Printable View
Hi everybody !!
If you only had one fly to use in the A. , what would it be ? As much as I hate it , mine would have to be an Olive Crystal Bugger in size 6 with a copper or gold bead or conehead . Everything out there eats it , I think it'll pass for a Crawdad or Sculpin . Oh , yes ... a FLY is something you TYE on a hook , not a plastic bead or Gummy-Minnow :twisted: (for the purpose of this question ...)
C'mon , lets hear what ya think
Hi David,..... Don't have a favorite fly for the American but do have one for each species I fish for there..... For Salmon: black/brown Comet. For Steelhead: Howard Norton Special. For Stripers: chartreuse/white Clouser....... Oh, and for Shad: Bowstring. (My version of the Howard Norton Special is a little darker than standard. I use an all red body).
Too many patterns to name all. Guess my minds too cluttered at this stage of my life.
The Olive Crystal Bugger is certainly a good all around choice. Lately, my favorite types to tie are all saltwater patterns. (....That's probably due to changes in eyesight)
I also like a somewhat generic pattern, an Egg Sucking Wooly Bugger. Dave your olive bugger is a much better choice for ALL of the fish in the American. I know of a couple customers who have hooked large stripers while fishing an olive wooly bugger. My egg sucking bugger has provided me with steelhead, some salmon, and one shad.
My favorite thing to do on the Lower American River is to go down to Upper Watt Avenue after work in September.
Then put on my waders, get my 6 weight rod with a floating line to fish for Halfpounder Steelhead.
I usually put on some type of caddis wet fly and swing it just under the surface. I use a #12/14 Gary LaFontane Caddis Emerger when the going gets tough.
I have been doing this sense about 1965. :D
Sup David and everyone else!
I think I'm in Bill's boat, nothing like throwing a caddis around for those half-pounders but if I had to go with one fly to try to catch it all...... I think a mid-sized zoo-cougar would be fairly effective for everything. Good displacement and plenty of action with this fly! I guess I'll have to bust one out when we go fishing DJL and see if I made a good choice.... I vaguely remember tying up a bunch about 6-7 years ago and I think they're around somewhere....
Jeff
Hi David!
Hope all is going great!!! Decided to pick a different username for this Board (instead of Sach) just for fun. In any case, you know, after you sent me the pictures of that MONSTROUS striper (44-47 lb.) you caught last October, I immediately went out and bought olive crystal chenille, olive Krystal Flash, and made sure I was well-stocked in olive marabou and #6 3X long/2X heavy hooks, ha. I hope it becomes my favorite fly for the American too! :wink:
Oops, the dimwit who just accidentally posted as a "guest" was me. :lol:
I'm not really a proponent of using just one fly . Some people like Lee S. and Max Garth will fish ANY fly , as long as it is a white Deceiver !! I love that kind of focus , but can't quite "kick the habit" when it comes down to bringing a bunch of bugs with me . For me , on the American , no more than 8 different flys do the trick day in and day out .
Ahhhh , well - it was a pretty good subject to get everyone started with ! Thank Y'all for jumping on it , and stay safe !! D.J.L. :D
Good question, and interesting answers. I really only fish for half-pounders and steelies in the A, so my fly would be an olive Fox's caddis pupa, tied on a number 14 hook, black bead optional. :D