How to determine what materials to buy

[ConnorR]

Hey everyone,

Just had success tying some basic wooly buggers and quite a few saltwater flies (Few variations of deceivers, clousers, and some epoxy patterns) and would like to move on to a few dry flies and nymphs. How do you determine what materials to buy? Do you simply select a few patterns you'd like to tie and go out to buy those materials? Or do you buy patterns and just tie the ones that work? Any materials that are pretty generic and you use all the time?

The problem I have right now is that I'd like to tie a few patterns to try to fish them but would hate to never catch a fish on these flies and have no use for the materials. Is that often the case? The costs certainly do add up and I'm just looking to try tying a few more patterns. Is there a list of flies that one should always have in their box that are almost neccessary to tie?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get a good into to tying.

[Flyfish99]

You would certainly want to have Gold Ribbed Hare's Ears and Pheasant Tail Nymphs in sizes 12 to 16. Other productive nymphs are #12 and #14 Prince, and Copper Johns in sizes 12 to 16. Also, a caddis imitation such as LaFontaine's Deep Sparkle Pupa would be useful. And don't hesitate to fish your Wooly Buggers dead drift, as you would fish a nymph.

Dries: Definitely Elk Hair Caddis in sizes 12 to 18, Adams, both standard and parachute styles, again 12 to 18. Blue Wing Olive from 16 to as small as you can tie would be useful. Also a stonefly/attractor pattern such as the Stimulator. That should cover you in most situations. As you fish, make a note of any hatches you see, and tie flies to imitate them.

[ConnorR]

That's just what I'm looking for, thank you. Any other streamers that would be useful in fresh water ponds & lakes?

[overmywaders]

The Elk Hair Caddis is also good with grizzly hackle palmered rather than the brown. Since you need grizzly for the Adams, you should have some.

Streamers like the Black Ghost and Marabou Black Ghost are good both in rivers and stillwater. Muddlers in small sizes are great. They can be fished dry and retrieved wet, letting them bob back to the surface. Muddlers make good grasshopper and stonefly imitations - as does the Stimulator. Use your Elk hair for the head and collar.

[TGIF]

Start small and buy only the things that you need for each pattern. Tie that pattern until you've mastered it, because each pattern will have a series of skills that will help you down the line.

Let me repeat, start slow,or else you'll have a very expensive pile of stuff that you don't need.

TGIF

[overmywaders]

What TGIF said.

Also, and I mean no harm to fly shops, either local or online, there are cheap ways to get materials. For example, since wearing of fur is no longer PC, antique shops have mink, raccoon, muskrat, etc., stoles, collars, and muffs for just a few dollars. Also look for old hats with good feathers.

Craft stores often have cheap colorful feathers and chenilles. Yarn shops have cheap wool yarns.

Roadkills usually are not worth collecting because of the spread of rabies in recent years - it isn't worth the risk. Turkeys killed on the road may have some good quills. Duck hunting friends should all be advised to bag the feathers they pluck.

And so it goes. Soon your dog will develop a noticeable bald spot, you'll notice that your daughter's hair would be perfect for a Wright's Royal, the neighborhood cats will start avoiding your house... Welcome.

[Banks10]

What TGIF said.

And so it goes. Soon your dog will develop a noticeable bald spot, you'll notice that your daughter's hair would be perfect for a Wright's Royal, the neighborhood cats will start avoiding your house... Welcome.

My Black Lab Caddis is deadly!

[GOLDNDEMON]

You mention wanting to tye dry flies. The biggest expense there is the quality dry fly hackle. If you shop you will find what is known as dry dly patches which are just a small section of the dry fly cape. They are graded by size an example being that you can get a patch for flies size 14 and 16 or 10 to 12. The whole cape has the entire range of sizes and lots of feathers where the patch will tye maybe a couple dozen. After the hackle and hooks the rest is relitivly inexpensive. I don't want to spam here but PM me, I can help with some of the materials you may need.

[Banks10]

Yes, hackle becomes very expensive which is why I rarely tie flies with hackle anymore. For the most part I can get by with cheaper materials like cdc or other creative means. With the price of hooks these days it is almost cheaper to just buy flies!

[natefish]

Learn how to tie compara dun's, more effective than traditional dries and much easier and cheaper to tie. Just a deer hair fanned wing, find dear hair that is light so you can see the fly in the water.

[Banks10]

Excellent choice Nate. I also like tying CDC Caddis and Usuals which could be the easiest and cheapest dries to tie.

[GOLDNDEMON]

I like compraduns as well but I tye the Haystack which I think of as a redneck comparadun. Sparkle duns are basicly the same also and they work. I fish more emergers than in the past and hackle is rarely needed there either.

[Stonewall]

I agree the hackle is really getting out of sight, price-wise. I bought some as a gift for a nephew a year ago and was able to buy two half necks in one package. Not sure of the brand but the quality was terrific. I got him a grizzly and a brown. He's been tying a large variety of hackle flies, in many sizes, using those two colors. It was a versatile and economical way to get him started.

[overmywaders]

The Cooper Bug, immortalized by H.G. "Tap" Tappley, is a killer pattern. It only requires deer hair (or elk) and peacock herl. Fish it dry, wet, as a caddis, as a wet fly...

http://www.midcurrent.com/images/tapply_cooper.jpg

Hook: Standard dry-fly hook, sizes 12 through 20.
Thread: Black 6/0.
Body: Peacock herl.
Tail, Shell and Head: Natural deer hair, tied down front and back and clipped.

(from an article by Taps son, Bill)
http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/flies/tapply_newenglandflies.aspx