Whats a good AR spey fly?

[Twowheelsonecamera]

Hey folks, so I have my go to nymphs and drys for single hand fly fishing, and being new to spey, I am curious what spey flies are the go to for the AR. I find myself avoiding using them as I have no clue what works lol. I typically just grab an Intruder and throw it on as I have landed fish with them. I have probably 20 plus spey flies still waiting to touch the water.

[Mark Kranhold]

Soft hackles on floater this time of year early mornings and evenings and sculpins patterns in olive and black year round on tips.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Soft hackles on floater this time of year early mornings and evenings and sculpins patterns in olive and black year round on tips.

As I was reading this I was hoping Mark would reply..........and here he is.

Mark and Andy both use their own AR Sculpin pattern on sink-tips.

Would be nice if they had them tied up at Kiene's?



With this greatly improved air quality, cooler nights, and perfect flow we should all be out on the American?

Andy said the Half-pounders were spread out so any riffle could hold fish.

Get you tackle in your vehicle so you can go before or after work?

You can swing for Half-pounders and resident trout on the lower Feather and lower Sac too.

[mogaru]

Soft hackles, spiders , caddis puppa, swinging classic nymph.......anything buggy size 12 to 16 with a long floating mono leader or intermediate polyleader.

[Twowheelsonecamera]

I guess I should have worded things different. I am looking for spey flys that are used. not so much nymphs and streamers. I plan to work on tying spey flys on the salmon hooks. I dont hear very often people using or sharing their favorites for the AR.

[mogaru]

Right now, for half pounders we swing more trout flies..........but......you can always swing classic wet flies like silver Hilton, purple peril, etc etc in size 8. Halfpounders behave and eat more like trout......by December, January that's when you might switch to intruders of any size.

[Twowheelsonecamera]

Thanks!! I have zero knowledge of spey flies so I am trying to pursue the tieing and testing of them this winter. Just needed some names to research :) I appreciate the info!!!

[Jcolin]

Im definitley not an expert, but by spey flies im assuming youre referring to classic atlantic salmon patterns like lady caroline and jock scott and similar featherwings? In his book “Classic Steelhead Flies”, which id recommend highly, John Shewey talks about how early PNW steelhead flyfisherman used these patterns but shifted more to hairwings for durability. I find those atlantic salmon flies to be really pretty but almost too much to fish considering how long some take to tie. Its not very elegant, but on the klamath for halfpounders and bigger summer runs i found swinging a rubber legs out fished everything else, with an assasin being a distant second. I do get and respect the desire to swing classics though.

[PV_Premier]

Thanks!! I have zero knowledge of spey flies so I am trying to pursue the tieing and testing of them this winter. Just needed some names to research :) I appreciate the info!!!

Not the American, but I did alright swinging small purple perils, Euphorias, and muddlers on the Yuba a few weeks back.

I like the size 6 hobo speys too. They are pretty versatile and will catch modest size trout as well as bruiser steelhead.

Another fly that is not easy to find in a size 6 but pretty dang effective if you can find it is the Pick-yer-pocket. Most of the bins have that in a #2 but it's too big for valley steelhead (in my opinion, but I have an admitted gravity for smaller flies).

[DPLee]

Twowheelsone camera;

Here is an plate of Spey flies tied on Daiichi 2051 size 7 hooks for Klamath River Half-pounder steelhead. Any of the buggy patterns would work for late summer/early fall American River fish. Only issue to tying small Spey flies is finding small enough bronzed mallard flank feathers for tying the tented wings of traditional Spey flies. Most good bronze flank feathers are too large to tied the smaller patterns.

Gook luck,

Dennis
www.dennisplee.com

[boomer4]

Nice collection of flies, Dennis! I see from your website you are sold out on the Halfpounder book. If anyone wants to sell their copy, I'd be a willing buyer. Thanks.

[Mark Kranhold]

I’d say for the American you can’t go wrong with swing’n a Lady Caroline this time of year or even year round. Winter, Orange Heron or any Ackroyd in black/0range, black/purple or black/chartreuse. Any winged fly in those colors.

[Langenbeck]

16092

Here is my Fall go to steelhead fly on the Rogue River.

[Langenbeck]

Here is an early October Rogue fish on the above fly.

[corytay]

Great collection of flies. Liked it.

[RSK]

I have done well on the American with a black general practitioner. The long spey style hackle gives it allot of motion in the water. My go to pattern on it.

Russell

[corytay]

Can you share a photo?

[RSK]

https://www.adiposflytying.com/blackgpALL.html
I tie them almost like this but maybe some longer hackle.
I think a black wooly bugger would probably work just as well. Or better yet an egg sucking leach.
Just liked tying the fancy flies.

Russell

[corytay]

Thank you for sharing.