I am new to fly fishing and have just moved to California. I would love to start fishing the central Sierra Nevada’s between Tahoe and Yosemite. Can you folks reccomend several basic trout fly patterns I could start with? What say you? Most of my fishing will be done spring to fall. Thanks…
Elk Hair Caddis and Adams in sizes 12-18 a few soft hackles and SHWAPF http://flyanglersonline.com/flytying/beginners/part9.php in 12-16 will get you fishing just about anywhere.
Eric
Welcome to the area Gary, There’s way to much water here to try to cover it all with one simple list.
Beginner - around here, just some basics to get you some pulls.
More days than not, at least a few of these will catch fish on the Truckee, East & West Carson’s, Merced and a lot of the creeks in between. Just depends on the season, the hatches and the mood of the great finned one in the sky.
[i][b]
In moving water.
[/b][/i]Nymphs:
# 14 - 16 Bead Head and Un-beaded versions, Pheasant Tail Nymph.
12 - 14 Bead Head & Un-beaded versions, Natural [b]Birds Nest Nymph
[/b]Bead Head Barr’s Emergers, both PMD ( # 14 - 16 ) and BWO ( #16 - 18 ).
12 - 14 Bead Head Prince Nymph.
14 - 16 Bead head [b]Copper John.
[/b]#18 Bead Head Mighty Mite.
Dries:
# 8 - 14 Yellow Stimulators.
12 - 16 Royal Trude or Lime Trude.
14 - 16 Adams Parachute.
12 - 16 Brown or Tan Elk Hair Caddis.
16 - 18 Sierra Gnat, Griffith Gnat, or Sierra Bright Dot ( pick one or two, no need for all three. )
8 ( yes an eight ) to # 14 Black Flying Ant. ( you can always clip off the wings streamside if you don’t need the wings, but adding wings to a wingless version - streamside, is a real pain. )
6 to 10 Grasshopper ( I like Dave’s Hopper, but many work. )
Get a few 3/8", 1/2 " & 3/4" indicators, you’re choice of brand and style. Add a 7’ 6" - 4 X leader and some 4X and 5X tippet. Fish singles or a dropper set up.
I’d concentrate on nymphing until your successes teach you the rivers in’s and outs, then start targeting the prime times with the dries.
For a list of stillwater patterns, we’ll save that for another time.
Again, Welcome. Dave
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GaryO, I fish the Eastern Sierras from Cottonwood creek to the East Walker. Right now terrestrials are killer. Spiders, ants and hoppers. Caddis and adams also work well. Oh, and everything Dave said. He lives there. Jim
Start here: http://stevenojai.tripod.com/flybox.htm
What chewydog said and 'ya might want to check out Greg Vinci’s site as well…besides being an excellent guide, Greg ties some killer patterns for the area you are interested in…
http://www.california-flyfishing.com/
PT/TB 
Considering where you are, you will want to check out Fly Fishing Specialties, and Kiene’s Fly Shop. Both excellent shops with informative and helpful staffs, and right around the corner from you.
+1
I use a lot of what Dave E lists. The Griffith Gnat and ant patterns do very well. I was above Jamestown a month ago and did okay with Copper John’s and Bird’s Nest.
Ask 50 anglers what their essential Sierra patterns and you would likely get 50 different collections. As you know there are thousands of patterns, most of which are similar to many other patterns. I think it is entertaining and fun to go through these discussions and see what different anglers like to use. Here are my favorites and thoughts on why.
Caddis -
Cutter’s E/C Caddis in 12-20 - this emergent/cripple (E/C) also makes a great mayfly emerger cripple pattern
LaFontaine Emergent Sparkle Pupa in 12-18, green, olive, and tan bodies. I use olive most often. Often effective when no hatch.
LaFontaine Deep Sparkle Pupa in 12-18 - I find these effective even when there is no hatch
Mayfly Dries
Parachute Adams in 12-20
Parachute Blue Wing Olive in 16-20 - The Adams and BWO cover most mayfly hatches for me and work well as searching dries
Parachute Pale Morning Dun in 14-18 - For lighter color mayflies.
Rusty Spinner in 16-18
Trico Spinner in 18-22 - Spinners are often overlooked. Hint - put a split shot on the leader and fish them wet.
Attractor Dries
Royal Stimulator in 10-16
Yellow Stimulator in 12-16 - I often use Stimulators as indicators.
Royal Wulff or Royal Humpy in 12-18. Great indicator and searching flies
Yellow Humpy in 14-18.
LaFontaine Air Head, olive or yellow boddy in 10-16 - This weird pattern often catches fish like crazy. It often doesnt work at all. Great indicator.
LaFontain Mohawk in olive, sizes 12-16. Another weird pattern. Deer hair body floats in surface film. Fish eat it.
Terrestrials
Black Ant in 10 -20. With and without wings. Fish just eat 'em. Fish surface or subsurface. I like Cutter’s Perfect Ant.
Black Beetle. Pick a pattern in size 14-16.
Grass Hopper. Pick a pattern. Note I have never seen a yellow hopper in the Sierra. All I recall seeing were shades of olive, brown, and tan.
Other Dries
Griffiths Gnat. Sizes 12-20. Imitates midge clusters. Imitates trout food. Easy to tie.
Nymphs -
Prince or Zugbug in size 14 through 18. Peacock is gold.
Pheasant Tail. I like with and without beads in size 16-18
Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear in 12-18 or Birds Nest in 10-18. The Bird’s Nest in olive can double as a small streamer.
Brassie in 16-22. Traditional copper, green, black. Great midge larva and caddis imitation. So simple it is often overlooked. I have caught a gazillion trout with these.
Streamers
Woolly Buggers. Black, Olive, cinnamon. in sizes 6-12. With our without bead head. I find sparse ties usually work better unless hunting brown trout real early and real late. Dont leave home without them. Dead drifted olive and cinnamon are great crawfish imitations.
Mickey Finn. Sizes 8 to 12. Do fly shops stock these anymore? Trout eat them.
Clouser Deep Minnow. Olive/white. Sizes 6-10. Think brown trout and undercut banks
Leech pattern. Black, Olive. Size 18-12. The specific pattern doesn’t matter much as long as they are sparse.
Of course I carry many more patterns, but I would be happy with these.
If I were limited to one dry fly it would be the E/C Caddis, size 16.
If limited to one nymph it would be the Brassie, size 16 in original copper.
If limited to one terrestrial it would be a size 16 perfect ant.
If limited to one streamer it would be a size 10 black woolly bugger.
Have fun!
My second favorite BB on ffing. The community is similar to FAOL in integrity and family-friendliness.