Flies for Christmas

[Mrs. Land Guppy]

Hello everyone out there, remember me? Land Guppy and I toook my 15-year-old sister fly fishing for the first time a couple of weeks ago and she had a blast so guess what we're making her for Christmas? Flies!! We've already tied Griffiths Gnats, Yong Specials, Brassies, and Elk Hair Caddises. Does anyone out there have any other ideas for (preferably simple) fly patterns that Land Guppy and I can tie?

[Indylab]

Wooly buggers, adams and wd40's.

[Teewinot]

Tie up a bunch of Wooly Buggers and Leeches. Also you should do some Hare's Ears or Pheasant Tails. You could even do a few real simple nymphs like a Chamois Caddis or just a BH Caddis Larva.

If you want a variety before Christmas you should think about joining a swap, then you can tie up a bunch of the same fly which usually goes faster than tying a variety, then you can swap them and receive a large variety. If both of you join you'll get a couple of each. Watch for them and I'm sure there will be another one that will be finished before Christmas.

[nightfish]

Zebras, SJ worms, disco midge.

Nice gift. Toss in a box & some floatant, maybe a couple of indicators, and include a 'gift certificate' for a day on the water?

[Trouty]

Definitely need to include a few bead head pheasant tails and hare's ears. Some with the flashback. Need a few wooley buggers and also some adams. Use the same pattern as the adams but use an olive dubbing as a BWO imitation - no need to learn another pattern if you don't want to. The BWO is such a "rare" fly here in the West it would be a shame not to have a few of them on hand just in case you ever run into 'em. Serendipity's pretty easy to tie and has always worked well for me and the SJ worm in natural brown works about everywhere.

Nightfish's idea of floatant, indicators and a trip to try the bugs is also great.

Course, then you might want to add a few stimulators, caddis pupae and maybe a royal trude or two, some eggs, twist nymphs, damsels, some more midges in different colors, and of course a few emergent caddis patterns, maybe a couple of bunny leeches or double bunnies, a clouser or zonker or two, throw in a new Sage 480-4SLT, a new Ross large arbor reel and that would about do it!!

Could someone please forward this to my wife!!!???

[Larry S.]

Geeshhh!

Doesn't anyone on this site use dry flies? I see a referrence to an Adams and an EHC but that is about it. I guess all you need the floatant for is your indicators. ;^)

[cheech]

You mean to tell me that you haven't fished a Wooly Bugger dry?

[Trouty]

Dries? All my flies are dry when I put them on! Having a wet fly raises questions!!

[Teewinot]

Cheech and Trouty -- You're killing me!!! My co-workers are coming into my office to see what I'm laughing at so hard.

[Larry S.]

Did I step in it, or what! ;o)

[Mike A]

I'm tying some flies for people for Christmas and the first one I like to include is a few Wright's Royals. They're a nice, simple attractor. I've only seen them in a fly shop once, but I like them a lot. You can check out the pattern here.

http://shop.flyfishing.about.com/fly_archive/details/227.htm

I would also include some parachute Adams, soft hackles, small hoppers, and some nice local patterns for the area.

[Utah DaveII]

1) PArachute Adams
2) Beadhead Chamois Caddis
3) Lime Trude -- Easy to see and fish early summer attractor.

PS I almost forgot renegades.