How Many Flies?

[Fred]

Comments about Andy Kim had me thinking today. He has obviously developed a reputation and a following. Based on some of the comments by others, it is well-deserved.

It's interesting when you visit his site, yong-special.com, and read what he does, it's not a complicated approach. In fact, I think he uses a dozen or so flies. Midge, mayfly, scud, and some terrestrial patterns. I bet he can fit all he needs in a pretty small fly box.

Today, I was looking at a book by Denny Rickards. He is also considered to be one of the best in the bus. His book was Stillwater Fishing something or other. In any event, there was a picture with a fly box about two feet tall and a foot wide. It had about a billion flies in it--different sizes, shapes, and colors.

Now, for me, the question naturally arises: how many flies do you really need? Granted, Rickards might cover a lot more different waters than Kim, but how many patterns do you really need? Is it better to focus on a few core flies, or to take ten boxes with you each time you go? Are there a handful of flies that will catch fish under any circumstance, or would that maybe ruin the business of selling flies and fly tying material? Can you develop a small arsenal of flies that will get you through almost any hatch situation, or are there so many different types of insects that you must continually expand your number of different patterns?

I know which way I am leaning towards, but was interested in some opinions from others.

[RAW]

Fred.

In my teens and half-way through my twenties, I fished one fly and used one technique. That's all I needed. Trying not to brag, I caught fish in areas other anglers had just fished without catching anything. I still go back to this fly and technique periodically when the mood hits. It's a wet fly and wet fly technique.

Then, I decided I wanted to branch out and try some different techniques. Started dry fly fishing with all the standard patterns and caught fish. Then, I decided I wanted to learn to nymph fish and started with it and different nymph patterns. I now enjoy experimenting with all kinds of materials and techniques just because that is what I enjoy.

I could easily pick 5 or 6 patterns and catch fish in most situations, but for me the fun right now in my fly fishing and tying is experimenting and seeing what I can get a fish to take.

I think I kind of know where and why you ask the question and I guess my personal answer is a question: Why limit the amount and types of flies? They are pretty small and it can be fun trying different ones.

[Larry S.]

I have to agree with RAW. What's the fun of limiting yourself? Variety is the spice of life. I just haven't convinced my wife of that.

[flyfshr8]

Yeah, that is interesting. I think with respect to number of flies, it's an issue of tailwater wade fishing vs. stillwater which Denny Rickards is primarily known for. Jeez, and look at Jim Teeny. That's just ONE fly.

Now, Mr. Kim guides on the San Juan, and lives or guides also in Colorado right? I mean I don't know for sure, but that's what the buzz is. I think most of us could function with a few tailwater favorites on the big three tailwaters with those type flies, with the exception of sowbugs used on the Bighorn. And what's even more interesting are the Colorado originals that are popular on all three. Or just tailwaters in general.

That inside pocket on the vest, with the 6 or 8 compartment little flybox usually has the same stuff in it for all three doesn't it? WD40's, brassies,scuds,chamois caddis,green machines,string things,barrs,quill midges, and now a few yongs thrown in for good measure. Put some scuds in there of different styles and you could go to a lot of tailwaters and catch fish hand over fist, unless there's a special something going on. Salmonflies, Crickets, Hoppers or Cicadas I mean. So then your up to two boxes! Then wooly buggers etc.. etc..etc.. That's where I blow it. I fish so many different rivers, I pack too much crap, and usually have to trim it down some.

So, for some rivers, or types of rivers, I think you can get away with just a few standard patterns and do well.

[RAW]

Sorry. I was going to make this point. Hope it's not taken in the wrong way. Say you developed a fly pattern and technique. You want to make a living at fly fishing and tying. What flies are you going to push? What techniques?

[baetis]

sorry this is a little off the subject but I heard about your (RAW) twisted foam flies and was just wandering why you twist the foam. Are there any advantages in twisting the foam? and what are the steps in twisting the foam together? Just thought it was an interesting way to tie.

[flyfshr8]

Sure, I'd push my patterns and my techniques. Is that why so few flies, or what do you mean?

[RAW]

8,

My reference (and I don't mean this in a negative way) is in regards to Andy Kim and his flies. He has found a tying style, a few patterns and sound fishing techniques that have given him some regional, if not national, possibly world-wide attention. He can market all this in a nice litttle, uncomplicated package and sell it to the fly fishing public. That's why Mr. Kim only has a few patterns. Others, I think, tie inpart as a way of expressing creativity and playing with all the fun materials and techniques available to the fly tier today.

Baetis,

Fanatic hit the main reasons. By twisting, you can blend colors, create segmentation and add a little durability. I think it's fun too. The technique is simple and not of my own thinking (other than doing it with foam strips.) Some people call it furling. Just twist some thin lengths of foam until it doubles back on itself. Allow it to double back in the middle and tie the body onto the hook shank. E-mail me if you need more details.

[flyfshr8]

Got it.

[Jeff Brooks]

Fred,

I was thinking about this question a few days ago while fishing a favorite Stillwater reservoir and while looking at 6 different boxes of Stillwater flies and thinking about all of the patterns that I have not even used over the past couple of years… patterns which have produced a lot of fish in years gone by, but for whatever reason have gone unused recently???

And then I pulled out my 3 or 4 favorite patterns for that particular water and went to work and caught a lot of nice trout. I’m sure that I could have selected just about any 3 or 4 patterns from my Stillwater fly collection and I would have caught fish, because if the flies don’t work well, they don’t last long in my boxes.

Someone earlier mentioned something about the fun of creating and collecting flies, and I guess that is part of the allurement of packing around far to many flies… I think that another reason why some of our old favorites fall into disuse is because of the seemingly never-ending supply of new materials to try; taking my spectrumized leeches for instance, I not only had a lot of fun creating them, but I’m having even more fun fishing them and they have relegated several other former favorite go-to patterns to the sidelines, at least for now.

Do I really need 6 boxes of Stillwater patterns (including 1 box of all of Denny Rickards patterns which I seldom use)? Well, the answer is no. But am I ever going to leave any of them home? Probably not…