Here is a great supply of info that RalpH gave me awhile ago... hope it helps!
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.
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Topic: fly fishing (Read 2730 times)