Do you like to fish classic fly patterns with your classic rods & reels?
Honestly, within certain boundaries, I don't think patterns make much difference to the half-starved little Cutthroats we have in the Cascade foothill streams. Keep it around #14-18 and present the fly well and you'll probably catch fish. If I can, anybody can...
...however, I'm just bored silly with EHC's and Stimulators. I like to tie when I can't fish so I've been concentrating on traditional patterns and/or my interpretation of them with modern, readily available materials. This Summer, when fishing upstream in rough water, I'm planning on Catskill styled dries. For downstream fishing, it'll be North Country spiders & soft hackles. The 11'9" troutspey will get paired with updates of old British wetfly patterns.
Here's an odd assortment of the old & new that'll get use this Summer along with the extra-bushy #10 Stimulator included for scale. I think my favorite is the Delaware Adams by Walt Dette (green-bodied dry, back left) but I haven't quite mastered it yet. Also planning on the "Henryville Special" for a Caddis pattern as it'll give me some practice on quill wings.
What classic patterns do you fish?
Honestly, within certain boundaries, I don't think patterns make much difference to the half-starved little Cutthroats we have in the Cascade foothill streams. Keep it around #14-18 and present the fly well and you'll probably catch fish. If I can, anybody can...
...however, I'm just bored silly with EHC's and Stimulators. I like to tie when I can't fish so I've been concentrating on traditional patterns and/or my interpretation of them with modern, readily available materials. This Summer, when fishing upstream in rough water, I'm planning on Catskill styled dries. For downstream fishing, it'll be North Country spiders & soft hackles. The 11'9" troutspey will get paired with updates of old British wetfly patterns.
Here's an odd assortment of the old & new that'll get use this Summer along with the extra-bushy #10 Stimulator included for scale. I think my favorite is the Delaware Adams by Walt Dette (green-bodied dry, back left) but I haven't quite mastered it yet. Also planning on the "Henryville Special" for a Caddis pattern as it'll give me some practice on quill wings.
What classic patterns do you fish?