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Thread: Whats a good AR spey fly?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    Sacramento, California
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    Default Whats a good AR spey fly?

    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.

  2. #2
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    Nov 2009
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    Rescue ,CA Cromberg, CA
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    1,857

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

  3. #3
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    Jan 2005
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    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Kranhold View Post
    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.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
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    Granite Bay
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    Soft hackles, spiders , caddis puppa, swinging classic nymph.......anything buggy size 12 to 16 with a long floating mono leader or intermediate polyleader.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    Sacramento, California
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    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.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Granite Bay
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    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.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    Sacramento, California
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    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!!!

  8. #8
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    Aug 2019
    Location
    Guerneville
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    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.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
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    Sacramento, Driggs
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    Quote Originally Posted by Twowheelsonecamera View Post
    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).
    Last edited by PV_Premier; 09-22-2020 at 02:42 PM.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    California
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    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
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