Worn-out pockets on a well-seasoned fishing vest likely were the first clue.
The next was the old duffel bag of fly-fishing gear becoming too small. It no longer accommodated all those fly boxes accumulated over years of fishing, along with fly reels, spools of leader-tippet material, hemostats, broken stream thermometers, gum wrappers and the other indispensable miscellany found in every fisherman’s bag of tricks.
My choices were obvious, if somewhat painful. I could get a second equipment bag to store the overflow — kind of a tackle-bag annex — or do the unthinkable. Maybe it was time to look through all those boxes and begin sorting out the flies, keeping those truly needed and removing the rest.
Of course, I never did that. Part with all those patterns, some homemade, others store-bought, most seldom, if ever, used? No way.
Though I might eventually need an addition to the garage, never mind a small U-Haul trailer to transport them to the river, I’ve kept them all.
Even so, combined with a series of inquiries to the effect of “I’m coming to Colorado to fish; what kind of flies should I get?” it got me thinking. Maybe it really was possible to reduce the number of essential flies to a manageable number.
And so, with full realization that most flies were developed for specific conditions, that finding just the “right fly” for a given occasion is part of fly-fishing’s attraction and that everyone will have personal favorites, here’s a short list of proven all-purpose patterns that really might be indispensable:
• Prince nymph: Its peacock-herl body, with just the right amount of ribbing, and white wing looks especially buggy and likely suggests a wide variety of immature insects to the fish. Bead heads are optional; their most important function is to help get the fly down in the current. In a full range of sizes, a Prince might be taken for an immature mayfly, midge or stonefly. A close relative is a sparsely tied Western Coachman.
• Gold-ribbed hare’s ear: This venerable pattern remains as effective today as ever. It might suggest immature mayflies, caddis, stoneflies and midges to the fish. Have it in sizes No. 12-22 and possibly in somewhat different color shades of fur, including dark brown, lighter brown and brownish-gray.
• Pheasant tail: The pattern imitates a wide range of immature mayflies and also can be taken for a midge. Once again, a range of sizes is important. Bead heads or Flashback material tied into the fly can give it added flash.
• RS-2: Denver angler Rim Chung’s pattern is among the most effective of nymph/emerger patterns. The original was tied with beaver fur; other colors can be adapted. Be sure to have it in the smallest sizes. Otherwise, try a gray muskrat nymph.
• Copper John: It’s often used mainly for weight on a two-fly rig, but is effective in its own right. It probably looks like an emergent midge to the fish. For the smallest sizes, substitute a Brassie.
• Parachute Adams: The venerable Adams pattern in a full range of sizes covers almost all the adult mayfly bases. The parachute wing improves the contour of the more-traditional version and is more visible to the fisherman. Whether fishing little Baetis, big drakes or Callibaetis — even the tiniest of Tricos — don’t leave home without it.
• Pale morning dun: At times it’s necessary to have something in a cream or light-ginger color to match a summertime hatch. A PMD pattern usually fills the bill.
• Elk-hair caddis: As the name suggests, it imitates adult caddisflies but also can be taken for a small stonefly or a terrestrial inset.
• Griffith’s gnat: Trout taking midges off the surface can be maddeningly selective. The Griffith’s gnat suggests a cluster of midges and might be just the ticket. No need to go much above a No. 18 or 20, but better have something smaller.
• Barr’s emerger: For the times trout are taking something just below the surface, this one’s hard to beat.
• Woolly bugger: A Woolly bug’s the all-purpose streamer, suggesting smaller fish, crayfish or who knows what to the trout. It works in lakes and streams, and bass and northern pike like it too.
• Muddler minnow: With a name like muddler, maybe only a mother could love it but fish find it attractive. It can be fished below the surface, like other streamers, but it’s also effective dead-drifted on the surface.
And so, feel free to substitute. Throw some out. Or add your own, but be warned. Once you start, you soon may be buying a larger tackle bag or perhaps hiring a caddie to carry all those fly boxes along the stream for you while you’re trying to find just the right fly.
