Same Flies, Different Rivers

[Bob-WY]

I'm new to all this, I have 2 boxes, labelled by the guy in the fly shop as "mountain rivers" and "lakes".

Other than that I know the "rivers" are dry flies and the "lakes" are wet flies. the only name I know is Caddis, I have 2 of those and use them mostly! they work.

The look I got from a fly fishing friend, when I caught a nice rainbow. He asked "what did you use" and I said "a fly", his look was priceless.

 

[Ben Lamb]

But my favorite box is the mountain box that sits with my lanyard in the console of the truck and has enough attractor dries, soft hackles and copper johns to keep me in cutts and brookies all summer long with minor replenishment. Which - now that I think about it - it's time to get that sucker filled back up before turkey season starts in 10 days.

My mountain box generally is:

Rubber legged stimmies
Some kind of caddis
Adams
N. Fork Special (essentially just a weighted BH nymph)
Pat's rubber legs
Mohair leech


Tailwater box has everything from articulated streamers to #24 tricos.

Bass box is some live frogs & minners.

 

[CPAjeff]

My main options:

Rubber Legged Yellow Stimmies (14 and 16)
Gnats
Ants
Rainbow Warrior
Higa's SOS
Lightening Bug
BH Hares Ear
BH Pheasant Tail

I've got a bunch more in the main box, and the second main box, and that other box, etc. that have yet to be tied on.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Sex Dungeon, only fly you need.

 

[CPAjeff]

I'm worried about googling "sex dungeon" at work . . . I might get a call from IT!

 

[cedahm]

My mountain box generally is:

Rubber legged stimmies
Some kind of caddis
Adams
N. Fork Special (essentially just a weighted BH nymph)
Pat's rubber legs
Mohair leech

Basically the same except I add Lime Trudes, royal wulffs and yellow humpy’s.

Adams have 2 rows to themselves from 12->20

Beadhead soft hackles (partridge & blue grouse mainly) take up like half the nymph side.

Thanks for the reminder on Mohair leeches (notably in maroon) - underrated lake flies.

Sex Dungeon, only fly you need.

I’ve got a box filled just with those and zoo cougars in a few colors. Galloup is a fly design savant.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Basically the same except I add Lime Trudes, royal wulffs and yellow humpy’s.

Adams have 2 rows to themselves from 12->20

Beadhead soft hackles (partridge & blue grouse mainly) take up like half the nymph side.

Thanks for the reminder on Mohair leeches (notably in maroon) - underrated lake flies.

I’ve got a box filled just with those and zoo cougars in a few colors. Galloup is a fly design savant.

Ive never fished with him though I have clients who have, he is definitely gifted. Mark Heronimus is another. Over the last 15 years or so I watched him fish, spends as much time looking as fishing. After dinner he’s at the tying bench, crafting something just a little different. What do you think? he’ll ask. Guys like those two are in a league all their own. My go to when I didn’t have them swinging a Sex Dungeon.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Sex Dungeon, only fly you need.

Seems like timing and depth of presentation is more important than a particular fly?

 

[undercover]

Seems like timing and depth of presentation is more important than a particular fly?
View attachment 179070

You nailed it, It’s the drift more than presentation. It’s shoulder to shoulder steelhead season in Michigan. 30-40 anglers in a 100 yd stretch and I’m the one typically on the fish.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Ya gotta get it in front of them.

 

[R.K.]

My mountain box is an Altoid tin with some packing foam cut to shape & glued in the bottom. Cheap, light, crush proof. I try to keep it stocked with:

Elk hair caddis tan #12
Para adams # 12
Chubby chernobyl olive/tan #10
Mosquito #22

BH pheasant tail #14
Tungsten rubber legs #8
Zebra midge #18
Gray scud #16

Conehead buggers #6

That's it. 5x tippet, a couple yarn indicators, split shot, and bug float. Maybe the 7x if I know I'm gonna fish the small crap.

I'll add random flies as necessary, or as a whim strikes me, but I'm not taking my full collection just to cover the other 5% that this box won't. And running out of one fly makes you experiment to find another way to catch fish.

Might add purple haze and lightning bugs this year, but haven't decided yet. The whim to tie has been taken up by "pikey-looking" junk or walleye bucktails lately.