5 Flies

[Tom Butler]

This is a fun thread, it's neat to see what people would "go to". I wonder how our selections might vary if we knew what water body, and/or runoff stage? Have we all, like I did, just assumed it would be a river? Because if a lake was involved I think those who listed buggers, and an Adam's dry, may have the better box. Also, I'm a morning person, I've already been working on final exam questions this AM. As such, my selection is sub-surface, as I'd probably be fishing early and napping at 2:00. Curious if those that recommended mostly dries would be fishing harder later when it's warmer? That little black softhackle, smut thing, Zak posted kills it in the warm parts of the day.
The first couple fly choices may be easy for me, but after that.............well, that's why I wear a vest and carry six boxes (limit myself to...).

 

[FinLuver]

Surprised so many dry fly recommendations when we do not the type of water and knowing it is still a colder part of the summer.

If I was to recommend a dry fly it would be an attractor like the Royal Wulff or Bi-Visible

Some dry flies fish better when drowned.

 

[Rob Allen]

Olive Comparadun
Olive Comparadun
Olive Comparadun
Olive Comparadun
Olive Comparadun

All kidding aside

Olive Comparadun
EHC
Stimulator
Olive Bugger
Beadhead PTN

The Olive Comparadun would be fished the majority of the time. It mimics multiple hatches and is very effective fished as a dry and emerger on rivers, lakes, and all seasons.

i have changed my tune on Olive, i used to think of it as a throw away color but the last few years i've seen it be more of an all purpose color

 

[Rob Allen]

Some dry flies fish better when drowned.

i don't know how many big browns I have taken stone fly patterns away from when i pulled up to recast after my fly drown.

 

[flybill]

Just take one.
Popeyes Girlfriend.

Isn't that a can of spinach? LOL!!

 

[Brute]

1. Ruby belly bead leech black
2. Ruby belly bead leech olive
3. 14/16 soft hackle dark…to fish behind the leech
4. 16 thread frenchie
5. Front end loader/corn fed caddis variant to float the thread frenchie

 

[SurfnFish]

Hippie Stomper
Chubby Chernobyl
Olive Comparadun
Caddis
Egg Sucking Leech

 

[Hoofer]

I sort of go to the border lands for dry fly opportunity, and last year, early June, Shoshone county, the five were:
Clarks stone, 10
Soft hackle, drake, 8
Soft hackle, tan, 16
Found link, rusty 14
Buzzball, 16

 

[mcswny]

At this point we’re just naming our confidence flies right? Right.

1. Opal and X Caddis size 16
2. Light brown fat caddis (Andrew grillos pattern) size 16
3. Parachute adams (thin quill bodied with a dubbed thorax size 14)
4. Rainbow warrior perdigon with a 2mm tungsten beac
5. Purple hippy stomper size 10

MAYBE swap out the fat caddis for a bugger, but I don’t fish them in rivers that much. Could also swap them out for a soft hackle.

To be fair, I actually chose this selection of flies for an Oregon river that’s very near Idaho and my favorite time to fish it is the last weekend in June. So yes I have no qualms putting all my eggs in one basket.

Wait shit. I need some bull trout flies. I’ll throw in a 3-4” white or olive feathered game changer.

 

[Hoofer]

Curious if those that recommended mostly dries would be fishing harder later when it's warmer?

Banker’s hours, for sure. Or whoever starts when the afternoon thunder starts rocking. Bartenders? Bitterroot lightning up close puts ‘conscious contact with the higher power’ in a different perspective.