go wrong there. Hare's ears in different colors will represent different mayflys.

Find a simple emerger patter and your set there.

Catskill style dries, compara duns, and parachute dry are the 3 basic types of dry fly styles to learn (blue-winged olives, sulphurs, march browns, and light cahills will hook you a lot of fish on drys)
Ants, beatles and hoppers are great for terrestrials.

Buggers are great streamers -- olive, black, grey, brown and white are the colors I carry.


Expect a ton more responses by tomorrow at this time.
 
I think both of mkern's responses are spot on. since you mentioned you are comfortable tying PT and HE just tie them in different colors and with and without beads. On any given day they will take either problem lies in finding the correct color. Welcome to the board post questions and comments please your question are sure to help everyone!
 
You got some great responses already. I'll throw in the elk hair caddis as a suggestion. It is a forgiving fly to tie and the fish approve. Keep in mind that you need to be your own worst critic, but don't forget to have fun with it.
 
My number one nymph is the Pheasant Tail. For a new tier watch this guy tie one in little over a minute!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD0uIga8-kc
 
Hi,

I just started to tie myself. I've tied green weenies, prince nymphs and woolly worms because I had the materials for those already. Haven't tried to dub a body yet but I will tackle that this week. My flies ain't pretty but I think they'll be able to fool a fish. Now if I could just get the proportions right, stop cutting the thread, crowding the head and be able to whip finish I'd be set.

Pitt
 
I would say the best pattern for a beginner would be a simple fly that you use often. My suggestion is generally to start with a pattern or two you lose fairly frequently - don't go too crazy at first. Tie a dozen or two of each to start getting your skills in order before you start branching out. An old rule of thumb was you need to tie at least a dozen of a pattern before you master it - practice makes perfect in fly tying as in anything else. All the rookie mistakes, like crowding the eye, are easier to correct if you tie a bunch of flies in a row. Each will be better and better until you get what you want.

For example, wooly buggers and pheasant tails are both straightforward to tie and for many are staple patterns. But if you don't fish wooly buggers don't tie them just because most people start tying them. Ask your local guides/regulars what they use - most likely it will be a simple tie since a lot of guides and hard core fly guys would rather spend more time fishing than tying and drift towards those simple, effective flies.

Don't worry about starting slow - before you know it you will have more tying junk than you know what to do with.
 
I would add ants and beetles. Easy to tie and they catch fish
 
Thanks for all the replies. I think I have a really good start here. I also found a link in another begginer post on this board to a website with videos of tying different flies. I know this will really help me because I am a more visual learner. I am going to link it here. Thanks to the original poster and I hope this helps other begginers as well.

http://www.theanglersnet.com/Fly-Tying-Videos/archives.asp?section=6


Thanks again for all the helpful comments!
 
You brought up another good tip. When you have a pattern in mind you'd like to try find all the different videos of tiers tying it you can and watch a few. You will notice little things each person does and adopt them when your at the vise. Happy tying and remember to keep it fun.
 
pitt here are a few things on the whip finish how ever you want to do it
 
Two of my favorite easy emergers are the sparkle dun and x caddis. Just tie a comparadun or elk hair caddis with a few strands of antron for a tail/shuck. No hackles needed.
 
I'd have to add the Adams. It helped me work out proportion, hackling and wings, and its super simple. Good one to get used to catskill style IMO. that and it covers a few different bugs for new ppl like myself who don't quite know them all that well.
 
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