Suggest Me Some Patterns

[Steve Walker]

It's now almost a month since I bought my tying equipment. I am deliberately not thinking about what I have spent but have now tied most of the flies that I use regularly and a few that I anticipate using. I've at least tried most of the techniques I want to learn, though most of them need a lot more practice. I've tied quite a few little black dries for my small stream brownies in the spring - I think they will catch me fish, although the paired wings on my black gnats are awful. I like tying buzzers, and although they are a fly I use a lot, I probably now have enough to last me a while.

Here are some of the kind of thing I've been tying - I've tied some GRHEs too, but the good ones I can't tell from the bought ones, and the bad ones I'm not going to publish pictures of






I fancy a crack at something new tonight - I'm thinking of maybe fishing a stillwater over the weekend, probably with diawl bachs and buzzers rather than lures, so something to try out with a team of those might be interesting? Links to a SBS would be nice... Otherwise, anything really, but preferably, something I can tie with what I have in:


small dyed cock hackles (assorted colours)
small dyed cock hackles (black)
cock pheasant tail feathers
olive saddle hackle (mostly a bit big for the kind of small dry I wanted it for)
brown saddle hackle
ginger saddle hackle
medium bronze mallard wing feathers
peacock herl
blue dun CDC
yellow CDC
peach marabou
olive marabou


a hare's mask which should probably only be used where my wife won't see it
dubbing in these colours:



pink scud spectrablend

black silk floss
red and orange stretch floss

some strange scrunchy black synthetic wool I impulse bought because it was very cheap

silver and gold beads

Scud shellback
glue sticks in a range of colours

lead wire
copper wire
gold coloured wire
silver coloured wire

fine flat red tinsel
fine flat green tinsel
fine flat pearlescent tinsel
sparkly silver braided thread

black, olive, red whipping thread


Any ideas?

[g bigtrout]

I wont say what you need.....my idea of fishing and tying flies is some what different....i only tie different flies to what i see when i am out..not before.

[flyinghigh]

Try this website

The Step by Step Fly Tying Resource

Just go to material search and input the material name and it will suggest patterns.
Also I find it has a good comprehensive selection of patterns.

[steve101]

How about some f-flies Steve. Simple to tie and very effective.

[Steve Walker]

Thanks flyinghigh, that's a useful system.

Originally Posted by g bigtrout

I wont say what you need.....my idea of fishing and tying flies is some what different....i only tie different flies to what i see when i am out..not before.

A fair point, but to be honest I've taken up fly tying because I enjoy it. Otherwise I'd have kept my money in my pocket and spent peanuts on a few dozen each of the handful of generic flies that catch 90% of the fish

Besides, it's bloody freezing out there, and I'm not paying through the nose to sit tying flies by the side of a February gravel pit.

[Scotty Mitchell]

Try the olive lure youv tied already using your peach marabu, will be deadly on its day

[g bigtrout]

Originally Posted by Steve Walker

Thanks flyinghigh, that's a useful system.



A fair point, but to be honest I've taken up fly tying because I enjoy it. Otherwise I'd have kept my money in my pocket and spent peanuts on a few dozen each of the handful of generic flies that catch 90% of the fish

Besides, it's bloody freezing out there, and I'm not paying through the nose to sit tying flies by the side of a February gravel pit.

Well i still enjoy tying...and i am only at it 30yrs or so.

[Fishing Junkie]

Pheasant tail, Hackle and a pinch of dubbing will create a hot spot cruncher that will fish nicely along side a buzzer and DB.

[Steve Walker]

Thanks chaps! (although my cruncher and f-fly being so bad as to be unrecognisable is a bit depressing... I think time for a )

[preferwildfish]

How about some mixed pheasant tails with orange or green thorax?
The Viva is an easy one and works well.
Ken