Hey All,

Big question here. What lure or fly pattern is either the most consistent producer and/or the biggest fish catcher? For myself, a very cheap and simple bead-head chironomid pupa made out of a black floss body palmered with silver wire, peacock herl, and white poly yarn for the gills. This pattern has been the most productive in lakes for myself. However, the biggest fish catcher was an olive woolly bugger. What say you all?

My two biggest last year were both caught on beadhead chronies under indicators.

One was in eastern WA and the other was up in BC. Both were 25 inch trout.

Also got two other ones over 22 inches. These were on a twinkly leech pattern I tie. These were also from eastern WA.

I tend to stalk fish so most of mine are caught on chronies. When I'm broadcast fishing, it's leeches.

For the lowland lake opener, I like going with bright color patterns, i.e., Fl Chart or Fl Pink Carey Special (black pheasant for the collar) or a Mini Clouser (same colors). Since a large majority of the planters will be in the upper layer of water, bright colors really seem to turn them on early in the morning. If the planters have acclimated, I'll go with more natural colors.
My top "big fish" producer is definitely the Carey Bugger (peacock/olive) weighted heavily.
Carey Bugger

Downriggin,
Nice link and nice fly. Looks like it could be very versatile. Do you ever put bead chain eyes on it?? What's your favorite hook size? Thanks.

Peri,

With a black version, I have used gold bead chain with decent results. Normally, I just wrap .025 lead wire. If I tie the pattern thinned down (damsels), I might slided a small gold bead down the leader. As far as hooks, I prefer TMC 200 sizes 6-10.

Downriggin'

Hey Zen. I thought that your hottest lure was power bait. HE HE He Jim

TM didn't tell you that was the name of my latest creation, did he???

No. what is it. Jim

...named it the Powerbait Special.

Good morning Zen. What does it look like. A big ball of brown fuzz on a little gold hook. Jim

Looks like a shiny beadhead chronie... that's what it does.

One more time. Color,I'm lazy and I need lots of help.

This one is red, Jim. I use a bunch of different colors for chronies. I have them in black, olive, silver, red, green, a brown v-rib, and this bright red. Other red isn't all that bright.. maybe more of a maroon. Most of my bodies are coated with nail polish for protection as they are made from flashabou.

I also play around with different colored beads for the heads. I use shiny black, dull black, silver, gold and white.

If I had to choose 1 fly or lure or bait for all the differnt types of fishing I do, it would have to be a black wooly bugger.

Works great on just about all trout, salmon, steelhead, lg/sm mouthed bass, crappie, perch, walleye, tiger muskie, and just about anything else around here. All you have to do is figure out what presentation works best for the species you are targeting. For example, kings love them dead drifted, dollies and steelhead nail them during or after the swing, and warm water fish like them stripped in at various speeds - with short to long pauses to let the fly sink a little. I've had good success with these on trout at Rocky Ford as well as the Snoqualmie forks. When the dries aren't working for me, this is my 2nd favorite option.

I've been tying them up also. But I use a little lead for weight.Just a little,I put it under the hook and wrap over it. It's just a little bulky,but not much. Also lots of colors.

And now I would just like to get out and try some of them. But I have to sit the kids this week.Spring vaction,but I will get out next week.

1. Chirony nymphs...I really like tying a "flashback" variety, with a strip or two of flashabou under the ribbing for glitter. A tie for first this time of year is a #16 parachute adams...gotta love that evening bite...
2. Ooh them wooley buggers...I'll take a dozen, please, in a variety of colors and weights, some with beadheads...
3. Gotta have a few muddlers on me--in various sizes and weights, both for swimming and skating. Vital in those lakes supporting fathead minnows!

The muskrat dubbed nymph on a size 12 with just a touch of grizzly is the most deadly fly I have ever used. The fur is dubbed after removing the guard hairs and finding the blueish dense fur. This fly is irresdesant and is especially effective o a full moon wherever there are fresh water shrimp. I used to catch large humpback bows in Herman and Pit and Quail before it became a selctive fishery for Atlantic Salmon.

Hottest Lure......Gotta be the frog colored Flatfish.

Hey Old Man: No,No,NO. File those weighted chironomids for streamfishing. The only weight you need for LAKE chironomids is the hook itself. Wrap thin bodies with just a slight taper from back to front and a peacock thorax. I like a white pearlescent seed bead head, but tie some with small gold and small tungsten beads too w/a Z-lon lung ahead of the bead. In many waters black with a white rib is good. I use white everglow ribbing from Creative Angler in Kirkland.....good stuff in murky lake waters.Tie sizes from 10 down to 18. I tie some with wingcases of matching colors from goose feather, but they get chewed up and raggedy pretty fast. You have to watch them after each fish and trim off any stray fibres. If you got black,grey,brown,and green you'll have a match for 99% of the hatches.

Harumph. I like a few turns of lead on my beadhead chirony nymphs as well, at least the ones I plan to fish deep. Just gets 'em down quicker--especially when fishing from a canoe in the wind...