# Filling a Fly Box



## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

What are your all-around go to nymphs. Something you "always" catch trout with. Something you wouldn't be caught without on the Middle, lower Provo, Weber and other local Utah waters?

Give me your top 5 with sizes and reasons why.

Mahalo!


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## HighLakesDrifter (Sep 13, 2007)

#10-12 San Juan worm (red and brown) good thing to dab thru a hole, esp. in higher water
#18-20 sow bug - great overall pattern for the river
# 14-18 Prince nymph - It works for me, esp. against banks
#18-20 hares ear - great searching pattern (note size of this and the other nymphs - the buggy ones are small on the Provo)
#18-20 flashback pheasant tail (green flashback) - Great producer for me

That being said, I will switch to the top if I see a fish a minute or two nosing the topwater. I love to fish on top, even in cold weather.

Daren


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

Wow this is a tough one..... Only 5?!!!

#20 wine zebra midge with a silver or black bead
#20 BWO Barr Emerger Flashback
#18 Sowbug
#18 Flashback Pheasant tail
#16 Chartreuse Glo bug


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

But I would say 15-20 would be a much easier baseline!


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## scott_rn (Sep 11, 2007)

I like to fish most of what has been listed and would add:

#16-20 copper john - I think every now and then you need to fish something bright.
#14-18 soft hackle (hungarian partridge) with thread, wire or a little rabbit dubbed - http://www.flyfisherman.com/softhackles/index.html


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

flyguy7 said:


> But I would say 15-20 would be a much easier baseline!


Go for it!


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

#18-22 Disco midge (red, pearl, UV)
#20 wd-40 Flashback Tungsten/non beaded) (gray olive, grey, wine, chocolate)
#16-20 Split Case PMD
#12 Hnchback Green Drake nymph 
#14 prince 
#14 Worm brown San Juan Worm 
#18-22 Jujubee Midge
#18-20 Jujubaetis
#16-18 PMD Barr Emerger
#16 soft hackle caddis emerger
#12-16 Mercers poxyback stone 
#20-22 RS2 (gray, brown/olive)
#18-20 Ray charles (grey)
#16-18 wire body Greeny Weenie
#16-20 Copper John (Zebra, chartreuse, Copper, black, brown/copper two tone)


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## RnF (Sep 25, 2007)

A little late to the party...

I am kind of with flyguy7 with this one. It's tough single out just so few.

If I "had" to choose just five nymphs it would be the following.

*Bead Head Hare's Ear Size 16*
It represents so many things in general from mayfly nymphs to sow bugs.

*Bead Head Pheasant Tail - size 18*
I would go a bit smaller on this one. It's a good general mayfly nymph imitation that will work pretty much anywhere

*Zebra Midge Size 20*
In Black, Red and Brown. Midges are everywhere all year long and are often over looked. Olive would be another good color to use.

*Egg Patterns*
Yellow and Peach colors. Fish just love eggs!

*San Juan Worm* (or any worm pattern)
Worms are everywhere too.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Thanks for the reponses. This will get me a good start.


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## Pez Gallo (Dec 27, 2007)

To me it doesnt make sense to have everything in a size 18-20. how about some size 12-14 hares ears? those work great on the weeb, upper provo, and just about everywhere else in the summer.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

I've noticed that everyone seems to be going small too. My question is what flies ALWAYS work and that you go to and wouldn't be caught without. Maybe some of the bigger ones only work under certain situations? Plus, with the smaller sizes, you usually have to use a smaller tippet. I wonder if that helps in catching some of the pickier fish and getting a better drag free drift?


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

Pez Gallo said:


> To me it doesnt make sense to have everything in a size 18-20. how about some size 12-14 hares ears? those work great on the weeb, upper provo, and just about everywhere else in the summer.


Ditto on this. Limiting yourself to 18 and 20's- probably isn't the best thought wave.


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

Not always but mostly. Lets look at our hatches on those rivers--

Blue wing olive mayflies (spring baetis and fall pseudocleon)
pale morning dun mayflies (inermis and infrequens)
brachycentrus caddis
american grannom caddis
green drake mayfly
golden stonely
little yellow sally mayfly
various chironomids (midges)

Looking at this list there are only two insects on here larger on average than a #16- the Drake and the Golden stone. Therefore it makes sense to fish the smaller bugs that match the insects. Places like the upper provo and upper Weber are freestone, therefore have more numbers of larger invertebrates such as drakes and stones, but MUCH fewer smaller bugs.

Places like the middle and lower provo have huge numbers of the smaller bugs, being tailwaters. The middle does have good numbers of the drakes and stones but when these bugs aren't active there are still plenty of smaller bugs around. And the pressure they receive have a lot to do with the smaller bugs as well. They are less selective to smaller flies (nymphs) than the bigger stuff.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

Sat over many hatches of 18's and it was a 16 or larger than put fish in the creel.
Just saying don't limit yourself when the really isn't a reason to.


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## RnF (Sep 25, 2007)

That's why it's so hard to just recommend just 5 patterns. It is limiting yourself for sure.

If had to choose just one pattern but can have it multiple sizes it would be the Hare's Ear in 20, 18, 16, 14 and size 12.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

That's why I tried to ask: "What do you tie on that you are confident will ALWAYS get you fish, regardless of what's hatching?"

Say you get to the river and nothing is hatching and you just KNOW you will get into fish when you tie this nymph on, becasue it always works.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

Then it's a streamer or black bugger-


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## Ben Trod (May 7, 2008)

Using little flies on the weber will land you a whole lot of whitefish, not that there is inherently anything wrong w catching whitefish. The larger flies help eliminate takes from all but the largest whitefish on the weber. ie.... steamers, Hoppers, large prince, sj worms etc. I consistently throw nymphs size 12-8 on the weber hoping for the occasional oversized Brown.


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

Fishing larger nymphs may keep some of the whitfish off, but it isn't going to land you consistently larger fish. Fishing the streamer will do just that, but fewer fish. Im not talking Size 8 buggers, Im talking size 1/0 double bunnies, size 2 articulated sculpins, etc...


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