Meet the Key Players (streams & rivers)

A recurring theme in the fly fishing literature over the years has been the list of must have flies (the top ten, the deadly dozen, the six flies no angler should be without, etc.). Most of these fly patterns have rightfully earned their place due to the fact that they have stood the test of time, or they simply catch fish. But if you were to ask 12 different fly anglers what their 12 must have flies are – you would likely get 12 different answers. So what is the budding fly angler on a limited budget to do?

Like many anglers I also carry an assortment of my must have flies. These fly patterns are organized in a single fly box that goes with me on every river or stream excursion (I also have a similar box dedicated to lakes). This core fly selection covers most of the situations I can expect to encounter throughout the season. But rather than being based on specific fly patterns, this fly box is organized around the relative importance of each aquatic insect found in Alberta waters. Trout feeding on these bugs and life stages are encountered often enough that patterns to imitate them should be considered staples in every fly angler’s arsenal. The fly patterns in this box may change over time as I experiment with new fly tying techniques or materials, but the bugs and life stages the flies are designed to imitate do not.

Siphlonurus nymph

Here is a list of the 20 bug and life stage patterns that I never leave home without:

1.   Mayflies (Ephemeroptera)

a.   Baetis complex (BWO – Blue Winged Olives)

                                               i.    Nymph

                                             ii.    Emerger

                                           iii.    Dun

b.   Ephemerella (PMD – Pale Morning duns)

                                               i.    Nymph

                                              ii.    Emerger

                                            iii.    Dun

c.    Drunella (Green Drakes)

                                                i.    Nymph

                                              ii.    Emerger

                                            iii.    Dun

d.   Rhithrogena (March Browns)

                                                i.    Nymph

e.   Siphlonurus (Gray Drakes)

                                                i.    Nymph

2.   Caddisflies (Trichoptera)

a.   Hydropsyche (Spotted Sedge)

                                                 i.    Larva

                                               ii.    Pupa/Emerger

                                             iii.    Adult

b.   Brachycentrus

                                                 i.    Larva

                                               ii.    Pupa/Emerger

                                              iii.    Adult

c.    Rhyacophila (Green Rock Worm)

                                                 i.    Larva

3.   Stoneflies (Plecoptera)

a.   Skwala

                                                i.    Nymph

b.   Perlidae (Golden Stone complex)

                                                i.    Nymph

I have already discussed the importance of a few of these key players on my blog (e.g. Baetis Nymph and Baetis Emerger), but it would take many pages to cover the importance of all of the bugs on the list, and how to imitate them, so the details for each one will have to be presented over time. I will also lay out the contents of my lakes core fly box in the next few weeks.

 

Rhyacophila sp. (larva)

In addition to my core fly box I also carry another trip specific fly box containing patterns to match the various hatches specific to the location and time of year that I am fishing (this may include life stages for some of the insects listed above that were not included in the core list – e.g. Rhithrogena emergers, Skwala adults, Siphlonurus spinners etc.). I rotate patterns in and out of this box as needed – but the 20 core patterns go with me no matter what. If you have a fly pattern in your box to imitate each of the 20 bugs and life stages listed above you are well prepared for most moving water in Alberta.