Out of ideas... what to tie?

[ShortsideK]

Normally during the winter months I tie a bunch of assorted trout flies (that I mostly never use).
Last open water season I was handing out many flies to other guys to help them out and just so I'd have a reason to tie some more.
This winter I've tied very few cuz there doesn't seem to be any patterns that are interesting that I haven't already tied a million of. I know this is impossible, but I can't even bring myself to search the web for something new.
Looking for advice.

The last few of winters I've done all the standard stuff:

many, many assorted nymphs
soft hackles
micro leeches
balanced leeches
unbalanced leeches
a billion chironomids
matukas
minnows
emergers
enough dry flies to choke a horse
boobies
blobs
boatmen, backswimmers
tons of pike flies
streamers

Big and small, I've tied them all. Hahaha!
Any ideas would be appreciated. Bored.

[professori]

How about:
1. Steelhead and salmon flies e.g. Intruders, Popsicles, etc
2. Join some fly swaps and let them dictate what you are tying.http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showforum=24
3. Select a fly and tie up all the variations on that fly that you can find or imagine. e.g. Royal Coachman: Hairwing, fan wing, royal stimulator, coachman nymph, Coachman streamer, matuka coachman, para coachman, the list goes on.
4. Make a shadow box presentation as a gift.
5. Give all your tying tools and supplies to a school fly fishing club. Better yet, find a school fly fishing club and volunteer your time to help instruct novice fly tyers.
6. Learn to crochet.

[thumper]

I'm in the same position - I've tied far too many flies that I'll never use!

What I've found has helped is tying for specific lakes / rivers that I plan on fishing. Using past experience, plus gleaning information from fly fishing forums, articles and TV shows (like Sportfishing on the Fly), I'll fill a small fly box with flies specific to the water I'm going to be fishing - even to the time of year. This often means a lot of overlap - tying multiple flies of the same pattern to carry in multiple fly boxes, along with more unique flies, just for that waterbody. I even jot down presentation - depth/type of retrieve etc., to go with that fly box. I even have some reels spooled with line/leader for a specific application in a specific, favourite waterbody.

Not only does this focus my tying down to flies I'll actually use, but it means that I won't be overwhelmed by a myriad of choices in a jumble of fly boxes when I'm at a destination - I'll only need to take out the box that I have labelled for that unique waterbody. In addition to flys from experience or tips, I generally have a couple of new fly patterns that I've tied specifically to experiment with on that body of water. (That's how I first got turned on to boobies !)

The downside, if you fish a lot of various waters, is that you end up with a lot of different fly boxes. But hey, if you've got all the fly tying tools and materials already, and the time and interest - why not?

[ShortsideK]

... overwhelmed by a myriad of choices in a jumble of fly boxes when I'm at a destination

I never knew that there was any other way to fish!

[Lornce]

One of these

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by Lornce

One of these

Reminds me of one of Mr. Flyguy's boxes.

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by Lornce

One of these

lots of good stuff there. Nicely tied.
I might make up a similar "stew pot of flies" so that when I'm fishing and someone asks for a fly that I'm using I'll tell them, "It's right in there" and hand them the container.

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by professori

How about:
1. Steelhead and salmon flies e.g. Intruders, Popsicles, etc
2. Join some fly swaps and let them dictate what you are tying.http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showforum=24
3. Select a fly and tie up all the variations on that fly that you can find or imagine. e.g. Royal Coachman: Hairwing, fan wing, royal stimulator, coachman nymph, Coachman streamer, matuka coachman, para coachman, the list goes on.
4. Make a shadow box presentation as a gift.
5. Give all your tying tools and supplies to a school fly fishing club. Better yet, find a school fly fishing club and volunteer your time to help instruct novice fly tyers.
6. Learn to crochet.

Numbers 3 and 5 are good ideas. I'll look into those. Thanx.
Fly swaps just don't do it for me.
No use/desire to tie salmon flies (although I think they are beautiful).
#6 Who says I don't already do it, and do it well?

[Mr Flyguy]

Originally Posted by ShortsideK

Numbers 3 and 5 are good ideas. I'll look into those. Thanx.
Fly swaps just don't do it for me.
No use/desire to tie salmon flies (although I think they are beautiful).
#6 Who says I don't already do it, and do it well?

Re #6: Thanks for the tea cozy Kenny. Can you do some place mats next please.

[scel]

Originally Posted by ShortsideK

Numbers 3 and 5 are good ideas. I'll look into those. Thanx.
Fly swaps just don't do it for me.
No use/desire to tie salmon flies (although I think they are beautiful).
#6 Who says I don't already do it, and do it well?

I only tie flies that will spend time in the water. These are serious recommendations.

The 'micro' versions of west-coast steelhead flies can be absolutely deadly on Alberta waters. A classic intruder really benefits from swinging to bring it alive, but the composite loop micro intruders (using standard hook, not a dangling one) can be used anywhere, including bass. Micro composite loop intruders and morrish medusa patterns are my 2 go-to daytime streamer patterns on the Bow. Intruder-styled egg-sucking leeches are a favourite of mine when fishing for the rainbows following spawning salmon.

For night-time hunting it is all about big meat. The Kelly Galloup articulated flies are my first choices. They will also work during the day, but the fish have to be in the right mood. A black sex dungeon brought 90% of my big fish last season. They are awesome and they take me 35-40 minutes to tie one, so it is a great way to just spend time at the vice without producing flies that will not see time on the water.

[ShortsideK]

Poppers are a good idea. Haven't tied any of those, although I've never fished them either.
Also, will look into the suggestions from Smokey buck and scel.
Thanks.

[Don Andersen]

Originally Posted by ShortsideK

Poppers are a good idea. Haven't tied any of those, although I've never fished them either.
Also, will look into the suggestions from Smokey buck and scel.
Thanks.

Pike like poppers.

Don

[stob]

texas midge on a 3/0 hook

[ShortsideK]

Originally Posted by stob

texas midge on a 3/0 hook

I already tie most of my chironomids and nymphs on 2/0 hooks. Maybe bigger is the answer. Good idea.

[Lornce]

How about some small extended body Mayfies for those picky Browns.

[Dubious]

double bunnies and clouser minnows. bully season isn't far off now

[Engels]

Look up and tie some Egan red darts, iron lotus, thread frenchies and rainbow warriors!


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[wildbill]

In some of the other parts of the world, there’s some good patterns, maybe Czech out what some of the previous world champs are usin............

[denniss13]

How about tying all of Bergmans flies in his edition of Trout try using original materials.
Can be interesting project. Northern Lights did tinplate # 1 several yr. ago. Fun finding the right materials.

Also myself have been experimenting with Charles Krafts Kreelex minnow.

Tight Lines Always
Dennis S

[Drewski Canuck]

Early season a water boatman pattern for trout in shallow water after the ice is off.

Also, some Dragon Fly Nymph patterns.

Drewski

[Groundhogger]

I look at the off-season as a chance to practice techniques that make the flies better. For example, setting biot wings/tails on a prince nymph without a ton of thread.

As for patterns.. I live in Ontario, and have fly fished for trout here maybe 25+ years. When fishing in SW Alberta, I've found that allot of the smaller, low-riding emerger-type flies really perform well. In fact, I waited out a guy one night who was fishing for rising cutthroat with a massive foam thing. He was in a run I wanted to try before heading home, and I could see fish taking what looked like PMD emergers. No takers for him, so he reeled in and left. I found a CDC-winged, biot-body PMD in my fly box and using my nippers...cut the wing down about 2/3. First cast, a hefy cutty...and until dark, I spent more time landing fish than hooking the next one.

I'm a huge proponent of emergers, and looking for the signs of fish taking them. As such, flies like sparkle pupas are deadly and versatile. Even pond-fishing for stocked trout, a SP is one fly fish just can't seem to resist. lol Even if they don't take it dead-drift, impart a little action and/or swing at the end and hold on! Not the domain of 5X/6X tippet~the hits can be hard.

I tie another fly that works well as an attractor, an over-sized Griffith's Gnat with a copper bead head. Tied on a dry fly hook in size #16 with a few wraps of fine lead wire behind the bead to secure it.