Open Box

[luney]

We’re all guilty of having far to many flies in our boxes.
Be lucky if 5% of them get used lol.
As the season progresses I can’t find half of the flies I want to use or forget which ones I have?

Not just me then??

 

[billy67]

Thanks luney I was just worried that some people might be selling flys and so wouldn't want me giving some away for free
Not every forum is as freindly as this one

 

[billy67]

stoatstail I will do your small ones tonight and hopefully get everybodys posted at the weekend
Glad you like them

 

[haptonlad]

Some of them look very familiar Paul ???

Uncle Joe’s?

 

[haptonlad]

stoatstail I will do your small ones tonight and hopefully get everybodys posted at the weekend
Glad you like them

I agree with others, a very kind gesture of you Billy?
I have too many if I’m hones…
I carry about 3 big boxes full when I’m out at night & I’m lucky if I make half a dozen changes throughout I night session, only going up or down in size & occasionally onto a surface lure in the end.

 

[billy67]

Thanks haptonlad
I was the same when I fished I had box after box of flys but nine times out of ten I would resort to a few tried and trusted patterns
although I had different favorites for different rivers
Strange thing our little habits

 

[T7]

Also interesting that successful flies change over the years. I have patterns in my box that used to be absolute bankers for me but now can’t catch a cold. No idea why that could be - just confidence maybe but I have caught on new flies that I’ve been fishing just to try them out having previously never caught anything on them, so it’s a strange one.
Changing river or sea diet over the years maybe?

 

[elwyman]

Also interesting that successful flies change over the years. I have patterns in my box that used to be absolute bankers for me but now can’t catch a cold. No idea why that could be - just confidence maybe but I have caught on new flies that I’ve been fishing just to try them out having previously never caught anything on them, so it’s a strange one.
Changing river or sea diet over the years maybe?

Even more true with stillwater trout fishing, or so I have discovered after venturing out a bit more in the last couple of years.
The old favourites from the 70s and 80s have been replaced with Snakes, Blobs, Eggs, Squirmy Worms, Zonkers, Comorants etc etc. My Brenig lure box is overflowing with Marabou and Fritz nowadays.
Thankfully the good old Diawl Bach and Hopper flies still work.

 

[lewiswearfisher]

Cracking flees them beautifully tied, nice gesture ??

 

[billy67]

Also interesting that successful flies change over the years. I have patterns in my box that used to be absolute bankers for me but now can’t catch a cold. No idea why that could be - just confidence maybe but I have caught on new flies that I’ve been fishing just to try them out having previously never caught anything on them, so it’s a strange one.
Changing river or sea diet over the years maybe?

T7 its also very true of salmon flies . In the 80s it was all stoats tails and irish shrimps then come the 90s it was all Allys and cascades
now the flys I'm most often asked for are Calvins and The Tronach not that I've ever fished either although I'm sure all those flys would still catch
there share of fish
On a side note the Curries Red was a deadly day time sea trout fly for me and my freinds and also had the bonus of being a great salmon fly
does any one else use anything like that for day time sea trout .
Just curious

 

[billy67]

Thanks Lgraydonflyfishing I'm just wanting the guys that have took me up on the offer to catch a few fish and that will make me more than happy
Its nice to be nice

 

[lewiswearfisher]

Thanks Lgraydonflyfishing I'm just wanting the guys that have took me up on the offer to catch a few fish and that will make me more than happy
Its nice to be nice

Agreed ??

 

[billy67]

Stoatstail could you please pm me your adress so that I can post your flys
Thanks billy67

 

[Andy62]

Here's one box, the bigger and ,surface lures are in another box, I'm going to have a thinning out, honestly..
You might recognise some of your own work amongst this lot!

 

[sewinwrestler]

I agree with others, a very kind gesture of you Billy?
I have too many if I’m hones…
I carry about 3 big boxes full when I’m out at night & I’m lucky if I make half a dozen changes throughout I night session, only going up or down in size & occasionally onto a surface lure in the end.

I find that I use fewer patterns as seasons go on, but I fish increased different sizes and weights. I have been de-barbing my hooks since 2010. I take a small selection of flies in two boxes to the river. In the attached images are a selection of my flies, 90% of my total sea trout catch have been on large turkey marabou and flashabou steamers, but these days I fish the long grizzle feathered streamers with a debarbed circle hook attached. None of my flies are standard, but each pattern has a separate function for each pool or riffle at night.