What flies are working now?

[Flytyer317]

I am fairly new to f-fishing, and am really unsure as to what patterns are working now. I will be fishing on a river, if that helps any? I figure mostly wet flies now? Can anyone recomend a good pattern to start out with? Thanks for any help
- David


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Game fish are too valuable to only be caught once.
-Lee Wulff

[JeremyH]

If you have a local fly shop the best advice we could give you is to go and ask them. They know better than we do the water you are fishing and the bugs that are prevalent right now.

On the other hand, you can't ever go wrong with a good old Wooly Bugger.

Jeremy

[rgregorchik]

Go with the wooly bugger. I had a tremendous couple of hours on Kettle Creek in Pa. yesterday. Black and white or Black and Yellow wooly buggers w/bead head and weight really did the trick! Ron

[PaulM]

I would agree with others about a bugger.

I would also suggest a larger(sz 12-14) pheasant tail with a midge dropper(sz 18-20). This can be a very effective searching tandem. I would also try a zug bug or prince nymph in place of the pheasant tail.

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[url=http://www.rockymtnfly.com:ff646]Rocky Mountain Fly[/url:ff646]

[Helicopsyche]

Flytier,
I used to fish northern ID when I lived in eastern WA, and had pretty good luck with black pheasant tails with and without beadheads in sizes 14-18, small midge adults and pupa 18-20, muddler minnows and wolly buggers. Those were my favorites in the winter, but hare's ears, princes and green rock worms would also work. I used to tie a prince on a #10 2xl hook with gold dumbell eyes that would work awesome. The best place for it was in the deeper holes. I don't know what the trout thought it was, but I think they were afraid of the ugly thing and would attack it to make it go away. I always called it the Machievelli.
Adam

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vox clamantis in deserto

[MarkKillam]

Not sure exactly for your body of water or for your preferences (wets, dries, streamers or anything) but I will give a few suggestions some of which are already coverd....for nymphs with an indicator....a prince, a pheasant tail or a gold rib hares ear in sizes 14-18 should work also might try a brassie in 18-20 as well. You might also try a globug. If you have a good stonefly population in the river then a stonefly nymph may also catch some fish. All of these I fish with an indicator and usually try to work deeper runs. Actually winter is about the only time I fish nymphs in rivers.

For dries.....a bwo in 18-22, midge patterns 20-24 (personal favorite is a sprout emerger which can imitate either a midge or bwo emerger), and an adams in 16-22. I usually dont use too many dries in the winter unless I see fish rising on a regular basis...where I fish it is usally feeding on midges.

For streamers....buggers, buggers and buggers....I usually fish smaller buggers than a lot of people...I like size 10 or 12 and when the water is colder I tend to cast upstream and then drift the fly downstream, let the fly swing and strip it in slower than normal. (I frequently dont drift it in warmer water and just key on the aggressive fish that will chase it). Most fish in colder water will take it on the drift but you fill find some that hit on the swing or the retrieve. I feel the bugger dead drifted could represent a stonefly nymph so that may be why it works.

These are my opinions and you may or may not find them to be effective for you.

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Take care everyone and cya around. Mark

[Joel D. Popham]

Flytyer317,

Call Northwest Outfitters or Castaway Flyshop in Coeur d'Alene. They're a little bit south of us but would know what's working. What river/stream are you fishing?

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Enjoying life in the North Idaho Panhandle....Psalm 91

[MR.JML]

I agree...go to your local fly shop; they will tell you what is currently working.
Otherwise, in the Idaho area this time of year I would go with a good midge pattern, or a streamer such as a Rattlesnake, or Wooley Sculpin.