One Fly Box???

[PastorEd]

Hey folks I am building a rod to carry behind the seat of my pickup. Who would blame the preacher if he stopped while he was out visiting the widow ladies he stopped and fished a farm pond?
I also want to put together a box of flies to carry all the time.

What would you carry in your all purpose, one box, in a moments notice fly box?

My start...

Black, Olive and flashy white woolly buggers.
olive and natural GRHE's 10, 12, 14
PTN'S 14, 16
Crappy Candy

Adams 12,14,16
Quill Body Calibettis Parachute 12, 14
Jelly beans


thanks in advance,
Ed

[SteveP]

Dragon fly or damsel fly nymph are my top two choices I have used them almost year round with varying degrees of success but I always get fish on them. Or you could go a bit more traditional with BHPTN's and/or HEN's if you so choose they always seem to produce as well.
Steve

[ozarkflyflinger57]

Ed,

Clousers, size 6 in white over white and chartreuse over white and gurglers.

My 2 cents,

Dan

[Gigmaster]

Easy:

1. Wooley Buggers, OD green, black, brown sizes 8-12.

2. Clouser Minnows Green over white, Chartruese over white size 8-12.

3. Chernoblye Ants, black over yellow, size 10 and 8.

4. Mara-Blonde Streamer, Black over Chartruese, size 6-10.

5. Hard-Hackle Worm, purple, sizes 8 and 6.

6. Black Widow, sizes 8-12.

I think this selection would pretty much catch anything that swims (at least in fresh water), anywhere in the country.

I am a minister also, and I have a fly-rod, waders, boots and flies in the back of my Tracker at all times. I guess we're all sort of like the character portrayed by Ward Bond in "The Quiet Man", Father Lonnigan.

Good Luck,

[DShock]

Ed,
About having ONE flybox in your truck.
DON'T!!!
Have at least TWO.
That way if ONE box is missing, you still have a backup.
Doug

[Gandolf]

Hi Pastor Ed,

I love to fish for bluegills, so would have bluegill flies in my box. (These can also work for crappies and bass will take them too.) Bluegill flies are small and don't take up much room. What you already have listed will work great, and I would add these to fill it out a bit.

Since you will only be fishing for short periods of time, only carry two flies each of a given pattern and size. You can refill the missing flies as needed.

I would add foam bluegill spiders in chartreuse, yellow, and peach.

Dries: Hexes, and some light color dry flies...maybe a Blond Wulff in size 12 to 18. Hoppers, beetles, and ants.

Sinking flies: Jitterbees, bully's bluegill spiders, scuds, and finally a few wet flies such as the McGinty, black gnat, grey hackle peacock, and a few soft hackles.

The two box idea is a good one. To make the best of the "spare box" to keep you covered, divide the top water and sinking flies evenly between the two boxes.

Regards,

Gandolf

[peregrines]

PastorEd-

Adding to your flies and those suggested, how about some more stuff to fill up that 2nd box like:

foam body things and panfish poppers for bluegills

poppers and bass bugs

deer hair diver with mono weedguard

large stimulators to skitter around

unweighted muddlers to fish on top with fly floatant or subsurface without)

weighted black marabou muddlers.

Maybe a ziplock bag with a pair of nail clippers, some extra tippet material, and some floatant to keep in the truck too so it's handy...

Good luck

[Micropteris]

"Out visiting the widow ladies"

Fishing for something else??



You may need a bigger tackle bag.

[bob--o]

I'd pick out one or 2 BIG bass bugs, just in case that little farm pond hasn't been fished in 5 years.

Mouse or frog and LARGE popper.

[northjerseyflyguy]

I'd throw in some in-between sized poppers for both bass and gills. Also maybe some #10 soft hackles in bright and natural colors to suit the different moods of the gills. Inch for inch of space in a fly box, I can't think of a better fly to carry than a simple soft hackle.