Old Classics

[raffensg64]

Gents, don't forget entirely about those first patterns you began fly fishing with, ie pheasant tails, hares ears, prince nymphs, etc. They all were developed and still exist to this day for a reason....they're versatile and they catch lots of fish! In a world flooded with hundreds of "gee-whiz" patterns, these old classics still come through. Slow day on the Clark Fork? Try drifting a prince under a strike indicator. Can't figure out a small Northwest mountain stream or river? Toss a pheasant tail. Struggling at West Medical with the usual patterns? Drop a a hares ear 20 or so feet down and hold on! We went deep again today with type IV sink lines while at W. Medical. Struggled with all my usual patterns while my partner yanked several good fish off the bottom with a blood worm (don't forget about these either, they can work year round), one of which was a 20" brownie. Went to the hares ear (again!) and immediately got into several fish, to include (no kidding) a 24.5" brownie, my second-largest brown in WA, second only to a 26" brown I got at Clear Lake three years ago. For 3 consecutive days my largest W. Medical fish and most action have come by way of a hares ear in deep water. Oh, almost forgot, what did the 26" take? A doggone beaded pheasant tail! Anyways....to this day these small, versatile classic patterns occupy a spot in my midge box. Don't forget yours!

[dbk]

24.5 inches!!! I want to see the photo=d> You better be careful about sharing all of your "secret" patterns that keep getting you into the big fish. Your right though, particularly on lakes. A person does not need a z-wing transitional cdc emerger to catch big fish. You got it dialed in pretty good right now. Enjoy the ride.... Just remember you are only as good as your last fish! Great job and see you soon (one month and counting).
Peace.

Dave

[Marc Martyn]

And a couple more......Carey Special, Zug Bug and believe it or not, Montana Nymph. If you tie, tie up a hare's ear and add a ptarmigin soft hackle. It's a Killer

[raffensg64]

Yep...Carey specials (olive, black, red) and zug bugs. I don't leave home without them! They've always occupied their assigned spaces in my nymph box! See you soon, dbk!

[jmay]

I could not agree with you more raffensg64, its funny how a Robert Redford movie can screw up fly fishing. Along with the prince, hare ear and pheasant tail, there is no water East of the Cascade where a bead head zug bug won't pull a few fish out of