Sea Run Cutthroat in rivers. What's your jam?

[Brian]

was just about to ask what folks think about purple

Another thought about my "confidence" freshwater SRC & resident CC stream attractor fly. It's made from classic, "natural" (color) & "buggy" looking (even better after chewed on) materials; Pheasant Tail, Peacock Herl (now using olive ice dubbing for durability & ease to achieve it), and variegated hackle (suggesting movement). As I began fishing it along with other color variants (and patterns-shapes), it dramatically stood out as a superior fly for all trout species. I carry it in both stiff and softer hackle depending on pocket water vs riffles and runs and how I am manipulating it. That continued to build on itself to now well over 2X as many trout caught as any other pattern in my box.

 

[Josh]

Yeah I linked to it on myflyvise. Not sure why the mfv post isn’t showing up

There was something broken in the backend with embeds. Your post made me notice it and Evan got it sorted out last night.

 

[Wadin' Boot]

adding to my meager stash...probably going to add something black/purple leachy type prior to heading out this weekend...

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yep, found a couple of those in my long lost box! Dunno that I've ever fished it.

That very top fly is similar to about 60% of what I fish in salt, a little bigger perhaps, generally with more cylinder hackle. Catches pretty much anything except pink salmon and starry flounder.

 

[Cowlitz Bottomfeeder]

Buggers or standard spiders in
orange, yellow or black and also muddlers.
SF

Ya, this one ate a Muddler.

 

[clarkman]

As an aside, a number of years ago I was streamer fishing on the Deschutes and decided to throw on a red spider just cause I was curious. It caught a few fish there too....lol

 

[Smalma]

More than 90% of the time I reach for a regular spider, with first choice a burnt orange body, followed by black, dark olive and yellow). Backup patterns include fall caddis, BWOS or other fall mays. I fish mainly larger flies (6s and 4s) reserving the smaller sizes for targeting pressured fish.

At least on the north Puget Sound streams that I fish I find the fish often hold close to wood and the closer I present my flies to that wood or under the over-hanging limb the more fish I catch. That means the effective presentation is putting our flies in jeopardy to snagging on the wood. For this reason, I like the simpler patterns (less tying time).

I don't find that cutthroat are usually short strikers but can be very quick in rejection our flies. To best deal with those quick rejections a strip set is your friend.

Curt