Like Buddy, I prefer the synthetic materials for bait fish patterns and use a lot of buck tail, spey hackle and long estaz for my other patterns. My patterns aren't very flashy just a subtle hint of it. They're cross over patterns that I fish for more than one species some which don't like a lot of flash. My most productive color has been all white or Red/white. Fire Tiger/Perch, shad/bunker and herring patterns for bait fish. Most of my flies are in the four to eight inch range.