Lake Flies

[Lotech]

I'm trying to assemble a collection of fly patterns most suitable for lake fishing with trout being the primary target. I know, of course, about the Wooly Buggers and Soft Hackles and Chironomids, but what I'm currently interested in are some of the older flies like Carey Specials various other winged streamers and nymphs. I'm looking forward to your input here. I am no longer able to fish rivers and streams, so most all of my fishing is from my 12' Jon boat. So a good collection of decent lake flies would be most appreciated. Thanks ahead.

[sagefisher]

Don't forget about dry flying around the reeds and shallows. My favorite dry flies on lakes are the Parachute Adams, Renegade and Griffith's Gnat.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Lotech]

Don't forget about dry flying around the reeds and shallows. My favorite dry flies on lakes are the Parachute Adams, Renegade and Griffith's Gnat.

Larry ---sagefisher---

Thanks Larry. I'm guessing that early morning and just before dark are the best times for the shallows.
Joe

[planettrout]

Joe,

I use both The Carey Special and it's variant, The Six Pack, in still and moving waters in the Eastern Sierras. Both of those ties are here along with a few others that might be of interest:

https://planettrout.wordpress.com/tag/carey-special/


PT/TB

[ScottP]

Joe,

Flies of the Northwest has been around for a while and has some great stillwater patterns (quick look on Half.com turned up spiral-bound editions for under $5.00). Anything you can find from Randall Kaufmann should help out, too; I've caught a lot of fish on his simple Marabou Damsel. Phil Rowley has a number of excellent tying videos on Youtube; lots of other ones on there as well.


Regards,
Scott

[Preston Singletary]

The Sixpacks shown on the planettrout site are not Sixpacks. They appear to be what are referred to as "self-bodied Carey Specials". The self-bodied Carey can use any natural or dyed pheasant rump feather, and uses the same feather for the hackle and wound up the hook shank to form the body (hence, "self-bodied"). The Sixpack falls into the category of the self-bodied Carey as well, but is specifically tied with yellow-dyed pheasant rump feathers. These iridescent gray-green feathers, when dyed yellow turn a rich olive color while retaining their metallic greenish highlights.

The pattern was developed by Carl Haufler in the late 'fifties and was introduced at Pass Lake at the northern end of Whidbey Island, in Washington State's Puget Sound. On that day the fly proved to be so spectacularly successful and Carl was so overwhelmed by fellow anglers offering to buy, beg, borrow or steal an example of the fly that he came up with the simple barter offer which gave the fly its name.

I like a shaggy, unkempt-looking body and usually add a wire rib to reinforce it.

[dudley]

We were the "new guys" at a camp last June where everyone was there to fish the dozen or so FFO trout ponds in the area.
A couple of the more hard core fellows kept talking about the dragonfly hatch. How things were really going to bust open.
Sure enough, toward the end of the week we hit one pond that was alive in dragon flies.
A muddler type fly made for a good dragon fly nymph and on that day fooled about 3 dozen fish for me

None of these folks even bothered to fish moving water. Still water trout only.
"We don't have the suits" was a direct quote from 2 different people.

[ducksterman]

As mentioned be sure and include damsel fly nymph patterns and dragon fly patterns ...also I like the Slumpbuster and/or John Scott's Pine Squirrel Cheater.

[herefishy]

You're in "St. Joe Special" country - might they work around those edges?

[whatfly]

Of the old patterns, Carey Special is still good, as is the Hornberg. Another old pattern to never leave home without is the Diawl Bach...although the more "modern" Prince works just as well. Cannot think of any other historical patterns that people in my area fish with any regularity, but if you are looking for contemporary patterns, Jay Fair's Wiggle Tail, San Juan Worm, Kaufmann's Damsel, FBPT, and scud patterns should definitely be in any well stocked lake box.