Patterns to tie for the DMV

[Josh]

While stuck at home these past couple of months I decided to try to teach myself how to tie flies.  All of the resources I have been using have emphasized that beginning tiers should focus on the 4-6 patterns that are likely to be the most productive in your local area.  I definitely have not done that so far, but after having varying success with a number of flies (great deer hair beetle that caught fish vs a terrible griffiths gnat that fell apart when I took it off the vice) I started to wonder what would be the best flies for me to practice tying for fishing in the DMV.  

Setting aside shad flies, which of course I will be tying in January and February, I'm wondering what the TPFR hive brain thinks are the best 3-4 trout flies and best 3-4 warm water flies that a beginning fly tier should focus on for fishing success in the DMV. 

Thanks in advance!

Josh

[tperkins]

Hard to nail down just a few but Woolly buggers, Clousers Minnows, Kreelex Minnow, Rob Snowhites Damsel nymph, and double barrel popper  are a few I always have with me for warm water fishing. 

[Josh Cohn]

Clousers.

[James McCeney]

Hi Josh,

I've really never tied (although the last 6 months have definitely gotten my interest up), so I really have no idea if these are easy to tie or not. I think you might be on to something with terrestrials, though - a foam beetle might be super effective and seems like it might be pretty easy to tie (but this is just me speculating).

Trout:

Elk Hair Caddis

Stimulator

Hare's ear

Warmwater:

Green Damsel Nymph (I love this fly for bass)

Wooly bugger (might be cool to experiment with kreelex, as well as tail length for leech/lizard/minnow emulation)

Clouser minnow

The other thing that was all the rage about 5 years ago that might be really effective around here was the mop fly - they're just a nugget taken off one of those dust mops and lacquered to a hook, but the internet said they were really great.  I would think they'd be ok for both trout and warmwater and instructions should be readily available online.

Have fun

- J

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[caca...@gmail.com]

I am not an avid trout fisherman.  But I do like to fish for bookies in the park several times a year.  For that I started tying stimulators.   I found that once I got good at those most other small dries seemed easier,  or at least not as hard as they were before.  I would also suggest foam ants.  The cost savings of tying your own flys is a myth unless your tying  foam ants.    

Warm Water-  I tie what I like to tie,  not always what fish want to eat....sometimes it comes together and I catch fish

game changers--  I catch more bass and bigger fish on this fly than any other.

I tie a lot of dear hair bugs too,  but don't catch nearly as much on them.

Again Easy cheap and will catch anything.  Wooly buggers.  

[tperkins]

Oh yea, tie game changers and deer hair bass bugs if you want to occupy your time. I love gamechangers and enjoy tying them even though they are time consuming. I get frustrated when tying deer hair bugs though. 

[Jamie Carracher]

My tying skills are pretty rough (I'm not doing gamechangers), but my go-to trout streamer switched from a wooly bugger to a slumpbuster this year. I still like buggers and regularly tie them but I think the squirrel strips look more realistic in the water and I've had more luck with them. 

When going after bass I still stick with buggers or clousers with some element that is eye catching to hopefully get attention. I know it's sacriledge but I've also been thinking about flies that may compare to effective lures. I'm curious about experimenting with flies that translate what works with conventional gear on a fly rod. Kind of a fun challenge. 

I haven't done much top water fishing this year, but I really like gurgler patterns for larger game and foam ants for brookies.

On Monday, September 21, 2020 at 12:54:05 PM UTC-4 James M. wrote:

[caca...@gmail.com]

feather Game changers cost me more to make that buy I think,  but I cant normally find them quite as big as I like....I know i tie Deer hair is for the art and the challenge. I could catch as many bass on a cork 

[Josh]

Thanks for all the recommendations.  I think game changers are a little beyond my skill level right now, but I think I have enough to work on one a week once it gets too cold to fish.  I'm very interested in trying the slumpbuster and the kreelex minnow. 

Josh

[namfos]

Soft Hackle Streamers, Gurglers 

Mark

On Monday, September 21, 2020 at 7:54:47 AM UTC-4 Josh wrote: