Hi,
If corn works, then try something yellow. I would go with a soft hackle on a light wire hook myself, probably start with a water cricket (see FOTW archives for tying instructions; though it's just a yellow floss body, black rib, and starling softhackle), and after that try a partridge and orange or woodcock and orange, a waterhen bloa, hare's ear and partrige with peacock herl head, a grizzle - grey -and possum (got my first trout on a soft hackle with that pattern: grey thread body, possum dubbed small thorax, and grizzle hen hackle), or peacock and partridge. Hmm, if you have blow flies around, try a Dark Betty (royal blue floss body and starling soft hackle).
If that's not working for you, I would try some small buggers, or some small double hackles like a Red Setter, or Fletcher's Fuzzy Wuzzy (both in the FOTW archives: but I would tie these in size 10 using wool, rather than cheneil). One that I've had some luck with in a small pond where there are a lot of damsel flies and dragon flies is a "Rotodyeran Special" (thread black, tail: black squirrel tail, body: green wool or seal's fur dubbing, hackle: two sets of one yellow then one grizzle overtop, the first set tied in mid body, the second at the head). This is one of Hugh McDowell's flies. There's also Bragg's Dragon, which is much the same expect you palmer a grizzle hackle dyed yellow over the body rather than the double hackle construction - this is easier to tie in the smaller sizes (12 and 14).
If there are small fish in the ponds, tie some small bucktail, squirrel tail, or feather wing streamers (i.e. size 10 with 2x shanks) and pull those through. I've had pretty good luck with those actually.
Also, small flat wing patterns may work (here's a link to a site with some flat wing streamer's that look good;
http://globalflyfisher.com/streamers...g/flatwing.htm
In NZ we have a bunch of pukeku flies tied this way, but you can't get pukeku in the US). I would suggest tying these on regular length hooks to shorten the up and make them more beetle like. I do ok with a green bodied, copper ribbed, and two pheasant neck feather's for the wing (the coppery feathers, that are sort of heart shaped, on a cock ringneck).
- Jeff
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