Top 20 Flies of 2013: Part 2 of 4

It just so happens that the five flies in this post are all found in my Missouri River fly box. However, I will fish all of them anywhere. Lately I've had the Missouri River on my mind. Within the next week or two, I'll be making a trip over there if the weather cooperates. If I do, I'll post about it on here.

6. Zebra midge

This fly built my confidence in fishing small patterns. I'll usually fish it in a size 18, but bigger and smaller will both work. It imitates midge larvae, especially blackfly larvae. I typically fish the pattern in black with silver wire and a silver bead, but a red body or different colored wire/beads work too. During the winter, I'll start by throwing bigger pink junk, but if that isn't working, a zebra midge makes a great change-up. If you haven't fished this pattern, you'll be surprised to see what big fish can be taken on such small patterns. As always, the tying video by Tightline Productions is top notch.


7. Griffith's Gnat

Like the zebra midge, this is another great pattern to build your confidence in the small things. Depending on the size used, it imitates a single midge or a cluster of midges. During winter and early spring, midges hatch on every body of water. Tailwaters like the Missouri River have tons of midges and prolific hatches. However, low nutrient freestone rivers like the Flathead River also have their share of midges. I usually carry the pattern in size 18 or 20. If you have trouble seeing this fly on the water, try dropping it a foot or two behind a more visible pattern like a parachute to get your eyes looking in the right direction. In The Riffle has some cool pics and a tying video here.


8. Amex

This is another pattern that I found out about from the guys at Lakestream Outfitters in Whitefish, MT. During the winter months, everybody has their pet pink pattern. And everybody has their pet theory about why pink is an effective color (I will post about some of these theories in the future). Regardless of why pink works, the fact is, it does. The Amex nymph is named after the American Express (Amex) Card because it is "accepted everywhere." It most likely imitates a scud, but it could also be taken as an egg or larvae of some sort. I'll tie the pattern in size 10 with lots of weight on the shank and fish it as the lead fly in a tandem nymphing rig. In addition to pink, different shades of rainbow dubbing look good too and the fish agree. Mike Kuhnert, from Headhunters Fly Shop in Craig, MT has made a tying video.


9. Scud

During the winter, this is often the fly that you'll see me trailing behind an amex. Scuds proliferate in nutrient rich water. The Missouri is full of them, but I've seen them in many local rivers as well. Next time you're out fishing, grab a clump of vegetation from the bottom and chances are there will be scuds in it. In the winter, I'll usually start with a size 16 pink scud with a firebead. If that isn't working, I'll try some more natural brown/grey/olive colors. Scuds also make good lake flies. For a tying video, check out the one by Tightline Productions.


10. San Juan Worm

Love it or hate it, the San Juan worm works. I've experienced the greatest success with this pattern during rainy days when terrestrial earthworms have a good chance of being washed into the river. However, there are also aquatic annelids (worms) in most rivers with soft bottoms. If you want to flash the pattern up, you can add some vinyl rib/lace or a bead, but I've settled on the simplest version of the fly like the one in the picture above. If you've never tied flies before, this is by far the easiest pattern to start with. I'll tie mine on a size 12 hook in red, fluorescent red, wine, and orange. Although his version is fancier than mine, Rob Weiker from Lakestream Fly Shop in Whitefish, MT has made good tying video.


Photo Credits:
Zebra midge, griffith's gnat, and san juan worm taken from www.orvis.com
Amex taken from www.lakestream.com
Scud taken from www.riverbum.com