# Worthless fly...



## rcleofly (Feb 18, 2012)

What fly or flies have you always carried in your fly box and continue to try to catch fish on that never produces for you?

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## fishmark (Jan 1, 2010)

None, they all work. I dont care for bead head nymph. I tried them and all they caught were small trout.


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## YPSIFLY (Feb 13, 2001)

Its not so much the fly you present...its the way you present it. 

Right action can often trump a perfect tie plopped carelessly in most situations.

Whether you are catching trophies or runts...you are still catching fish.


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## rcleofly (Feb 18, 2012)

Well, the reason I bring this up is, I mostly indy fish. I have a ton of success doing it. The hares ear is known as very productive fly. I always carry a few in my fly box. Quite often I will put one on. I mean, they make sense for matching the nymphs that are in the water at the time. But, I never ever have caught a fish on one. I know its easy to say well your just not presenting it rite but, I do very well on other nymphs.

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## YPSIFLY (Feb 13, 2001)

I apologize if my reply sounded like you aren't fishing right, not what I was going for. I'm sure you know what you are doing.

Are you tying your own? Weighted? Maybe change the weight a little?

I don't do so well on egg patterns, but I always have a few in my box. I know lots of guys that swear by them for spring steelies, but I have had better luck with stone patterns...yet every spring I tie a few eggs that only seem to produce consistently during the Proud Lake Put and Take "Stockerfest" in Wixom. Those dumb hatchery trout don't know any better. Especially on the first day. lol


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## flyrodder46 (Dec 31, 2011)

I have 2 that are always in my fly box, but can not remember the last time I caught a fish on either. Egg sucking leech, and the Mi. Green Caddis. I will try them both again this year with the expectations of catching fish on them, but do not have high hopes. Never seem to have any trouble catching fish on most other flies that I have tied.

D


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## rcleofly (Feb 18, 2012)

Egg patterns puzzle me. Your taught to use them for steelies in the spring. All I catch are little browns lol. I've also used egg sucking leaches and had the same results, nothing. I've tied it in so many ways. This year my egg sucking leach will have red hackle and marabou. To represent blood lol. I actually hooked my first steelie on a MI green caddis yesterday morning. I used a gunmetal tungsten bead on it though. 


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## rcleofly (Feb 18, 2012)

YPSIFLY said:


> I apologize if my reply sounded like you aren't fishing right, not what I was going for. I'm sure you know what you are doing.
> 
> Are you tying your own? Weighted? Maybe change the weight a little?
> 
> I don't do so well on egg patterns, but I always have a few in my box. I know lots of guys that swear by them for spring steelies, but I have had better luck with stone patterns...yet every spring I tie a few eggs that only seem to produce consistently during the Proud Lake Put and Take "Stockerfest" in Wixom. Those dumb hatchery trout don't know any better. Especially on the first day. lol


Oh buddy no need to apologize. I do tie them with weight. I will try what you said. Maybe to much weight would give them an unnatural presentation. Putting weight on nymphs has always been a puzzle for me. How do you know how much and where to use it lol.

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## STEELHEAD JUNKIE (Feb 20, 2010)

This is an interesting post for sure. Whats wierd is I catch fish on Egg Sucking Leeches all the time. Same goes for MI Green Cadis and Egg patterns. I would not consider leaving the house without them. 

I think pretty much *all flies work* just depends on the target species and conditions. Water Clarity, Depth, Temp. and Flow. This is true for Steelhead. One day they want only a certain color or size, or speed and depth, etc...

I have proven this theory to myself many times over. By changing the pattern and running another drift through hole and fish on! Where most guys do not work the hole throughly and move on. The fish were there the whole time.

Just my 2 cents!

Tight lines.


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## steelie (Sep 20, 2000)

YPSIFLY said:


> I apologize if my reply sounded like you aren't fishing right, not what I was going for. I'm sure you know what you are doing.
> 
> Are you tying your own? Weighted? Maybe change the weight a little?
> 
> I don't do so well on egg patterns, but I always have a few in my box. I know lots of guys that swear by them for spring steelies, but I have had better luck with stone patterns...yet every spring I tie a few eggs that only seem to produce consistently during the Proud Lake Put and Take "Stockerfest" in Wixom. Those dumb hatchery trout don't know any better. Especially on the first day. lol


Good Day,

Tie a few eggs in Baby Blue McFlyfoam with a hot pink dot. Some friends did very well on the P.M. with them last Spring. 

Steelie


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## steelie (Sep 20, 2000)

rcleofly said:


> Egg patterns puzzle me. Your taught to use them for steelies in the spring. All I catch are little browns lol. I've also used egg sucking leaches and had the same results, nothing. I've tied it in so many ways. This year my egg sucking leach will have red hackle and marabou. To represent blood lol. I actually hooked my first steelie on a MI green caddis yesterday morning. I used a gunmetal tungsten bead on it though.
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Good Day,

I would stay away from red as it is the first color to be aborbed in the water column.  If you were to fish them, I would suggest doing so in clear and "low" water. Unless of course you're jigging for bluegill in shallow water... (hehe). Think about some other things like perhaps adding some legs or using any of the "new" rubber hackles on the martket, they have tons of movement. Or maybe a Fish Skull or Scuplin helmet in conjunction with their new articulated shanks to give your fly more action...

Steelie


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## jaytothekizzay (Apr 1, 2002)

Ive been fly-fishing for 15 years now, and have never caught a fish on a hares ear either...lol I know its a proven pattern, but i dont know.Egg patterns have been consistant producers for me though. As far as weight i always tie my nymphs with as much weight as possible. I always have better success fishing my nymphs deep.

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## YPSIFLY (Feb 13, 2001)

steelie said:


> Good Day,
> 
> Tie a few eggs in Baby Blue McFlyfoam with a hot pink dot. Some friends did very well on the P.M. with them last Spring.
> 
> Steelie


That triggered a memory. A few years ago I was in a club that held tying sessions two days each month and we did play around with McFoam. One of the older gents did recommend baby blue, but that sounded odd to me because it just didn't look natural, imho. So I kept with the reds and pinks and hot colors. So that might be where I went wrong. Always listen to the Old Timers.

Another fly I used to keep with me but didn't really work so well was the Royal Coachman. It looked like what I thought a proper fly should, but it just wasn't as productive as an Adams in most situations.


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## BeanOFish (Jul 28, 2003)

This may not be what you guys are looking for but this may help, or give some direction on what to throw or get rid of in your box:

1st, you have to know the river that you are fishing and research the most available food source. For example caddis hatches are not very prolific on the PM, and are only ok on the Little Man, however, caddis are huge on any tailwater particularly the Big Man and the Muskegon (scuds are big as well). Then keep in mind the most available food source when your fishing i.e. October have a variety of orange to white egg patterns and everything in between, November hex and stone fly nymphs are on the move for different reasons and scuplin patterns as well, then spring stones in late February/March, etc...

2nd is size of the fly. For example hares ears are designed to mimic all smaller mayfly nymphs, so a hares ear should never be be bigger than a size 12 (not to mention I highly suggest tying them with hares ear plus dubbing it just gives them a very buggy look) same with a prince and a pheasant tail, a caddis is rarely bigger than a size 10, eggs shouldn't be bigger than a size 8 (and that's for high water).

3rd, have a variety of colors of the same nymph. This is merely my opinion but I tend to believe that fish look for size and color rather than an exact replica. I have 4 different color hares ear I throw, 5 variations on caddis, 2 or 3 stonefly nymphs, and 4 hex variations, 3 different pheasant tails, and countless variations of prince nymphs. I try to vary from the same old standard nymphs that fish see day in and day out. Try using some ice dubbing, add some rubber legs, and have flasbacks as well (I tie the majority of my nymphs with flash backs).

4th, have confidence in what you are throwing. I know it sounds stupid but it does wonders for your concentration, and will help you make better presentations.


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## rcleofly (Feb 18, 2012)

I believe in having confidence in your fly is the most important part of catching fish. Swaprat said that to me when I very first started tying and fishing. I can honestly say with me that has been the best advice I've ever received. 
Thanks for all the tips guys. It means a lot to me that we can still give advice, help and learn on here. Even though most topics turn into a debate these days.

Jack


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Black stone fly. Worthless on steelhead for me. Hex nymphs are much better, as are eggs. Confidence is key though.


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## swaprat (Oct 1, 2011)

confidence is not the only thing i go for when fly fishing. it is matching the hatch to a "t" and timing the hatch and runs helps greatly. the most important is confidence in your flies you tie that you matched the hatch properly if you did not match the hatch of bugs or time them right your met with defeat. by not catching fish there is a trout video by scientific anglers about trout fishing in the video they cover the stretches of river in great detail like nymphing when to nymph if your not seeing a fish rise and leave a bubble from their gill plate "taking dries" there taking sub surface flies like nymphs/emergers like if they seem to be rising but no bubble they are sipping emergers . now if they are sitting on the bottom moving side to side taking nymph is what there doing. so watch for signs etc... but the key is confidence in you matching the right fly to the right type of fishing etc....


the only flies i have had a problem fishing and catching with are flies some one has suggested to me to try because there fishing them and so are others. usually any thing but what is suggest works best. so stay away from what every one else is using always helped me. best of luck guys hope this info helps


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## rvrwader (Jan 29, 2012)

I still have not caught a fish on a hares ear.. I will keep trying though. I know once I finally catch a fish on one I will catch several others after that.. or at least I hope so.


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## steelie (Sep 20, 2000)

rvrwader said:


> I still have not caught a fish on a hares ear.. I will keep trying though. I know once I finally catch a fish on one I will catch several others after that.. or at least I hope so.


Good Day,

If I may ask a question and profer a suggestion... First of all, are you tying the "Traditional" hare's ear? And a suggestion... I have found over the years that for whatever reason (and there are many) certain flies and or color combinations thereof work better on some water rather than other water. With that said, try to mix it up a bit at the vise until you find a hybrid of the venerable hare's ear that works better for you. Maybe add a few pheasant tail fibers for legs. Use peacock for the thorax. Perhaps a flash back wing case. Try som UV reflective materials and so forth. Who knows, you might just come up with your very own new favorite pattern! ;-)

Steelie


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