What would you tie?

[quivira kid]

I'm taking a trip in mid-September to Laramie, Wyoming. I plan to fish some mountain streams and creeks for a long weekend. Here's my question... What would you tie? Here's a hatch chart...

http://www.flystore.net/Hatch%20Chart.htm

[Betty Hiner]

There aren't any fish there .....

[ScottP]

I'd tie caddis (CDC & Elk, Chuck's Caddis Variant, Galloup's Butch Caddis), parachute Adams, a bunch of attractors (Foam back Convertible, Stimis, Humpies, Purple Haze), hoppers, beetles and ants.

[quivira kid]

Betty, this is all hypothetical!

[Ron Eagle Elk]

QK,

After looking at your hatch chart I'd be adding a number of flies to my box.

Parachute Adams sizes 14 to 22
Tan Hare's Ear wet fly in 14-16
Any number of October Caddis dry fly imitations that have been listed on FAOL (think Stimulators in orange, dark wing) size 6-10
Partridge and orange, same sizes on a light wire hook.
Griffit's Gnat and Black Midges 14-22
Syl's Midge wet fly 14-20
Elk hair caddis, some with olive body, some tan, 12-14
Peacock and partridge wet fly 12 to 18.

I have all of the wet flies already, just need to add the dries.

REE

[Rocketfish]

I am a little far from there but I love creeks. When I start in "unexplored" waters my fisrst choice is a #16-18 EHC or a Prince nymph.

[Gandolf]

Hi Zac,

I would tie elk hair caddis, gray Wulff, black stonefly, and on the chance that the hatch is on would certainly have some October caddis patterns and BWOs.

Tie the EHC in the indicated sizes, but concentrate on #14 and #16, with some #18s, less #12s and #20s. I would also carry some deer hair caddis flies for the sedge caddis listed, which have an olive body, dun hackle, and a dun wing of gray deer hair. I have had days when the standard elk hair caddis worked part of the day, and then later in the evening the deer hair caddis was working. This was in New Mexico, but it was in the fall.

The gray Wulff I would tie would run from #14 to #20, and it can fish for a midge or a baetis in a pinch. The callibeatis that I have fished over often have lighter color tails and wings, so I would have some of the gray Wulffs with light color tails and wings, but keep the body muskrat gray. I like quite light elk for the wings on these lighter color ones.

The later in the season it gets, the smaller the baetis get, so #18 and #20 would seem to be the sizes I would concentrate on for the BWOs.

I would definately have a few Griffiths gnats, as I have had more luck with them for midges than with anything else. Still, if you have plenty of time to tie, carry some cream and some very dark (maybe even black) mayfly type patterns in #18 and #20, and in all of the midge and mayfly patterns including the gray Wulffs and BWOs I would leave the wings off of the #18s and #20s, as I don't think they make much difference, and adding the wings REALLY slows the tying. The combination of gray Wulff, BWO, cream, and black should give you something to try in many different midge situations. For what it's worth, AK Best recommends that the color for BWO bodies should be the color of split pea soup that is a bit on the light side, rather than the relatively dark olive that you often see.

For the winter stonefly I would carry black stimulators, and carry a few in each of the listed sizes, but would also include some #12s, and would concentrate on the #14s and #16s, with less of the #18s and still less of the #20s.

The October caddis is a huge caddis fly, and if the trout have been taking them, they will be a great choice to try.

I would tie the flies with plenty of hackle, and my mayflies are almost all Wulff style, because quite a bit of the water we have in the west can have quick water, and the floatation is important. Every now and then I will tie a few Catskill style flies just because the look so nice, but mostly I fish Wulffs. Same thing with the elk hair caddis and stimulators, I hackle mine fairly heavily.

Beyond this I would tie a few soft hackles in sizes #14 to #20, just in case. I would also carry pheasant tails and gold ribbed hairs ears, and maybe some stonefly nymphs tied from hairs ear fur, and also a few of each with bead heads. As far as size goes for the nymphs, my short experience is that the trout don't seem to be as pickly about size on the nynphs as the are with the dries.

If I didn't know what was going on, I would search with one of the EHCs in size #16, trying both the EHC and the DHC, and also try a #12 or #14 nymph to search with.

Hope you do well and have a great time.

Regards,

Gandolf

[herefishy]

In addition to all these good suggestions, I'd add some gray rs2's in 18 and 20. Good for all kiinds of things.

[quivira kid]

Wow! Thanks so much for the lengthy answers. I think I was headed in the right direction, just needed some affirmation. So far, I've got a bunch of different #12 soft hackles tied up. Next, I think I'll work on all my caddis flies.

Thanks again, and keep the suggestions coming!
Zac

[Gandolf]

Hi Zac,

Caddis flies first is indeed a good idea. If I only one dry to try, a #14 or #16 EHC would be it, and a lot of the time I tie mine in a bit lighter tan than the ones tied from hare's mask. It always seems like there are caddis flies around, they live a long time as adults compared to mayflies, and so the trout seem to take them a lot of the time. Thus for me they are a favorite searcihing pattern.

Be sure to let us know how you do up there.

Regards,

Gandolf