6 flies for the season

[granters]

I was thinking about this one in work today. Last season i had far too many different patterns in my box, most of which i never touched. So my strategy this season is to limit myself to 6 different patterns. Of each pattern i'll tie up a conehead, different length tubes, and different sized doubles so i've got different styles of the same patterns to suit conditions. What would you choose if you could only have 6 patterns to last the season? I'm thinking about-

1. Willie Gunn
2. Cascade
3. Flamethrower.
4. PBP
5. ?
6. ?

Any suggestions for another 2 that you couldn't do without? Something that'll compliment the above. I'm very interested to hear what the opinion on this one is!!

[tyneandrew]

Silver stoat

Sunray shadow

[exerod]

I couldn't be without a silver stoat.

I don't think you can have too many different patterns as long as you don't spend all day looking at them trying to make up your mind what to use!

Andy

[redshrimp]

In no particular order but tied on tubes and doubles to suit conditions.

1 Cascade
2 Bann special shrimp
3 Orange and gold shrimp
4 Gold stoats tail
5 Thurso dog
6 Red G P

[granters]

I can't believe I forgot the stoats tail! The reason I want to limit the amount is so that i can concentrate on fishing. If i have 6 patterns, hopefully all bases should be covered. I'm tryng to make things as simple as possible for myself until i have more experience, i've only been salmon fishing for a year now. I experimented with things far too much last season and, although i had a hell of a lot of fun doing it, i can see now where i might have done things better. On my last trip i was flinging brass tubes into the Annan for instance, absolutely no need for it but another lesson learned. I cringe at some of the mistakes i made but that's what it's all about. So simplicity is the name of the game this season

[williegunn]

6 an awful lot of patterns
1. Willie Gunn
2. Pot Bellied Pig
3 Prawn
4 Eel.

[granters]

williegunn said:

6 an awful lot of patterns
1. Willie Gunn
2. Pot Bellied Pig
3 Prawn
4 Eel.

What's an "eel"? Never heard of this pattern.

[granters]

I've never heard them described as that before. Shows how much i know! Cheers for all the advice

[Sloggi]

I'd agree with your PBP, Flamethrower, Cascade, but not the Willie Gunn

Silver stoat is a must have

To that I'd add a Ally's Shrimp and a Medicine. The latter for grilse and sea-trout. I also agree with your addition of coneheads to these patterns.

[exerod]

Two others that might come in useful now and then.
For down here in the south a nymph of some sort. If I was up in the north of Scotland I'd swap the nymph for a yellow dolly type 'dry fly'. Having seen it used to good effect in low water when nothing else worked I like to have one up my sleeve.

Andy

[madkeen]

I would be happy with the following for the season
Red allys
Pbp
Black templedog tube
willie gunn
Silver stoat

[macd]

In no particular order

Thurso Dog
Mairi's Shrimp
NessC
Willie Gunn
Cascade
Tadpole

[fishingd0]

I would have to add the Nessc and the munro killer (dyed squirrel tail for the wing), for the two other patterns.

[say]

I see no one mentioned any Irish shrimp fly patterns, I always have a Curry's Irish shrimp fly at hand. This pattern helped me take my first fish last season and also prevented a few days from ending blank.

I think these flies are over looked by Scottish anglers and IMO have great value when fishing the slower pools.

Ness C, great looking fly, witnessed one lad land 7 one day and then 5 one day the follwoing season.

Personally this fly has not given me any success to date..!!

[robmason]

My favs are Ally Shrimp, and Silver Stoats Tail. Having said that I only wish I could score on a Garry Dog. The best combination of colours on a fly IMO.

Would be interested to know how the man himself ties Willie Gunn's?

[leo]

6 ones I am particularly keen on (both on tubes and dressed flies) are:

Silver Stoat
GBWG
PBP
Conehead Ally
Junction Shrimp
Cascade

However I enjoy carrying a box of lots of diffferent patterns. I find it adds to the fun of fishing.

[altmor]

I would think the following for my 6 :

1. Copper Cascade
2. Copper Cascade
3. Copper Cascade
4. Copper Cascade
5. Copper Cascade
6. Copper Cascade

as seen on flyswap 2. ;D ;D

More seriously :

1. Copper Cascade
2. Willie Gunn
3. Ally's Srimp (original)
4. Yellow Ally's
5. Arndilly Fancy
6. Executioner

[elwyman]

graham said:

Black, Yellow and Gold tube
Silver Ally's
Cascade
Munro's Killer
Silver Stoat
Blue Charm

I'd agree with Graham's choice - purely because he seems to catch more fish than anybody else. ;D

I might swap the BYG tube for a WG tube or a Temple Dog.

[speycaster]

mine would be
1,yellow and black tube [ early]
2,currys red shrimp
3, sliver stoat
4,cascade
5, green highlander
6,haslam or blue charm

[wilson]

For the Canadian rivers I fish mine would be

5. Picasse
6. Green Stone

Picasse has a black v-rib body with a black over yellow wing, black Spey hackle, and silver pheasant collar with cock eyes. Much like a WG but with a very durable body. It's very, very effective especially at dusk and the yellow can be replaced with many colors. Not a big fan of the stone but it's a killer on the Cascapedia where there are some very large resident stoneflies. Don't have a clue why green works though.

The UK top four are all good on this side of the pond.

-Chris