Fly size???

[Rossflyguy]

I just tied my first ever fly for the Yuba this saturday. I tied up some grass hoppers. Wasn't sure how long to make them so I went with 1.5" on a size 10 hook. After returning from the Yuba I noticed that the stone flies might be the same size in length of my hooper and I figure the hopper needs to be shorter. Does anyone have a average length of a hopper pattern and stone fly? I also noticed that there were stonefly shucks that were about a size 6 to a 4 on some of the rocks of the Yuba. Are these golden stones?

[royewest]

This site has a ton of answers about bugs, pattterns, and techniques on the Yuba: http://www.flyfishingtraditions.com/patterns

Keine's can also set you up with flies designed specifically for Yuba bugs.

[Darian]

Roye,.... Thanks for the link. That's a well thought out and designed website. Lots of practical info and good graphics. Pop up windows that have a suggested fly pattern recipe in them relating to the comments/photographs on each bug. I like the hatch chart, too. Easily understood by anyone (even me). Kudos to Clay!!! :D

[Rossflyguy]

Thanks for that info!!! Its definitely going to be usefull.

[Terry Imai]

Now that you're getting into fly tying, these would be my recommendations to you:

1. Get some good instruction by taking a few tying classes.

2. Get 4-5 large waterproof fly boxes and separate them by caddis nymphs; caddis
dries; mayfly nymphs/emergers; and mayfly dries. Start tying your flies on a four to
one ratio with nymphs versus dries because you will fish more nymphs than dries.
So you can put your caddis and mayfly dries in one box if needed. I enjoy C & F
boxes but other boxes are available like:

http://hatchesmagazine.com/shop/fly-boxes/waterproof-fly-boxes.html

3. It will take you over one hundred times to tie each pattern before you get it down
(300 for humpy's!!) and get into the habit of tying your flies perfectly rather than just
"okay". Plano sells these large storage boxes which are great to keep your extra
bugs because you will not take your entire fly inventory when you go fishing.

4. Pickup a pond skimmer and take it whenever you go fishing. Purchase several glass
bottles of a few different sizes that you can capture bugs in both nymph and adult
stages. Check out on the web for the proper preserving solution.

5. Start tying bugs like a fiend. After you have a decent inventory of your own tied
bugs, I would recommend that you only fish with the bugs that you tied to build up
your confidence in your tying ability.

6. Make sure you put your name, address and phone number in your box secured by
waterproof tape. Your completely filled box have several hundred hours of your
time in tying the bugs and if they get misplaced on the water, you might have it
returned.

7. Make sure that you open up your fly box to dry out after a day of fishing because of
the high carbon in hooks will rust in no time with a little moisture stored in the box.

Have fun and good luck!!!

[Larry S]

When you really think you have it wired, try some size 26 midge patterns for
the San Juan River.
Best,
Larry S