CHOOSING A SYSTEM
By default I have suddenly found myself in possession of a rather impressive collection of angling books, and out of necessity I have started to catalogue the rather voluminous collection to determine exactly what volumes are present in the stacks.
The first order of business was to organize the books by category: fly fishing techniques, entomology, guides, angling fiction, angling history, and fly fishing pattern books. Immediately I was nearly overwhelmed by the number of books that were written expressly for the purpose of providing instruction on how to tie certain types of flies. There were books on streamers, nymphs, emergers, caddis, stoneflies, mayflies and terrestrials. There were patterns for fresh water, still water, salt water and even brackish water. There were salmon fly patterns, CDC patterns, bass patterns, carp patterns, and even forgotten patterns! In this collection alone there must be well over 100 books on fly patterns.
Granted many of these books contain the same patterns, some with subtle variations on the original, but there are many new patterns – new materials, new ways of using old material, and new ways of imitating certain types of flies. However, given the sheer number of flies represented by these books, and Lord knows that these are only a small sampling of these types of books, how does one figure out what flies to tie and carry in their vest? This is an especially perplexing question for the beginning angler, and even for more seasoned anglers it is often difficult determine if you should add a new pattern to their collection. How to decide? Let me offer a few suggestions.
For the beginning fly flinger it’s best to start simple. If possible find a fellow angler that has some experience fishing the waters where you intend to fish and ask them for some suggestions. Try to keep the number of patterns that you carry. This will eliminate the tendency to keep changing flies after only a few casts because your lack of success is the fault of the fly and not the fly fisher!
I remember when I started seriously fly fishing that my fly box contained a very few patterns and I caught an amazing number of trout with those few flies. I did not have the option of changing flies; I had to try to catch fish with the patterns that I had available. Over time I added flies to my collection to match specific hatches but that was only after I had spent time observing and learning what was present on the waters where I was fishing. After a number of years fishing the same water my fly boxes only contained a relatively small number of patterns specifically selected and tied to represent the prevailing hatches that I had observed over the years. This is the practice that I recommend for beginning fly fishers.
Some anglers take great pleasure in tying and fishing with new patterns. They have boxes and boxes of flies, and are constantly adding to their collection. If this description fits you I would do nothing to dissuade you or to intimate that you should desist in your practice, but for the angler that is tired of trying to tote a vest that weighs more than a high school kids backpack I might suggest a better way.
Many anglers only regularly fish one or two places, and over time they become very familiar with the types of flies that regularly produce on those waters. If you find yourself in this picture it makes little sense to carry boxes and boxes of flies when it’s likely that only a few patterns are necessary. In fresh water I fish mostly spring creeks, and a few large free stone streams. Since I have fished these particular streams for many years I have a very good idea of what flies will be necessary at any time of the year, and this allows me to have the essential imitations in my vest that will allow me to mimic the food types that will be available. Over time I have whittled down the number of imitations that I carry so that my fly boxes contain only patterns that have proven themselves over the years. I occasionally add a new pattern, or a variation on an old pattern, and it proves to be a true improvement over the older proven patterns it will earn a place in my box and I will remove the earlier version. This allows me to limit the number of flies that I carry on the stream, and allows me to concentrate more on presentation and less on changing flies.
Some anglers fish a variety of water; trout – in lakes, freestone streams, spring creeks, bass and panfish in lakes and ponds, steelhead and salmon in fresh and saltwater, snook in the mangroves, and bonefish on the sand flats. If you fall in this category then you need organization. I store my specialty flies in square plastic buckets with removable lids. I believe you can buy them these days at home improvements stores and similar commercial outlets, but mine came from local restaurants. Condiments like mayonnaise, mustard, and relish are shipped to commercial food outlets in these types of buckets. If you get your buckets from a restaurant you will need to wash them out before using them, and they may still retain a slight ‘odor’ after you have cleaned them but it will not harm your flies. The round plastic buckets will also work but the square ones are better since your fly boxes will fit better in the square model. Put your warm water flies in one bucket, your salt water flies in another, and so on. Label each one on the lid and then when you are ready to go fishing all you need to do is pick up the correct bucket[s] and you have the flies that you need. The buckets can go into a boat, the trunk of your vehicle, or anywhere that you need them since they are waterproof, with the lids on they float, and they can store lots of fly boxes. I use mine for extra reels, socks, gloves, sunglasses, and all manner of other items that I might need. Works for me and it might work for you.