FLYS For Rainbows

Post by **mattdbz29** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:39 pm

Hey guys... fairly new to fly fishing... an rainbow fishing... have a bunch of sweet spots scoped out... have my fenwick 6wt hmx with floating line on cortland reel. now i have a pile of old flys some new... but i dont really know whats good for rainbows or what each individual fly is called...?! if i posted a pic could someone pic out a few flys that i could possibly use for bows???

Post by **bigpikemike** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:07 am

i am a hacker fly fisherman at best but egg sucking leach works

Post by **Hookup** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:19 am

I think that this is likely a more complicated question that you realize. Matching the hatch is the way to go, but you'll have to find out what you are trying to match...

Until then, I'd start with a few streamer patterns, and some leach patterns.

Streamers -
Black Nose Dais
Mickey Fin
Muddler Minnow

Leech Patterns -
Woolly Buggers - Blacks and Olives
Egg Sucking Leaches
Olive Matuka (sp) would be some what of a cross between both a minnow and a leach

I'd get a few in sizes 4, 8 and 12 and head out. Most of those are easy to tie for a beginner, the Muddler Minnow being the hardest of the bunch, but youtube and many other sites have excellent walk-thru's on how to tie each of those patterns if that tickles your fancy. (note all I did for the links above was type in "How do tie a <pattern>" into google.com and look thru some of the page-1 links..)

Most of the bite will be sub-surface, given those are all sub-surface flies... on their own they should sink but to get them down deep you'll need a sinking tip line or a full sink line depending on how deep you want to fish. On your existing floating line, you can attach a sinking leader to help if you do not want to endur the cost of a spool and new line.

If you are targeting surface strikes for Rainbows, you'll need to find out exactly what they are taking from the surface, i.e. what is hatching, and use a pattern that approximates that particular hatch...

There are many FH'ers on this board who know way, way more that I do about targeting these fish on the fly and hopefully they will chime in if I have said anything that is missleading or incorrect.

Post by **mattdbz29** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:43 am

sweet i already have most of those flys , an some in a few sizes... ive got all my grandfathers old flys.. an some of my dadss

Post by **Todd B.** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:14 am

You can also purchase sink tip extensions that can be added to your floating line (loop-to-loop) connectors, from which you can use your regular leaders or straight mono/fluro.

Post by **steve2112** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:10 pm

Hi

Sinking tip on floating line is a great idea. Learn how to figure eight retrieve and you will kill the rainbows on leach and minnow patterns. Another good way to fish leach patterns is with a strike indicator and floating line. Cast out and let the leach fall...Do not touch your line and wait. This is particularily deadly when there is a slight chop.

For dry flies - Elk hair caddis matches alot of hatches and is a very good, as well as, stimulators. I have also had lots of luck with coachmen. This fish equally well wet or dry.

Cheers,
Steve