one fly

[Dana]

okay, back to the corner table at the Log Cabin Pub. If you were limited to one fly to swing on the end of a Spey for either Atlantic salmon or steelhead, what would it be and why? And just to make things interesting, no you can't have one fly for winter, one for summer--you only get to pick one fly, and in one size only!



I'm a steelhead guy (haven't fished Atlantics...yet...) so I'd have to say a tube version of the black marabou General Practitioner (beat 'cha, kush!), size 2.

[kush]

Is there another fly?

[fredaevans]

On the Rogue I'd say a size 8 Bead-head Prince Nymph.
fe

[pmflyfisher]

Hmmm, well I guess it would be a size 6 weighted black stone fly I would go with for N.A. steelhead and atlantic salmon.

Can't beat the color black.

[rickwbr]

I would have to agree with a black g.p. but i would choose it in size 1/0

Gone fishing, Rick

[Willie Gunn]

Obviously Willie Gunn 2" Waddinton I have caught all this seasons salmon on it. 3 last week out of a total of four off the beat. All released which is a novelty in Scotland.

[pmflyfisher]

Malcolm

You need to diversify your fly selection, they will take other flies have the faith. Good to hear you are adopting our american C+R ethics. What do the others think of it ?

Best

Hal

[Willie Gunn]

Hal,
There lies the rub, the Spey board have asked for 75% C&R some beats have acheived 0%.
I did try other flies but they did not work, tie on the old faithful Willie Gunn and a fish came along.

Malcolm

[pmflyfisher]

Malcolm,

I know what you mean, I usually do not start with my old reliable flies but something I want to prove I can catch them on which I have not done before. But after a couple of hours of nothing I revert to the old reliables (normally Hexigenia Limbata May Fly Nymph style fly). After that the stone fly comes next.

You mean the Spey board on the Spey River right wants 75% released. Looks like they have some more angler education to do. Not necessary to have salmon for easter dinner is it ?

Best

Hal

P.S. I am sending you a couple of the Hex may fly versions with the AS swap flies.

[HangDog]

For steelhead - #2 dark purple woolly bugger with a deep red conehead, tied on a relatively short shanked, heavy wire hook.

Why:

- lots of movement;
- works for summers and winters;
- works on dark and bright days;
- can be slimmed up or bulked out;
- easy to tie;
- sinks well;
- casts well;
- it works for me (probably because I fish it more than anything else).

A new steelhead fly fisher once asked a noted fly fishing author (I believe it was Trey Combs) what flies work for steelhead. The answer: about 6,000.

[silverdoc]

It's gotta be black, but I like a touch of hot color...

[pmflyfisher]

Bob,

Looks like a good great lakes skamania summer run pattern will be trying that one out. Black and pink is a great combination. Don't know why they like flourescent pink but they do.

I will figure out how to tie it.

Hal

[Moonlight]

Can't imagine fishing on top all winter with a goodly clump of deer hair so I'll pass on this one.
Silver Doc that is a beautiful thing. The general style I perfer for winter runs in varying hues of bright and dark well done. Your photo skill is awe inspiring.

[TerryD]

A #4 Steelhead Sulpin (originated by Harry Lemire)!!! The fly has a Matuka wing and dances in the surface, but if forced to fish deep it has alot of action. Fish just nail this fly.

[metalhead]

a green headed esl.

[Andy Wren]

For me it just has to be the silk cut shrimp,purple and pearly with a hint of black and silver and ared head , tho if I wanted a big fly I,d go with Malcom and the Wille Gunn !

[silverdoc]

Hal;
Your mailbox is full, so will post it here:

Go to the "Spey Fly Primer" under tying pages on my site.
The hackle is a John Shewey double dyed marabou(black/hot pink).
I've also subbed purple for the black when I don't want the stark silouhette of the black.
Shoot me your snailmail & I'll send a sample.
Sitting here waiting for the rivers to warm up...
BTW, there is a new book available:
Shrimp & Spey Flies for Salmon by Chris Mann & Robert Gillespie,(ISBN 187367452X), & John Shewey has a Spey/Dee book coming out soon.
Best fishes,

[beau purvis]

tried to get to your site to look at that fly could not find a way to your site.
beau

[beau purvis]

my favorite sink tip fly is a big intruder. however, when fishing a dry line i use Dave McNece [sp] type flys size 3 alec jackson hook , hot pink, orange , or green floss butt, golden pheasant hackles, red golden crest tail, front 2/3 body purple seal.
beau

[pmflyfisher]

Yes I was thinking of purple also for the summer runs. Already have tied a bunch of my own patterns. I think black and purple and black and fluor pink is the way to go. Maybe orange also although I never have luck with orange other than egg flies.

Black rules and natural nymphs.

My e-mail is eckhal@attbi.com

Hitting the rivers soon. Was suppose to go last week but work got in the way, kind of glad because the weather as you know was real snowy and COLD.

Best,

Hal

P.S My days of steelheading in 20 degree temps are probably over, that did not use to stop me. 10 degrees stopped me, I tried that a couple of times 20 years ago. That was torture.

[The Flymaster]

One Fly????
Well as much as I hate to admit it, I would have to say a Black/Purple Eggsucking Leech, why because I can tie about a dozen in an hour and I don't mind loosing them on the bottom when fishing heavy heads. (and they work)

My favorite fly gotta be the G.P. but I just hate loosing them, so I won't fish them, just have a box full of them.

I do if I fish a dry line though. :hehe:

The Flymaster.

[fredaevans]

and send it the the following address.

Fred Evans
c/o Key Bank
etc.

Beautiful!

[loco_alto]

I follow flymaster's approach. I fish a lot of black and purple leech patterns when I expect to lose them, but prefer a marabou GP when not dragging bottom. just a touch classier.

hey flymaster,

What kind of hooks are you using for those outsized GP's? It's difficult to get the monster hooks here in OR, so I'm forced to fish articulated leech type flies when I want to go big. and they work!

[The Flymaster]

Loco,
for those I used TMC 7931C #2/0 to #5/0, I used to use Partridge when I used that size, but I find that if you tick bottom a lot the Tiemco's hold their point better, and if they do go dull, they are easier to sharpen. :)

The Flymaster.

[Poul]

I thought this would be easy because I don't use very many different patterns. After mulling it over for a few nights (thanks a lot, Dana!), it turns out to be really difficult. The difficult part for me is the one size part, not the one fly, because I fish quite a few different types of rivers and often use flies as small as sparse 8's (rarely down to #12) and as large as 2/0. I change size at least as often as I change pattern.

The only way I can think of getting away with one size is to use a small - say 1/2" or 3/4" - tube fly, as long as I'm allowed to change between weighted and plastic tubes, and to string 2 or 3 tubes together when I want a big fly, and use a hitch hole when I want to fish on the surface. I'd probably pick something like a tail-less Spade fly with a mixed black, brown and olive seal body, an over-sized and bushy hackle that I can trim down if I feel like it, and a fl. orange head that I can tie a little on the big side sometimes. Interestingly (to me anyway), this is not a fly I use in real life at least not in a tube version.

Poul

[Salar-1]

TerryD
Could you post the tying instructions for the Steelhead Sculpin?
TIA
Brian

[Dana]

beau, do you have a jpg of an intruder that you could post?

[beau purvis]

Hi Dana, i dont ,but if you tell me how to do it , i can try it sometime. still working on how to get a picture up under my name on my posts. the one i have on my computer seems to be too large.
beau

[Jed]

My one fly? The Lady Caroline in size 1/0.

[MJC]

Salar-1, I'm not TerryD, but here is the pattern as listed in "Steelhead Fly Fishing" by Trey Combs:

Hook-Size 1-4

Body-Grey wool. Rib with pearl mylar tinsel and over-rib with copper wire. The copper ribbing can be wound counter to the mylar ribbing to keep the ribbing from being torn loose.

Matuka Wing-Three "ratty" badger or grizzly neck hackles all flowing the same direction. The current will hit this bend and cause the fly to wobble.

Beard-Pine squirrel, sparse.

Cheeks-Red wool.

Head-deer body hair. Trim to a flat shovel shape.

Top of Head-Small bunch of fine black bucktail.

[TerryD]

Thanks MJC for following-up with the pattern. Note on tying the pattern: If you are tying a lot of these flies, complete all the bodies first before spinning the heads, it just worked for me.

Also, the fly is in Deke Meyer's book "Advanced Fly Fishing For Steelhead" on pg. 81, but it was Trey Comb's book that turned me onto the pattern. Make sure you read Harry Lemire's description of the fly, true, true, true.

Thanks again MJC.

[fredaevans]

Talking to one of the more knowledgeable fellows down here (Dave Roberts at The Outdoor Store in Medford) yesterday. He told me Harry's coming down to fish with him this weekend on the Rogue.

Harry was (along with Ken McCloud, et. al.) my early 'mentors' into steelhead/fly fishing up in Washington. Those were great 'pre-Bolt' days with the Steelhead Trout Club of Washington.

One of the old (unfortunately favorite stories told) was when I was a grand 'ol 18 or 19 years of age the 'older fellows' got me so sh...faced one night at the annual speg. feed they had to drive me home. No problem there other than they opened the screen door, proped me against the front door/braced me up with the screen door, rang the bell and ran like hell.

Mother was not pleased to have her drunken son fall flat on his face when she opened the door at 1am.:whoa:

[pmflyfisher]

Fred,

Now I never thought you would do something like that when you have to get up for steelhead fishing the next morning. I've done it, but not when I have to get up for steelhead or any FF early the next morning. Need to be lucid for that early morning fishing for the suttle steelie takes.

Hal

P.S. If you see Harry get me an autograph, have read a lot about him and his flies, etc over the years.

[Salar-1]

MJC
Thanx for the pattern
Tied some up today @ work :-O
Will be trying them on Landlocks within 2 weeks
Let ya'all know how they work out
Cheers
Brian