[Skysoldier]

I thought it may be fun to see what people came up with. Here’s the deal, you are getting ready to head out for a day (dusk to dawn) of trout fishing but you can only take one 15 slot fly box along, each slot can only contain one type, size and color of fly i.e. Stimulator, size 12, olive. What would you take along?

I thought this would be easy but in the end I had dump many flies and or sizes that I would rather have along and went with flies that have consistently produced for me on many rivers and streams throughout Washington, Oregon and California.

1. Adams Parachute, size 14
2. Adams Parachute, size 16
3. Elk Wing Caddis, size 14, Black
4. Elk Wing Caddis, size 14, Brown
5. Stimulator, size 14, Yellow
6. Bead Head Prince, size 14
7. Bead Head Hare’s Ear, size 16
8. Bead Head Pheasant Tail, size 14
9. Moto’s Minnow, size 8 Lt. Brown
10. Bead Head Woolly Bugger, size 6, Olive
11. Bead Head Woolly Bugger, size 8, Olive
12. Bead Head Woolly Bugger, size 6, Black
13. Bead Head Woolly Bugger, size 8, Black
14. Bead Head Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, size 14
15. Bead Head Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear, size 14

Enjoy! See you all on the water. :beer1:

 

[wadin' boot]

15 is a veritable cornucopia of indecision and fussiness, particularly if fishing dusk till dawn. That's fifteen potential knots, at night, not to mention switching float vs sink lines. How's about toughening it up some and sticking to the fishing for fish worth catching?

One fly: Woolly Bugger, any color, so long as its black.

 

[Mark Walker]

I'm inclined to agree with 'boot on this, but since you're allowing for a fifteen slot box, I'll go with 5 black, 5 purple, and 5 black/purple buggers.
I just love purple!

 

[Kent Lufkin]

Dick Olmstead and I will be hiking in to a favorite lake in the low Cascades this weekend. Since we'll be carrying everything we need on our backs, my fly box won't be much larger than the 15-slot one you describe, although its contents will be much simpler:

Size 16 Mosquito
Size 14 Standard Adams
Size 14 Red Humpy
Size 12 Miracle Caddis
Size 14 Flashback Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear
Size 12 Gray Hackle
Size 10 Thin Mint

I'll be taking several of each pattern since I know from experience that whichever pattern works best, more than one are gonna get chewed into unrecognizable lumps before the day is over. But if I were taking your box, I'd take two of each above plus an extra standard Adams for a total of 15.

K

 

[J Wood]

Good choices. I would add a 14 and 16 Cripple, or as I like to call it, "The Crippler."

 

[wetline dave]

Size 16 Adams
Size 12 March Brown
Size 12 Royal Trude
Size 10 Orange Stimulator
Size 16 Orange Soft Hackle
Size 12 Orange Soft Hackle
Size 16 Peacock Soft Hackle
Size 12 Peacock Soft Hackle
Size 8 Royal Coachman Streamer
Size 8 Muddler Minnow
Size 8 Stone Fly Nymph
Size 14 Pheasant Tail Nymph

These are my choces for most moving water not considering Sea Run Cutts. That list is very short
Knudson Spiders, size 8 in Black, Pink and Yellow

Dave

 

[7919]

5 golden hoppers

5 black bh "dirty" buggers

2 stimulators (olive and yellow)

3 soft hackles

 

[jeffw]

8 X-Caddis, size 14
7 X-Caddis, size 16

Jeff

 

[stilly stalker]

I like all the selections so far, but I never go trout fishing without some size 12 copper johns

 

[Smalma]

I too like to have some copper Johns in the trout box - both copper and red.

For stream dries I also have to have some EHCs (14s in brown and olive) and some BWOs (16s and 18s) in the box.

My sea-run cutthroat box (I really need two boxes) is a little more complicated that Wet Line's. If I were to limit myself to 15 patterns for sea-runs (rivers) I would have 13 Knudnsen spiders's in various combinations of sizes and colors; a reverse spider and my fall caddis.

Tight lines
Curt

 

[Old Man]

If I changed flies more than three times I would be over working myself. I play around with a Royal Wulff size 16, A Caddis same size and a Stimulator size 14. That's enough for me But I carry to damn many flies as it is.

 

[Kyle Smith]

I'd carry mostly nymphs and then a few dries since I'm much less likely to lose a dry in a snag. For the East Coast it would be:
Tan EHC #16
Tan Sparkle Dun #14
Rusty Spinner #16
Parachute Adams #18
BH Copper John Blue #16
BH Hare's Ear #12
BH Prince #16
BH Prince #12
Rainbow Warrior #20
BH K-Stone Black #10
BH K-Stone Black #6
BH Pheasant Tail #16
Pheasant Tail #20
Tan Emergent Sparkle Pupa #16
Pink Disco Midge #22

 

[Alex MacDonald]

I'm with Jim on this one: a few Royal Wulffs, a few EHC, a few hare's ears and Bird's nests, couple of stimmies, and that's it. Nothing bigger than a 14, nothing smaller than an 18, maybe an irresistable or two. It all fits in a film container along with a spare leader, and will catch anything in the back country, any time, anywhere!

 

[Alex MacDonald]

I'm with Jim on this one, a few Royal Wulffs, some irresistables, some EHC's, humpies and stimmies for the dries. Throw in a few Bird's nests and I'm done. It all fits in a film container along with a spare leader. Nothing larger than a 14, nothing smaller than an 18, and the lot'll catch anything in all the little mountain streams I fish.

 

[Alex MacDonald]

OK, what's the second post about?? I guess I thought the first one didn't go thru!:hmmm:

 

[ak_powder_monkey]

For Alaska, discounting egg patterns/beads for non salmon

1) sz 14 Parachute Adams
2) sz 14 Brown EHC
3) sz 10 green parawulf
4) sz 10 green parachute biot thing
5) sz 20 griffiths gnat
6) sz 6 cone head black wooly bugger
7) sz 2 black dolly llamma
8) sz 4 white zonker
9) sz 4 black wooly zonker
10) sz 14 pt nymph tungsten bead
11) sz 14 prince nymph tungsten bead
12) sz 10 steak and eggs
13) sz 10 dirty bunny
14) sz 10 cotton candy
15) sz 4 Branch River Tent special (moorish mouse variation)

 

[Mumbles]

1. black woolley bugger
2. olive woolley bugger
3. parachute adams
4. elk hair caddis
5. yellow stimulator
6. yellow sally with a red ass
7. bead head prince nymph
8. red / rust colored caddis emerger
9. bead head soft hackle
10. royal wulff
11. thin mint
12. muddler minnow
13. rubber legged nymph
14. camo carey special
15. bead head gold ribbed hare's ear

Since I don't follow the rules, I'd probably have about three of each, who's ever seen a fly box that can only hold 15 flies anyway?

 

[Skysoldier]

1. Since I don't follow the rules, I'd probably have about three of each, who's ever seen a fly box that can only hold 15 flies anyway?

1. 
   
   Yeah it was not my intent that each slot could only hold one fly I just did not explain that well, my list would be different if I could only carry 15 flies.

 

[Mike Lee]

I think the foam fly holder on my vest pack has more than 15 flies on it most the time. I don't have a list [worth any merit] so I think I'm going to make a conglomerate of everyones lists here. Thanks Fellas :thumb:!!!

 

[CornBiscuit]

15? hell- I can get by with... 10

Parachute Adams
Black Woolly Bugger
Muddler's Minnow
Orange Stimy
Elk Hair Caddis
Griffith's Gnat
Prince Nymph
Hare's Ear
Scud
San Juan Worm
and...
a couple of Arturo Fuente's AND either a flask of George Dickel #12 or a couple
(3?) Pabst Blue Ribbon Light's jammed down in the stream with rocks to get to proper river temperature...