Fly Fishing

2alarmfly

If you could only have one fly to fish the rest of your life, fresh and salt water, what would it be? And why that particular fly?

Please be specific! I think mine would be a Stu Apte Tarpon fly. They are easy to tie, dont require many materials and they are proven over time. I have tied them as small as a #4 and Bass love them even Brownies. The simplicity of the fly along with the action and versatility make it my favorite!

Can't wait to read your responses!
Todd

troutfly247 · Location: Colorado Springs, CO

Great topic! I'd have to go with the #6 black woolley bugger! You can't beat it, i've caught fish all over with that simple little pattern. If fact, rumor has it that the Navy Seals have a little fishing line, and two black buggers with them in their survival kit. Or maybe I just made that up. Anyway, The Black Woolley Bugger is my choice fo sho!

westbranchfisher · Location: Indian Island, Maine

I'd have to say... the copper john nymph#16 . For me, this pattern catches brookie after brookie, salmon after salmon, and bass after bass! It's just a great attractor nymph, and one time another guy who was fishing a weird looking streamer showed me the fly. He took a copper john#8 and tyed on a rabbit strip under the bead and he was catching fish with it! But anyways, the copperjohn nymph is a very good pattern!

TroutBone · Location: Bavaria, Germany

I have to agree with westbrancherfisher, I know I caught more fish off a copper john then any other flies on my arsenal, and they seem to last longer then most of my flies after so many cast and hit and miss.

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

Big Black Wooly Bugger

Reasoning: I've seen both fresh and saltwater species respond well to black. I've seen very small trout take very big flies. I would want something big enough for the saltwater to attract potentially bigger species, even though "big" species often eat small stuff. It is versatile enough that it could be interpreted as a baitfish or a bug or an attractor pattern depending on if it were and how it was stripped, swung or dead drifted. [/b]

kory_k · Location: New York, NY

Woolly Bugger all the way. Everything from trout to bass to tarpon to carp to bonefish to albies to stripers to....Color for me might be the harder choice, black is probably the best all around, but white is awesome too especially in saltwater. Olive is awesome in summer time in freshwater. Hard to say what color, but definitely a woolly bugger.

caveman2bravo · Posted: Wed 03/18/09 9:00 pm Post subject:

if i had one fly to fish both fresh and salt, i'd have to say an olive/white clouser. catches pretty much everything that swims. love that fly

lunchbox · Location: Utah

woolly buggers are like a cliche. They will work in almost all situations and can catch about anything but i can't imagine ever not being able to throw dries. Since I don't fish saltwater I think I would go for the parachute adams.

kory_k · Location: New York, NY

lunchbox · Location: Utah

Ha! I wish I could fish it for myself. I usually just get to take people, but in that case I would nymph a big, bushy P.A. tied in 100% chartreuse.

meiho · Location: key west

besides a wooly bugger which has already been mentioned a bunch i would have to say a clouser. hard to beat!

LineSpeed · Location: North Jersey & Orient Point

Since this is a saltwater forum, I will have to say chartreuse & white clouser. But if had to be for both salt & fresh, then a wooly bugger is hard to beat.

Linesidesonthefly · Location: Old Orchard Beach, Maine

Gartside Gurgler will light it up. You Trout guys are silly.LOL

MG · Posted: Mon 05/25/09 9:35 am Post subject:

Clouser minnow. Any color pair. Trout will eat these too, although you might want to use bead chain instead of barrel eye to ease on the sink rate.

cfly · Location: Maine-Cape Cod-Fl Keys

Merkin - What can I say I'm shallow minded!!

ALBOSTON · Location: BOULDER FIELDS

the one fly for me would be Popovics semper fleye, tie a big full one, its a herring or pogie, tie a little tiny one and its a small sand eel, anything in between can be imitated well with that fly. tie clouser eyes on it, wrap the hook with lead it will bounce all over the place, work some foam in there and fish it on top, with a little imagination you can do a whole lot with just that one fly. I dont fish freshwater, but I bet that it would do some damage there too in the smaller sizes.

if it had to be just one color one size for life, black, 7-8 inches.