Patterns that are a Must Have

[pcray1231]

Agreed with ryguy. Pad's list is a good one for a fairly experienced fisherman. Somone just starting is gonna want 20-30 flies, period. Thats not 20-30 different flies, as you'll want the multiples of the most popular. A much better question would be

"maximum of 50 flies total, what would you get?"

So, for instance, in Pads list, if you had triples of a size 14, 16, and 18 Adams, thats already 9 flies. I'll give it a shot, statewide.

Dries:

3 Size 16 Sulfur (yellow) dry flies.
3 Size 16 sulfur spinners
3 Size 18 BWO cut-wing style dries
3 Size 24 trico spinners, cut the tails off an its a midge!
6 3 each size 16 and size 18 CDC tan caddis.
3 Size 12 Parachute Adams
1 Size 10 Green Drake spinner (coffin fly)
2 Size 16 or 18 black ant.
1 Size 14 Hopper

= 25 flies

Nymphs or wets:

9 3 each size 12, 14, and 16 PT or Hare's Ear nymphs.
1 Size 8 or 10 golden stonefly.
2 Size 16 scuds or cressbugs
4 Size 24 midge larva (I lose a lot of these when I fish em).
4 Egg patterns of your choosing (1 each colors orange, cream, pink, and peach).

= 20 flies (I'm up to 45 total)

Streamers (not into the multiples here as with heavier tippet, I lose less).

3 Wooly Buggers (Olive, brown, and white)
2 Sculpins (black and brown)

= 5 flies.

 

[jayL]

I like pcray's list, but I will use parachutes for the sulphurs and do away with the spinners. The parachute will cover duns and spinners.

I'd throw 3 beetles in instead.

 

[troutslammer]

thats a good list pcray , i would substitute the 3 tricos for 3 light cahills , substitute the green drake for a march brown and make all my drys parachute except for the march brown

 

[afishinado]

PCray, great all-around PA fly box! I'll take a set.

 

[pcray1231]

thats a good list pcray , i would substitute the 3 tricos for 3 light cahills , substitute the green drake for a march brown and make all my drys parachute except for the march brown

I needed to have some smaller flies in there, trico's and midges are too common in my fishing. I picked the trico cause it can do double duty as a midge, just cut the tails off. Light cahills are well covered by the sulfurs. I find the size 12 Parachute Adams is plenty sufficient for March Browns, and a heck of a brookie fly to boot.

Point taken on the parachute being fine for duns and spinners, especially on sulfurs. It'd save 3 flies. I probably wouldn't replace it with beetles though, I'd either add a size (14) of sulfurs, add wet flies (size 16 tan soft hackle), or some variety of caddis pupa.

I'd keep the BWO cut wings, though, the vast majority of my BWO opportunities have come on the dun stage, and I really like the cut-wings for that.

 

[FarmerDave]

Pcray,

Don't forget the DuPont spinner for when the fish aren't biting. You should only need one.

 

[pcray1231]

And of course, if you only want 30 flies total, pare down the list based on your exact location. For instance, if your outside of limestone country, rid yourself of the BWO's, trico's, and perhaps the cressbugs.

 

[FarmerDave]

pcray1231 wrote:
And of course, if you only want 30 flies total, pare down the list based on your exact location. For instance, if your outside of limestone country, rid yourself of the BWO's, trico's, and perhaps the cressbugs.

If that is the case, I'd still keep the BWOs and get rid of the tricos scuds, yellow stone and green drakes and a couple other things from you list if I needed to pare it down.

However, the first one to go from your list for any stream would be the Sculpin. IMO fishing those effectively is like trying to hit a 2 iron. Definitely not for the beginner. Same thing with the really tiny stuff like tricos but to a lesser degree so I'll call those a 3 iron. Just an opinion.

 

[pcray1231]

Green Drakes are very common on freestoners, probably more common than on limestoners. Though, NW PA does seem to lack them, and replace them with hexes, but without any personal experience I'd think a GD would be a fine substitute for a hex.

I love sculpins, you can fish them as a true sculpin (bottom bounces) or like any other standard streamer. But they are more of a limestone thing. Not that they're not on freestoners, but they are probably the premier baitfish on many limestoners. Did fairly well last weekend on them. I use them more than buggers. Nothing beats a black sculpin in brownish water.

 

[FarmerDave]

pcray1231 wrote:
Green Drakes are very common on freestoners, probably more common than on limestoners. Though, NW PA does seem to lack them, and replace them with hexes, but without any personal experience I'd think a GD would be a fine substitute for a hex.

I love sculpins, you can fish them as a true sculpin (bottom bounces) or like any other standard streamer. But they are more of a limestone thing. Not that they're not on freestoners, but they are probably the premier baitfish on many limestoners. Did fairly well last weekend on them. I use them more than buggers. Nothing beats a black sculpin in brownish water.

I'm just sharing my opinion.

Yes, the hex can be found in NWPA, but if I ever got into that hatch or a GD hatch in NWPA, I'd probably tie on an elk hair caddis. They will be there too, and the trout will notice even if the angler does not.

Sculpin? Yea, I know they work. I'm just thinking it is a little difficult for a beginner. And if I needed to pare down the list, it would go and the wooly buggers would stay.

I do think your list is a good one, but my must have would be different especially for a beginner.

For example, every list needs to have an elk hair caddis. You have CDC caddis. That might even be better, but elk hair is much cheaper and you don't need a special TLA based on a french name to hide the fact that you are using feathers from a duck's butt. they should have just called it a duck butt caddis.

Green drake's hatches don't last long, so at best it is a "must have" for a very short time (IMHO). it is rather specific. I would not include them as a must have on my fly box. By the time they hatch, I should have some room in my box to pick up a couple on the way to the stream.

Sculpin works well, but too difficult.

I'm just sharing my opinion, and nobody should view it as being argumentative. Neither of us is wrong. This type of thread should be about sharing opinions and experiences. these are just a few ideas and a couple jokes.

By the way, the best way to fish a sculpin is on the surface as a bass bug.;-)

I admire anyone who can catch trout with them consistantly.

 

[jayL]

Heavily weighted sculpins, tied with non-floating materials are pretty easy to fish IMO. Fish them like a bugger. Half of the fish you catch on buggers in a limestone stream are probably taking them for sculpins anyway.

 

[FarmerDave]

jayL wrote:
Heavily weighted sculpins, tied with non-floating materials are pretty easy to fish IMO. Fish them like a bugger. Half of the fish you catch on buggers in a limestone stream are probably taking them for sculpins anyway.

True, but the heavily weighted makes them harder to case IMO.

It's mostly just me. I have no confidence in my ability to catch fish on them.But give me a woolly bugger and ...