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[jackie]

Hi guys I'm trying to fill up my trout box and am wondering what patterns you guys all use for the lower mainland rivers. I would be happy to post pics of some of my flies as well!

[MetalAndFeathers]

River trout love egg patterns on a sinking line.

[ajransom]

Not too many of hatches locally... So matching the hatch isn't critical. Having said that, I've found that general buggy looking nymphs work well, such as Pheasant Tails, hares ear, prince nymphs, copper johns etc. As far as streamers go, woolly buggers are great, as well as minnow patterns when the salmon fry come out (early spring). I also like using some bead head soft hackles for swinging wets (or fished dead drifted).

Eggs are always a hit too, but I dont tie them really.

If your fishing the skagit, matching the hatch is more important, and dries work a treat.

[clarkii]

Ajransom pretty much covered everything you'll need. Maybe try some flesh patterns (whitw woolly buggers/ grey, white,peach zonker patterns.

[RalphH]

All the patterns mentioned above are good.

Overall my experience is to stick to some proven patterns and carry them in a few sizes. Often switching to a smaller fly or less often a bigger fly of the same pattern  makes more difference than changing to a different fly in the same size.

Here's a bit of a ramble based on many years of fishing a variety of valley streams through most of the year:

Hatches tend to be localized. It's not uncommon for guys who have chased cuts for years locally and never encountered any good dry fly fishing.  Most of what I have run into is mayflies and midges (chironomids) but there are stoneflies as well. Late winter and early spring into about mid April seems to be best.

I am no entomologist style fly fisher but for Mays it seems to be March Browns  (10 to 12) & callibaetis like hatches (#16) in the Fraser backwaters with some BWOs in some of the clear tribs. I carry some Adams or parachute adams in those sizes, wet fly March browns in 10s and 12s plus any of the common mayfly nymph imitations - hare's ear is a favourite of mine including bead headed soft hackle ones.

There are a few varieties of stoneflies from around #8s up to the tiny #16 & #18 reds (though they look black to me). it seems nymphs get most of the attention though I have seen heavy hatches of the reds that brought on good rises.

Good nymphs include hare's ear, pheasant tail, halfback, montana stone and kaufman Stone. There's really too many to name and all work.

Midges are small 18s and 20s. Standard chironomid patterns in #16 and smaller or Griffiths gnats for when there is a rise and good to have.
 
Terrestrials also will produce occasional rises. Honey bees in the very early spring if there are hives nearby. Ants and beetles in warmer months.

As far as bait fish cutts seem to feed mostly on sticklebacks, salmon fry and parr and sculpins. Coho fry and parr are available for most of the year (they overwinter in streambed gravel or woody debris). Any of a number of good baitfish patterns work year round. Rolled muddlers, tied down mylar minnows and mallard and blue are some well known and proven. I also like sculpin patterns
and use one that is like a wool headed sculpin. There's also the muddler minnow. I go for smaller ones like #8s and #10s.

Small zonkers (ie #10 3xl) in olive or black with a 4/32 inch bead at the head worked for me last year and caught fish when the trout were so focused  on chum fry standard patterns wouldn't work.

There's also small eels, lamprey, leeches and aquatic worms so small leeches and grub style patterns will work.

Last carry some attractor wets smaller Mickey Finns (#10) can be deadly particularly in fall, professors or KCKs plus some sort of darker patterns such as a classic wet coachman.

Hope this helps.

[RalphH]

dp

[ajransom]

All the patterns mentioned above are good.

Overall my experience is to stick to some proven patterns and carry them in a few sizes. Often switching to a smaller fly or less often a bigger fly of the same pattern  makes more difference than changing to a different fly in the same size.

Here's a bit of a ramble based on many years of fishing a variety of valley streams through most of the year:

Hatches tend to be localized. It's not uncommon for guys who have chased cuts for years locally and never encountered any good dry fly fishing.  Most of what I have run into is mayflies and midges (chironomids) but there are stoneflies as well. Late winter and early spring into about mid April seems to be best.

I am no entomologist style fly fisher but for Mays it seems to be March Browns  (10 to 12) & callibaetis like hatches (#16) in the Fraser backwaters with some BWOs in some of the clear tribs. I carry some Adams or parachute adams in those sizes, wet fly March browns in 10s and 12s plus any of the common mayfly nymph imitations - hare's ear is a favourite of mine including bead headed soft hackle ones.

There are a few varieties of stoneflies from around #8s up to the tiny #16 & #18 reds (though they look black to me). it seems nymphs get most of the attention though I have seen heavy hatches of the reds that brought on good rises.

Good nymphs include hare's ear, pheasant tail, halfback, montana stone and kaufman Stone. There's really too many to name and all work.

Midges are small 18s and 20s. Standard chironomid patterns in #16 and smaller or Griffiths gnats for when there is a rise and good to have.
 
Terrestrials also will produce occasional rises. Honey bees in the very early spring if there are hives nearby. Ants and beetles in warmer months.

As far as bait fish cutts seem to feed mostly on sticklebacks, salmon fry and parr and sculpins. Coho fry and parr are available for most of the year (they overwinter in streambed gravel or woody debris). Any of a number of good baitfish patterns work year round. Rolled muddlers, tied down mylar minnows and mallard and blue are some well known and proven. I also like sculpin patterns
and use one that is like a wool headed sculpin. There's also the muddler minnow. I go for smaller ones like #8s and #10s.

Small zonkers (ie #10 3xl) in olive or black with a 4/32 inch bead at the head worked for me last year and caught fish when the trout were so focused  on chum fry standard patterns wouldn't work.

There's also small eels, lamprey, leeches and aquatic worms so small leeches and grub style patterns will work.

Last carry some attractor wets smaller Mickey Finns (#10) can be deadly particularly in fall, professors or KCKs plus some sort of darker patterns such as a classic wet coachman.

Hope this helps.

Good summary...

Presentation is ALWAYS more important than fly IMHO. I dead drifted "wrong" fly is going to be way more effective than a perfectly matched hatch fly thats dragging.

[newsman]

Rolled Muddler, Blue Muddler, Green Muddler, Kaufmann Stone, Irresistible, zulu, Big black, Wooly Bugger, American Coachman, Professor, Double Hackled Peacock, black Gnat, or Griffith Gnat.

[jackie]

Thanks everyone for all the great fly ideas I will post a pic of my boxes when they're full. Been so busy with exams I have my tied in a few weeks!

[jackie]

Ralph is there any chance u could private message me and share some of the rivers with insect hatches on them? Thanks a ton

[RalphH]

I can't use PMs on this site. My email is rpheidecke@gmail.com