Size/Stage/Presentation/Color

Are you new to building a collection of fly boxes? New to tying? Or are you an old-timer fixed in your ways who fishes only a set of imitations? Gaining confidence in any pattern is the key to keeping it in your box. I like adding a couple patterns or more every year. There is satisfaction in finding a new fly to fool fish…and then sharing it with your fishing partners.

No matter what your approach is, there is never a single pattern that is the only one for the situation. What matters for selective trout is size, stage, presentation, and color. All four are not likely critical at the same time, but situations exist where they all do matter. And those are the fish I want to stick.

Size - #18 vs. #16 can make all the difference, especially with mayflies. A #8 vs. #10 hopper while prospecting for cutts in the summer? Not going to matter. I am now tying small stuff on TMC 102Y’s to fill in the size gaps.

Stage – If you can’t tell whether trout are inhaling emergers or sipping duns, and you fish the wrong one, you may as well be chucking a Daredevil spoon at them. Do you see snouts? Or only caudal fins? Put your head near the water surface – what species and stages of bugs do you see?

Presentation – Probably the most unforgiving element if you do it wrong. Don’t ask a trout to fight through your leader to get to the fly. Don’t let the current drag your fly. Don’t get too close to the fish. Don’t line the fish. If you drop a trailer fly, don’t fish a beacon Chernobyl ant as your point fly during a PMD spinner fall.

Color – Subtle differences are usually okay. A pardo/CDC caddis pattern works as a yellow sally imitation. But then again caddis can be black, olive, brown, orange, cream…and everything in between those color spectrums. For streamers, color can be huge depending on the baitfish in the system. Color is such a wildcard. This is a fun variable to play with when tying, so experiment.

Use a tippet size one stronger than you think you need.  Get 'em in and let 'em go.

Will you be a better fisherman in 2011? Start thinking about how you’re going to get there.