# Thoughts on fly tactics



## Gogol (Nov 17, 2020)

After weeks of very little luck I've been doing really well last few days, more fish seem to have moved in. Couple things I've noticed and I was wondering if it's holding true for everyone else or if I'm just realizing right now what is common knowledge.

Bigger flies are producing bigger fish right now. My typical presentation is a sink tip and then either one streamer or a bead headed bugger with a trailing large egg sucking leech or other larger unweighted fly. Only larger fish hit the size 4 bugger and streamer, no smaller fish bothered. My buddy was nymphing and only smaller fish would hit the egg pattern, no larger fish touched them. So he caught about 8 and I landed 4 but mine we're all much larger fish. I had to really stick to tail ends of deeper waters while he had success in faster water. So it made for two different kinds of experiences, each successful.

I am wondering if anyone that typically swings flies ties on small stuff as either their primary fly or as a trailing fly. If so, how small do you go? Is just an egg patter a good way to go or do bead head nymphs work to? I'm just looking for an easy way to have success in more water than trying to have to switch my set up from sink tip and swinging to leader and nymphing. Too much of a pain, I'll do it once per outing but hate trying to back and forth as you move up the river.


----------



## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

Nice fish!

I haven't been out in month until last wednesday. I caught one and posted it in Fly Fishing section.

My observations tell me egg patterns catch smaller fish. The older larger fish get smarter to just an egg fly pattern. 
Egg in a sack, are a different story. No fish can resist those if put in front of them.

I've caught 3 fish at 34 inches over the years and another dozen 32 inches to 34. Only 2 of those fish came on an egg pattern and both times I was swinging a streamer with an egg dropper. Yes when I swing, I let the fish see the egg first sometimes. By trying egg dropper sometimes and egg up front setups, I find the fish want the dropper fly most of the time when swinging. Now, High stick nymphing, Mono nymphing, what ever you want to call it, I can catch fish equally on the top or bottom fly.

Now unless the water is cloudy below 12 inches of visibility, I swing with a single fly, never an egg. 

As for the size of fly, those large fish not on the egg pattern, all fell to flies size 16 to 1/0. Most of them on size 10 2XL streamer hooks or size 4 salmon hook which have about the same size shank. Only 1 of those on the 16 midge pattern in very cold clear Elk Creek water. 

As for patterns and colors, keep it simple for yourself. I'm a believer that wooly buggers will catch fish almost anywhere, anytime. But my "white death" fly has caught half of my big fish and at least 33% of all my fish. I like white flies during colder and clear water for minnows. I like dark flies (purple or black) in turbid waters 12 inches or less of visibility. I use natural colors during fall and spring. Each river bottom has its own color. Most of the things that live there take on that color, or a variation, for camouflage. I fish Rocky the most, color of bottom is olive. Olive and white you cannot go wrong on the Rocky. Chagrin and Conny are similar to Rocky for me. Vermilion is more tan, Ashtabula and Elk, Walnut are more gray to me. I go natural colors in clear water and match the size of prey in the water. When water is cloudy, go big and dark, or go home empty handed. Unless it is sunny, then I might try a maribou mickey finn colors that I tie on salmon hook.

Rickerd


----------

