I spent some time at the vise recently, filling my final customer orders before we head out on our Fly Fishing Road Trip in a few days. Some of those flies found their way into the provider box for Dancingtrout and me to use when the fly boxes we carry have a few holes in them. I thought I’d share these flies from the vise and those I plan to use in a week or two in Montana.
The flies above are #16 Callibaetis Hatchmasters I tied for a customer. Here is a link to a YouTube video where I demonstrate how to tie a Green Drake Hatchmaster. I use the same technique, just downsize the fly to imitate the real insect.
Next are some Callibaetis Cripples. This is a fly pattern I learned from my friend Phil Fischer of Sunriver, OR. There is a link to his YouTube video on the fly pattern page where he demonstrates tying the fly.
How about 26 #10 Sparkle Dun Green Drakes? Almost all of these flies made it to the provider box.
To ensure I have enough flies or should spend some time tying more, I go back to the posts I wrote in previous years to see what flies worked for us. An easy way to check is starting with my Fly Fishing Road Trips page. I try to update it after writing a new post, so there is a lot of information in them. I look for a similar month which helps identify the insects and water levels we experience during our time on the water for the rivers we plan to fish.
Checking last year’s post from the Madison, here are the flies that worked well for us.
Lucky for me, the provider box has a good supply of all three flies.
Here is one of my Caddis provider boxes with X Caddis, Iris Caddis, and Elk Hair Caddis. The empty bin is size 12 X Caddis – Tan. We used mostly sizes 14 and 16.
I have a variety of IOBO Humpy flies in different sizes and color. The top right bin holds tan Improved F Flies.
The other flies that work when these don’t are ant patterns. We found blind casting an Arrick’s Parachute Ant occasionally brings up fish. The bin with the tweezers in it and the next one to the right are where I keep the brown ones. The third bin from the left in the same row are black ants.
Also in the box are a variety of mayfly spinner patters, Purple Haze, Parachute Adams, and Galloup’s Ant Acid.
I have enough to start, but I plan on tying a few more when I’m along the river. It’s called “just in time fly tying!”
I hope you have some trips planned this summer!
Enjoy…go fish!
