How many of a proven pattern do you tie?

[Rick Z]

A followuip question.
Once a pattern works for you, how many of them do you tie up? How many do you keep in your stock?
Also how many sizes of the fly will you tie?

Rick

[Bamboozle]

16 of each size and color.

I only vary the size of certain patterns like BWO's, caddis or other generic bugs. Most others are imitating specific insects so I typically stick to specific sizes with MAYBE one size variation.

I usually keep 3-4 in the fly box and the rest in the car as back-up.

[hazmat]

I have an entire fly box of nothing but deer/elk hair caddis in a couple of sizes.... of course, I just started tying recently so it's more about that than any real or perceived need. I know some of them will end up in friends' boxes, not to mention trees, bushes, logs and hooked to the back of my fishing vest at some point. Being that I'm still learing, I'm tying bunches of the "old standys" right now.

[hoboflyfisher]

I'll tie up anywhere from 6 to 8 of a proven pattern, but I'm retired so tying is not a problem with me and I can add more as needed.
Hobo

[lastchance]

I usually tie 2-dozen of a proven pattern during the winter. I keep 6 in my box, 6 in the car and the rest at home. I always carry extras in case my fishing buddies or nephew need a few. All year I keep a written list of flies I need to tie, or flies I may be low on, and go to it during the winter. I'm single and time is not a problem.

[ducksterman]

To tell you the truth...I'm lucky to get to 3...by then I'm usually doing some variation...either because I get bored or because I'm just using up some of the stuff on my bench

[fish4trout]

I tie a dozen at a time usually.

[Midge Man]

For my "go to" patterns, I try to keep ten of each size and color.

[Darryl]

Generally four dozen of each size. Of course, I don't carry this many on me. I'll usually only carry a dozen of each size in a fly box in my chest pack, with an additional dozen each in a larger box left in a bag in the car. At home is where I store the remainder. After each trip I replace the ones that the fish chewed up (or more likely I lost in trees, ears, hats, etc.).

Although this sounds like a lot of flies, it's really not. I don't carry that many different patterns in my boxes. I do carry a variety of sizes of the ones that work for me though. I only carry three boxes - one with little flies (anything size #18 to #26), one with medium flies (#14 to #16 - this covers most of the mayflies and caddis that hatch here in Pennsylvania), and one box with big flies (#12 and bigger - this is where the Green Drakes and large attractor patterns live).

-Darryl

[MikieFinn]

I only tie what I use (carry with me). Usually 2 of the same pattern/color/size.

For example for stocked trout I have a lot of luck with beadhed emergers in black, brown, black/tan, balck/green, black/olive. I have 2 of each color combo in sizes from 10 to 16. In any one trout outing never needed any more than than that. I rarely get a chance to fish more than 6 hours though...