Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => Fly Fishing Cafe => Topic started by: troutmuncher on July 03, 2008, 01:41:54 AM

Title: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: troutmuncher on July 03, 2008, 01:41:54 AM
What would you think imitates a small stickleback fish in a cutthroat lake on the west coast of B.C.? They were pale ,with two little spines ,one inch or smaller. The cutthroat ate these.
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: marmot on July 03, 2008, 11:54:19 AM
Muddlers do a good job.  Tie them in a "tan" color. and only leave a couple of sprigs of deerhair out the back.  tie it sparse.  Gold body too.

Experiment and throw a gold bead head on some of them as well.




Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: Nicole on July 03, 2008, 03:48:43 PM
Here's a pic for you, if you are interested in tying something with the correct body shape and colours:

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2211/2355636434_7ef07d82e0.jpg)

Cheers,
Nicole
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: lucky on July 03, 2008, 06:39:09 PM
After fishing the Whistler area recently and noticing the sticklebacks present in the lake I too was eager to try tying some up. Before the next trip I scoured the net for patterns, looked at some actual pictures of stickleback and then headed to the bench. The flies I tied where done with matterials to match the colouring of the fish in the lake

(http://thumb0.webshots.net/t/69/169/5/62/43/2259562430099123620ksTXzO_th.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2259562430099123620ksTXzO)

All of these flys had eyes attached at one time, but the fish chewed them off! You should be warned that if the fish are naturally feeding on sticklebacks they tend to HAMMER the fly.

Last time out I put a sticklback on, my partner who thought the flys were" too big" opted for a micro leech, well after I had caught 5 five and she 0 she put one on and was instantly into fish.

Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: troutmuncher on July 04, 2008, 02:10:31 AM
Those are nice sticklebacks Lucky .Were they cutts or rainbow caught?.I also like the Teal Tom Murray muddler but I only have one left.Mc Leod sticklebacks are supposed to be successfull in the Sunshine coast area but I don't know what it looks like.I did get some epoxy minnows looks very real and they shine silver belly.Nicole Ive seen a 2"stickleback with totally greenish-golden scales with a red cutthroat slash gills it was the prettyest stickleback I ever saw.
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: lucky on July 04, 2008, 06:54:21 AM
those flys were inhaled by cutthroat and rainbows, some of the rainbows that ate them were only a few sizes bigger than the fly. :o
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: troutmuncher on July 05, 2008, 03:34:39 AM
Wow ,could they have been "cuttbows"?Or did the rainbows think it was some kinda dragonfly nympth?Do rainbows really eat stickleback?I actually caught a 14inch cutthroat trout in Deer Lake(Sasquatch Park) it had a belly stuffed with tiny 3/16 inch little white clams!I was even trying to figure out how to make a tiny clam fly.Whats that coarse glistening body material.Just got these Partridge roman moser cs27 barbless size 10 hooks maby they too small.
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: marmot on July 05, 2008, 11:31:52 AM
Blackwater strain rainbow take fish, and larger rainbow will too.  That said they probably just hit it like they would any attractor type fly...no self respecting rainbow would mistake those for a dragonfly nymph :D

clams....?  Do you mean snails? 
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: FlyFishin Magician on July 05, 2008, 06:38:49 PM
I'm guessing he means clams.  Freshwater clams.  Seen them myself in the interior.  Pretty difficult to imitate!   ;)
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: marmot on July 06, 2008, 12:50:01 AM
Ive seen them too just never that small.  NO clue how to fish a clam pattern! hahah
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: Every Day on July 06, 2008, 10:22:13 AM
Throw it to the bottom and let it sit  ;D
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: 2fly on July 06, 2008, 10:59:05 AM
How about a "Booby Fly" ? fish it with a wet line so it can drift up & down.You could tie one in a oval shape and match the color?
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: marmot on July 06, 2008, 12:19:54 PM
Those boobies are controversial....i don't know why....????  They probably work too well.  They work on me everytime anyways :)
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: Geff_t on July 06, 2008, 06:31:26 PM
Those boobies are controversial....i don't know why....????  They probably work too well.  They work on me everytime anyways :)

  They are really light and the fish are able to inhale them making the release really difficult because they get hooked really deep.
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: marmot on July 07, 2008, 01:29:48 PM
ah count me out then!
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: Xgolfman on July 11, 2008, 04:10:05 PM
Those boobies are controversial....i don't know why....????  They probably work too well.  They work on me everytime anyways :)

  They are really light and the fish are able to inhale them making the release really difficult because they get hooked really deep.

It started when I was young...and I still like to inhale them....
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: CDone on August 30, 2008, 10:14:51 AM
try this one http://swittersb.wordpress.com/2008/08/24/stickleback-pattern-for-predatious-trout/ works well on the lakes around Powell River

Colin
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: troutmuncher on September 01, 2008, 11:49:53 PM
Ah! yes ,the Mc leods stickleback Ive been looking for that one.Thanks buddy! :)
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: shallowfly on May 24, 2011, 06:16:52 AM
I am new to the forum and could not figure out how to create a new post maybe the newbie thing not sure. I will be visiting from Florida Halfmoon Bay staying water front for a week mid June and then staying a week in Whistler. I will be bringing my 3 wt and 6 wt, and looking for some fly pattern suggestions for this time of year so I can tie prior to leaving and just fly fishing info in general. We will be staying in the upper Whistler section and we do not know anyone there just a family vacation with some Dad fishing time in between the family activities so any help will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance look forward to visiting.....
Title: Re: Whats the best stickleback fly?
Post by: Bassonator on May 28, 2011, 09:27:38 AM
Check out a fly called Rogans Gadget.