I am thinking of a "universal fly"

First a short story. A year ago, I had walked the mile to the middle of Harriman's Ranch on the Henry's Fork. There was not a fish rising anywhere in sight. I tried emergers, etc. Nothing.

Then, I looked through my boxes and selected a really nice (I thought) Adams in a size 14. I decided I would fish that dry fly whether the trout approved or not. To my surprise, a nice, fat rainbow took that fly and made my day.

So, I believe in matching the hatch; fishing soft hackles; and fishing nymphs; etc.. But, I'm beginning to believe that there may be some dry fly styles that just might work in nearly any situation.

I believe the Comparadun is one of those patterns/styles of flies - especially if tied in a rather "common insect coloration".

Anyway, I want to go try this fly out even if there are no hatches.


http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...h/IMG_2186.jpg



http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...h/IMG_2187.jpg

I have similar experiences with the Adams. And I can say that a Griffith's Gnat on #20 saved my day more than once.

I was introduced to the Sparkle Dun tied with a yellow/olive body on a size 14 or 14 for the same purpose. The big difference came from finishing the fly with a small spot from a red marker pen on the tail. That little addition makes an incredible difference. When I first tied them I didn't have a red marker pen to hand so I put a couple of red strands into the tail. That worked just as well.

Cheers,
A.

Thinking if I were thinking universal it would be a bugger I would be thinking of... and I think I hate buggers! ;)

I like the McGinty.

Elk hair caddis. hard to beat, by the time this thread is up, we will all be able to stock a dry fly box with the best of the best. Oh and a black ant size 14

Byron that is a great tie, how about doing a fly of the week of that one.

Eric

Or, perhaps in more of an olive shade of color?

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/...h/IMG_2191.jpg

You do tie a nice fly Byron. I remember reading some where that 90% of what a trout east is 3/8" long and brown, I lean toward grayish brown.

thanks. I think you're probably right. Actually almost used that color. Colors darken when wet too. Uncle, what is your "universal" dry fly style???

Without going to some reference books, wasn't it a tyer by the name of Sid Neff(?) who came up with a fly he called the , 'Near Nuff'? I think it too was supposed to be a universal fly pattern.
Now if we could only get a truly universal fly (as in water borne and hatching insect) we'd only need one pattern! Wouldn't that be truly boring?

Byron - Very nice as usual.

Allan

Last year I started to use sparkle dun in various colors and I had a great year. This year I started to use cdc and deer with as much success as the sparkle dun. So for me I would have to have two styles. These two have caught me the the most fish and the largest fish this year than any others in the previous years.

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Originally Posted by Byron haugh

thanks. I think you're probably right. Actually almost used that color. Colors darken when wet too. Uncle, what is your "universal" dry fly style???

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Byron, you are confusing me with someone who knows what they are doing. Black ants fished wet are one of the best patterns I have found in the summer months, probably a soft hackle year around, a peacock body with a wire ribs and a clear or silver bead if I could only have one.

Uncle
This is my go-to softie!!


http://flyfishing99.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-photo-of-soft-hackle.html?m=1

Nice Byron, as we say down here "That dog will hunt."

Byron,

Since the discussion is about dries...here is one that comes out of BRF that has worked for me for quite a while:

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...CRIPPLE-1-.jpg

ROYAL WULFF CRIPPLE
I first saw this pattern in the bins at BRF in West Yellowstone, years ago... it was designed by Rowan Nyman. I purchased a few in #14 -# 16, then took it apart. When I went back to the shop,a week later, the bins were empty.This fly KICKS BUTT...Everywhere...
RECIPE: (From FLYFISHING & TYING JOURNAL, Fall 2011)



HOOK: Standard Dry #10-#18
THREAD: 6/0-8/0, Black
TAIL: Brown Zelon
BODY: Peacock Herl and FL. red Antron yarn or floss
WING: White poly yarn
HACKLE: Coachman Brown, trimmed underneath

PT/TB ;)

Hi group,

Gretchen & I would have to vote for a Royal Wulff or a Renegade. Both have served us in a range of situation. Take care & ...

Tight Lines - Gretchen & Al Beatty
www.btsflyfishing.com

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Originally Posted by Allan

Without going to some reference books, wasn't it a tyer by the name of Sid Neff(?) who came up with a fly he called the , 'Near Nuff'? I think it too was supposed to be a universal fly pattern.
Now if we could only get a truly universal fly (as in water borne and hatching insect) we'd only need one pattern! Wouldn't that be truly boring?

Byron - Very nice as usual.

Allan

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H.G. Tapply, I think

We all have our favorites when "prospecting". Sometimes it is a fly we have overall confidence in, and sometimes it is the most productive on a given water. I have two like that. A #14 Light Elk-Hair Caddis tied with ginger body and brown hackle. And a #14 May Haystack. Usually one of those two patterns will pound up fish for me regardless of the water.

Another vote for my all around favorite, the Renegade. Can be fished wet or dry and cutties are a sucker for it.

Kelly.

I think the success of the Sparkle Dun is that it sits lower in the water and therefore can be an emerger, an adult, a stillborn, etc. and if it creates a little (dragging) wake can even be an egg-laying caddis. It can be retrieved under water like a wet fly and then dried off in the false cast for another try. Thus it appeals to more trout more of the time than a more detailed/specific pattern and becomes a Universal Fly. I prefer the Sparkle Rusty Usual, but the difference between the two is minimal. Other than that, a soft hackle wet fly like a GRHE Wet is my starting point.

Well thought out points Greg

Mine is the klinkhammer (Olive body and black hackle) , with saying that I haven't tried the ones mentioned.. Hope this thread goes on for a bit.

My 'universal' dry fly is either a black Chernobyle Ant, or a black Elk-Hair Caddis. If is has to be a traditional dry pattern, then it would be just a generic dry fly in either all black or all grey.

Mr Al Campbell's SWHAPF. the first rainbow that I caught on a fly that I had tied was a SWHAPF. I immediately took the fly off and put it on my vest so that I could keep it. I was very disappointed to find it gone when I got back to the car. :( since then I have caught several fishies on those flies. :)

hNt

Many years ago I ran into an old guy when I was fishing Slate Run in Pennsylvania. He was fishing a bamboo rod and working downstream. When I asked him how he was doing, he said "okay", and told me he was using a Royal Coachman dry fly. Said that's the only fly he ever needed, and he opened his fly box to show me its contents.

WOW! Row after row of nothing but Royal Coachmen!

In those days it wasn't so unusual to for fishermen, even dry fly purists, to kill their catch, and Mr. Coachman was no exception. He opened his wicker creel to show me his catch and my eyes just about buggered out. In it were 4 or 5 beautiful brown trout between 14" - 16" long - very nice fish for that small stream. And I hadn't caught a thing!

Not only did that old timer use just one fly pattern, but he told me also used to same technique for all his fishing. He always fished downstream, holding his rod high and letting the fly bounce on the water as he held it on a tight line.

Until recently it would be Gary LaFontaine's Sparkle Pupa with a pale olive antron sheath and either peacock herl abdomen or bright green touch dubbed abdomen. As of late it would be a Klinkhammer with greenish grey body, peacock herl thorax and either Cree or Dark Barred Ginger hackle. I'm taking that this inquiry is regarding dry flies only. Lake fishing it would be a #10 peacock and black bunny Glen's Leach it is my main searching pattern when I'm focused on Rainbow's, which is most of the time. I almost never fish a dry fly on a lake.

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Originally Posted by Steven

H.G. Tapply, I think

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Steven,

Looking in a copy of The Sportsman's Notebook and Tap's Tips, 4th Printing 1969 by H.G. Tapply (pgs 125-126), it seems that Mr. Tapply conspired with Harold Blaisdell (Vermont?) and Len Putnam of coastal New England to develop the Nearenuf dry fly.
Pattern: Hook - #16 and #14 mostly, with a few #12s for the Green Drake
Wings - woodduck flank tied split and upright
Hackle - mixed dark ginger and grizzly
Body - stripped peacock eye quill
Tail - two stripped grizzly hackles flared and tied extra long

One of my favorites is the Ausable Wulff, developed by Fran Betters of Wilmington N.Y. - along the west branch of the Ausable.

Best regards, Dave S.