Favorite American river fly ??

[David Lee]

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 (for the purpose of this question ...)
C'mon , lets hear what ya think

[Darian]

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)

[Adam Grace]

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.

[Bill Kiene]

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.

[Jgoding]

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!

[Hairstacker]

Oops, the dimwit who just accidentally posted as a "guest" was me.

[David Lee]

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.

[patrickm]

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.