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Most Modern fly patterns in general appear to fish as food organisms of one kind or
another. True consistency with a fly pattern occurs when fish are caught repeatedly by
that lure style when the fish cannot distinguish the difference between the natural
organism and the artificial pattern. Consistancy can also be achieved with a lure that
repeatedly stimulates aggression caused by movement or color or light reflection or
whatever making the fish strike at it or attack it.
Flies that achieve this begin with an impression (impersonation of life) or
suggestion (specific life form) of an organism or group of organisms. The Gold Ribbed
Hare¡¯s Ear, for example, suggests mayfly nymphs or caddis pupae, while the Brooks
stonefly Nymph is a good impression of the Pteronarcys Salmonfly. Other consistent fly
patterns are termed exact, realistic or accurate. The No Hackle Sidewinder, Shirley¡¯s
Backswimmer or Dubbed Leg Stonefly are exact imitations of specific insects. Flies like
the Wooly Buggar that do not resemble any specific food organism yet consistantly catch
fish do so as their movement and appearance of life often stimulates aggression causing
gamefish to strike at them.
Realistic, exact or accurate fly patterns is an area of fly-tying and fishing that
is still considered modern as the markets of the world to date have little to offer
within a reasonable price range and variety that can offer the angler a quality and
practical realistic choice. It is herein that chinafishingflies offers the angler a new
choice.
The general angling system, or method, commonly used to achieve consistant results
consists of four steps including: locating the fish; Identifying the food on which it
is feeding; Selecting the proper artificial pattern &; Presenting it in a natural
manner.
LOCATING THE FISH
Trout locations are broken into two categories: general areas and specific
areas .General areas are easy to find, while specific areas are spots on lotic or lentic
enviornments that contain concentrations of trout. These are easier to locate if you
keep in mind the five basic survival requirements of game fish: Protection, Oxygen,
Temperature, Food & Comfort
.
OXYGEN: Game fish must have abundant dissolved oxygen around them. This gets into the
water from either the air above or the plants below. Often in lakes that are moderate-to-
shallow in depth, and are protected from strong wind action, the bottoms becomes low in
oxygen during late winter and late summer. During these times, fish are forced to move
into shallower areas for oxygen. Areas of turbulence have a higher oxygen content, with
riffles, waterfalls and wave-swept areas being good examples.
FOOD: More often than not, most trout feed using many little bites rather than a few
large bites. However, when the opportunity presents itself they will feed on larger
bites as they become available. Peek feeding times occur then when insects or other
food organisms are abundant and easy to obtain. Many gamefish are also oppertunistic,
so occasionally, particularly when insect activity is slow, they will feed on easily
obtainable food, including large items, providing that they are hungry. A trout¡¯s
survival lies in balancing with the energy it expends to capture food and the amount of
calories it receives from that food.
Aquatic insects and other underwater organisms often have the same basic survival
requirements, so areas where they live are usually shared by both. Like the various
gamefish species though, they have preferred areas where their needs are best met. By
becoming familuar with the aquatic organisms of your favorite fishing spot and matching
them with your choice of fly you are employing the modern angling system.
PROTECTION: Trout, like all animals, need protection from predators and from too much
sunlight. Often this can be obtained from weed beds, lily pads, log jams, etc. or by the
depth of the water itself. Areas of any stream, lake or river that have good oxygen and
food content enhanced by such protective structures are usually very productive.
TEMPERATURE: Fish are very sensitive to water temperature. Each species thrives in its
preferred temperature, but can tolerate a wider range. The temperature chart for the
trout species below shows the preferred temperature and the general tolerance range.
Trout are healthiest and most active at their ideal temperature, this helps explain why
you can have poor or excellent days when angling if you pay attention to water
temperature.
Experienced trouters carry a thermometer for this reason. Stated earlier that trout
will move into the shallows of lakes in late winter/ early spring for oxygen. These
areas are the first to warm up after ice-out and often also attract other food organisms
for the same reasons as well.
COMFORT: The need for comfort can be tied in with temperature and protection. When fish
are feeding, areas that offer comfort while feeding become temporary hot spots, such as
the shaded side of the creek, gentle riffles on the surface of a lake or slower currents
caused by a structure. Often such areas have no trout, but when the dinner bell rings
they move to areas where they can feed comfortably and efficiently. When trout do move
into such areas they are on high alert and easily spooked so casting to them can be
quite challenging.
IDENTIFYING THE FOOD ON WHICH FISH ARE FEEDING
Consistent trouters can often determine what the fish are feeding on by observing the
water or the fish themselves. When such experience like this is combined with netting
insects the results are often quite rewarding. Netting insects is a practical method to
capture them so they can be identified, observed and thereby a methodology for
presentation projected.
Netting insects is quite simple. If you are on a stream, place the net slightly
downstream of the intended area and turn over rocks in the area using a stick or your
foot. Dig your foot into the mud to look for soft bottom dwellers. The same applies to a
lake. Skim the surface with the net to get a sample and a closer look at the floating
foods. Drag the net through lilly pads or weeds to catch various fauna.
The most common type of insect net is made with two 4-foot dowels that are about 1/2
inch thick, with common bug screen (the same kind as used in tent windows) attached
between the dowels. This is sometimes called a ¡°pole sceine¡±.A pole sciene is very
efficient in capturing various aquatic fauna on many water types. Lake scienes are
usually like a landing net with bug screen instead of fish net attached.
Detailed books on aquatic insects, their habits, habitat, and even fly imitations are
available at most reputable tackle shops. By focusing on the sillouette or shape of
insect or organism to be imitated and by its movement in or on the water you are
concentrating on what the gamefish sees first. Light reflection caused by air bubbles
or shiney surfaces is more important than specific color. All flys when on the surface
seen from below will appear as a shape without color when viewed from a background of
light. It is a well known fact that a great majority of insect hatches occur during low
light periods where again sillouette and movement will determine the organisms
identification. Flys and lures fished in waters even slightly discolored again will
nullify the shade of the lure. The vast array of color styles in the shape of a mayfly
adult offered to anglers by the worlds factory marketplace is somewhat comical to the
modern angler who knows even a small amount of entomology. It is by far the greater
advantage to the angler to carry a broad selection of sillouettes or fly shapes in their
flybox than it is to have only a few shapes but in alot of colors.
Using an insect net generally helps you to understand the trout¡¯s world by bringing you
closer to it. Sometimes a whole smorgasbord of specimens shows up in your net, but if
there is no visual feeding evidence to help you make a selection, you must gather more
criteria.
At these times, it is best to try netting in a few areas to see if any one type of food
is more available. Perhaps there are an unusual number of underwater specimens drifting
by, or a good standby at these times is to locate a minnow or bait fish of some kind.
But remember, littlefish, like big fish, have favorite areas too, so once again your
net comes into play. When observing minnows and other bait fish, take a good look at
how much light reflection comes from the sides of the minnows body. A properly tied
minnow imitation fished with life like action can be most effective in many angling
situations. The pearl dace minnow and its cousins are very pretty, reflecting lots of
light from their sides and can be very attractive to any oppertunistic gamefish. A
stickleback minnow, on the other hand, is much more drab and camouflaged. So when there
are no obvious feeding signs to indicate a particular food form, choose the largest or
most visible specimen caught in your net.
SELECTING THE PROPER ARTIFICIAL PATTERN
Before you select any fly pattern or other artificial food form, a couple of common
feeding behaviours with trout should be kept in mind. Also see the information about
gamefish behavior and angling theory in education section.
RANDOM FEEDING: This simply means fish are more willing to take whatever is available,
and many trout, partivularly stream trout, will feed this way. Any lake or stream with
unstable or low food concentrations will cause this behaviour to occur as competition
for food is more intense. Obviously, random feeders are easier to catch because their
diet is somewhat limited. However, for consistancy, your artificial pattern should still
look like something that they are used to seeing.
SELECTIVE FEEDING: Selective feeders generally concentrate on one type of food at a
particular time; This occurs when one food item is abundant and easy to obtain. Fertile
lakes and streams, often teeming with life, are often dominated by selectively feeding
fish as they can afford to be choosy.
The main criteria for selecting any food items are:
Shape(silbouette)- The silhouette of your artificial pattern should be as close to the
natural as possible.
Size-Same as above.
Light reflection- The light-reflecting abilities of minnows and many insects are of far
greater importance than are specific colors. Do not ignore colours, but rather use
general shades in light, medium and dark.
Moving appendages- Particularly on large patterns, having legs, fins or other body
parts that move when you twitch the fly are the ultimate. Many of the nymph patterns we
tie have legs made of quill and fur or thread and fur that will move when you twitch
the fly underwater, especially after ther water has soaked and softened them.
PRESENTING IN A NATURAL MANNER
The presentation of any fly pattern,no matter what it looks like,is useless if the trout
knows or suspects humans are present and is spooked by them. Remote areas however, where
humans don¡¯t normally go can have fish that are not as easily spooked by human
presence.
STEALTH: In areas where trout are familiar with humans, stealth is required to get the
fly to the fish without it knowing that you are there and without it knowing that the
fly is attached to a line. Sounds, shadows, waves or anything that reveals your presence
will result in a spooked trout. So relax and take time to study the water to find the
best place to get the fly to the fish without arousing its suspicion. Watching trout
react to a fly pattern is an experience in itself.
MOVEMENT: After you have identified the organisms caught in your net, put each specimen
back in the water and watch it. Does it swim? Does it twitch? By observing the natural
movements, you will determine the kind of action you want to impart to your fly, if any.
HABITAT: Habitat involves both horizontal and vertical dimensions. Horizontal means that
certain areas of a stream or lake will by preferred by certain food organisms. For
example, a burrowing insect needs an area with a soft bottom. Although insects, like
fish, move around, they have places in the water where they congregate. The vertical
dimension is merely having a bottom dweller near the bottom and a surface insect on the
surface.
Sometimes you can do everything the way it should be done and yet the trout refuses to
submit. We are referring to the times when a fish turns at the last second or completely
refuses a pattern after inspection. We believe one of the principal reasons for this,
particularly with consistent patterns, is human scent or any other unnatural odor. If
you drag your fly in the current or douse it for a minute or two, the chances of this
occurring are far less than if you cast it¡°fresh¡±. The senses of smell and sight are
the trout¡¯s two principle cryteria for detecting the truth about any food item.
Whether you fish for employment or recreation, it should be relaxing and fun. To share
successful methods with other anglers benefits the whole industry. Perhaps the words of
wisdom from the late Charles Brooks say it best:
¡°While I have earnestly tried to describe many nymph fishing methods, I would not want
any reader to think that these were the only successful methods, or that other methods
should not be used. Do not hesitate to try the unusual and unorthodox , do not accept
anyone¡¯s word as gospel.I repeat, fish are individuals and have traits and
characteristics that are inherent in individuals. Anglers are individuals also, and one
should encourage individuality. This is the best method for assuring progress in any
field.¡±
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