Top 5 Flies

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st. croix
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2009/05/04 15:34:08 (permalink)

Top 5 Flies

hello all...i have a buddy who is just starting out fly fishing and im tryin to show him the ropes (as best i know how hehe) he wanted to order some flies and asked me what to get....so i told him my 5 top patterns and they were....Adams, Stimulator, CJ, Prince, any sorta stonefly...just wanted to get him some basic patterns that would work in a variety of situations...then i got to thinkin if those were really the best five for a beginner and all that...so i wanted to ask yall what you thought if you had 5 flies
 
Nick

"The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad"

A.K. Best
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    D-nymph
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/04 16:13:29 (permalink)
    Parachute Adams
    Elk Hair Caddis
    Hare's ear
    Copper John
    Wooly Bugger
    #2
    indsguiz
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/04 16:14:59 (permalink)
    5 flies:
      1.   Mosquito - in about 5 sizes 12-20
      2.  Adams - in 14-16 -18
      3.  Cadis - life cycle kit if you can get one (about 8-12 flies)
      4.  Stone fly in black, brown and grey
      5.  Muddler Minnow - 3 sizes - 10 - 12 - 8

       Now I realize that this is more than just 5 flies and I left out the hares ear, single orange egg, and scud but those are flies that will catch fish a good total of 1 of each would cost about $40 bucks and fill out a box fairly nicely.  Then when he finds out what works best for him on whatever stream he fishes the most he can buy extras of that type.
       There again what works wonders on one stream won't work at all on another creek.  I know of one small stream in Central PA that the brookies will only hit mosquitoes in the 12-14 range;  and won't even look at an adams.
       Now these are just MY suggestions because that's what I fish almost everywhere.  I'm sure that when we hit the Oil Crek this weekend somebody will have the "perfect" fly;  so I'll steal some of theirs.
     
      BTW:   This was already a post some time ago.  You can research it and see what was in that post too.
     
    post edited by indsguiz - 2009/05/04 16:16:32

    Illegitimis Non carborundum
    #3
    Cold
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/04 17:54:50 (permalink)
    For a beginner, you've gotta have the woolly buggers. Also, any sort of simple egg is a great all-conditions fish catcher. Some sort of nymph (GRHE, PT, RS2) is a must as well. For the other two, I'd say take a look at where you're fishing. For me, its a caddis larva and a stonefly nymph, but I havent had much success on dries, so it was easy for me to remove them from this list. For someone with any amount of experience, I'd imagine they're a key ingredient to success.
    #4
    hendey lathe
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/04 18:45:00 (permalink)
    I only fish with dry flies, but here's the ones I do best with.
    1) Parachute Hopper Size 14
    2) Cripple Blue Winged Olive Size 18
    3) Female Adams Size 16
    4) Black Stimulator Size 16
    5) Grey Fox Varient Size 14 ( works great in fast water )
    #5
    rollcaster
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/04 19:37:59 (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: hendey lathe

    I only fish with dry flies
    WHY?
    #6
    JM2
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/04 19:50:20 (permalink)


    Adams #18
    Elk Hair Caddis #14
    Grey Midge #22
    BH Prince Nymph #16
    Olive/Black
    Flash a Bugger #10

    It would be a good thing to have a few different sizes of Elk Hair Caddis, maybe #20 thru #12.
    This would be my basic must have flies and would cover you 80% of the time.
    Now the next 5 flies, after you have these 5, maybe a little more interesting.
    #7
    st. croix
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/04 20:22:07 (permalink)
    agreed the next 5 would be more specific....i guess i should have thrown in the bugger but most of my fishing (which means his to) is on freestone streams in north central PA and most is for natives...also my prefered style is a large dry with a dropper, which sorta explains my choices...hindsight i should have been more generic because i think i may have funneled towards my style with those flies
     
    Nick

    "The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad"

    A.K. Best
    #8
    dano
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/05 07:06:30 (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: rollcaster

    ORIGINAL: hendey lathe

    I only fish with dry flies
    WHY?

     
     
    I'm the same way from mid April till whenever the bugs stop hatching.
     
    Steelhead did me in. I guess I live too darn close to some good tribs.
    I spend from September till March chasing steel or salmon. Usually the norm is to throw weighted lines or weighted patterns. I get a bit bored and tired of it all. but, I do love stream fishing. 
     When the first good hatch starts, its all dry fly fishing. I finally get to throw light patterns and cast a fly line like it was meant to be cast. It's also much more involving than fishing underneath, which I like. Reading the attitude of a rise, figuring out what they're eating, hitting that small target with the fly and overcoming currents to eliminate drag (you really learn about micro-drag). And the bonus is that you get to see all the action unfold right before you're eyes.
    Now, if they ain't coming up, no choice but to go underneath.
     
     
     
    #9
    dano
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/05 07:41:36 (permalink)
    I think the best way to start is underneath with streamers, nymphs and wets.
     
    #10 dark brown wooly bugger.
    #14 wet light cahill
    #14 partridge and peacock soft hackle
    #14 beadhead pheasant tail.
    #12 green weenie.....Or #14 orange glo bug if your stream has a lot of stocked bows and brooks.
     
    #10
    Loopy
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/05 08:04:13 (permalink)
    Or sit on the bank and harrass the other fishermen why they're not gettin' any.

    <---  The Holy Trinity
    #11
    salmotrutta
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/05 19:12:12 (permalink)
    I usually have-
    Cress Bugs
    Scuds
    Ants
    EHC

    Plus what's hatching in or around the water I'm fishing.
    The flashier it is the less fish it will catch for me. I keep it simple.



    Lyrical
    #12
    hendey lathe
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/05 19:43:52 (permalink)
    Rollcaster,
                  Fishing with dry flies is just what I like doing. There's no right or wrong about it. I know without a doubt fishing underneath you'll probably have a better chance of success. I just find it a little more "magical" to watch fish take a dry fly. My biggest trout (C&R) , was a 28 inch Rainbow while fishing the Yough above Ohiopyle on a Parachue Hopper Size 14 on 5X tippet. That was alotta fun!
    #13
    Lochswa
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    RE: Top 5 Flies 2009/05/07 21:29:01 (permalink)
    1: P.T. <with and without beads>
    2: Woolybugger <black,olive,char>
    3: Adams< I make some hares ear colored as well as grey>
    4: Peacock softhackle
    5: Iris caddis/X-caddis
    #14
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