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The 25 Greatest Flies of All Time
The 25 Greatest Flies of All Time
Style: Streamer
The Skinny: This lead-eyed bucktail is the world’s best pattern because it looks and acts like a small jig when stripped through the water. Its prime color combination is chartreuse over white, and it works on everything from trout and bass to stripers and redfish, in sizes 2/0 down to 10. The best retrieve is fast. It’s also the only pattern name to have become a verb. To “Clouser” your rod means to hit and probably crack your tip with the weighted fly because of your sloppy casting.
Photo by Travis Rathbone
Additional Info
No one fly catches all the fish all the time. That’s a fact of flyfishing, and it’s why there are thousands of different patterns. Fish, ever whimsical, sometimes refuse to eat on Friday the fly they ate on Tuesday. Fishermen, ever inventive, constantly create new patterns to compensate. Despite this, some standard patterns have evolved. Tested by time, water, and fish, these are the flies that work more often than not. Most are trout flies because the majority of flyfishermen target trout. That’s why my top 20 list leans in that direction. Compiling a top-flies list invites argument, I know. Meet me at fieldandstream.com to join the fray. -- John Merwin
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Photo Gallery Comments (13)
good job you guys! that was great now we can rank our flies! Thanks! I have a lot of those trout flies so now I know I'm on the right track! Sweet!
I see little agruement here. I think the Golden Stone and the simple white popper could make the list but what would they replace?
I might replace the Copper John with the basic Pheasant Tail nymph but I think that would be splitting hairs.
I prefer the Sucker Spawn over the Egg Fly. I've caught everything from steelhead to bass to saugeye on Sucker Spawn when my Egg Fly only seems to catch steelhead.
OH. Wait a second. Where's the crayfish pattern? Any respectable fly box has gotta have a crayfish pattern.
how did you find out that they were the BEST flys?
Great list! I would have a few personal additions, but this list is pretty darn good... Nice job guys!
buck hunter 17:
That's a perfectly reasonable question. "Best" is always a matter of opinion, of course. In my case, based on experience. I got my first fly rod 58 years ago this month and have been waving one around ever since....
Glad to see the Dave's hopper, my personal favorite for western trout.
I truly believe I have caught trout for almost thirty years in and around Yellowstone Park using the wooly booger in black or olive. It works most of the time in most conditions. I do like the yellow bead head version best.
Interesting post. Lots of great flies. I just wish F&S would make these posts printable. I realize you do have a print button but it doesn't print out the photos large enough to see nor does it print out the comments on each fly.
Please consider this on future articles. Thanks for listening.
Jack
Bullseye! Every time I thought Wait what about such and such bamn there it was RS2,Soft Hackle,Hares Ear etc.
dehavenphoto:
Sorry, but I just gotta say this:
If you subscribed to our print edition for a measly 12 bucks, you'd have a hard copy in living color! Glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for writing!
I would add the patterns that don't overlap to Trout Unlimited's Bakers dozen.
Thrilled to see my absolute favorite fly finally made someone elses list, the Griffiths Gnat!! I think this list is a darn good one. But, here's my 2 cents; because they always seem to be around, I would put the Blue Winged Olive in the top 10. Good list, good fun!
where is the poper
Post a Comment
good job you guys! that was great now we can rank our flies! Thanks! I have a lot of those trout flies so now I know I'm on the right track! Sweet!
I see little agruement here. I think the Golden Stone and the simple white popper could make the list but what would they replace?
I might replace the Copper John with the basic Pheasant Tail nymph but I think that would be splitting hairs.
I prefer the Sucker Spawn over the Egg Fly. I've caught everything from steelhead to bass to saugeye on Sucker Spawn when my Egg Fly only seems to catch steelhead.
OH. Wait a second. Where's the crayfish pattern? Any respectable fly box has gotta have a crayfish pattern.
Thrilled to see my absolute favorite fly finally made someone elses list, the Griffiths Gnat!! I think this list is a darn good one. But, here's my 2 cents; because they always seem to be around, I would put the Blue Winged Olive in the top 10. Good list, good fun!
how did you find out that they were the BEST flys?
Great list! I would have a few personal additions, but this list is pretty darn good... Nice job guys!
buck hunter 17:
That's a perfectly reasonable question. "Best" is always a matter of opinion, of course. In my case, based on experience. I got my first fly rod 58 years ago this month and have been waving one around ever since....
Glad to see the Dave's hopper, my personal favorite for western trout.
I truly believe I have caught trout for almost thirty years in and around Yellowstone Park using the wooly booger in black or olive. It works most of the time in most conditions. I do like the yellow bead head version best.
Interesting post. Lots of great flies. I just wish F&S would make these posts printable. I realize you do have a print button but it doesn't print out the photos large enough to see nor does it print out the comments on each fly.
Please consider this on future articles. Thanks for listening.
Jack
Bullseye! Every time I thought Wait what about such and such bamn there it was RS2,Soft Hackle,Hares Ear etc.
dehavenphoto:
Sorry, but I just gotta say this:
If you subscribed to our print edition for a measly 12 bucks, you'd have a hard copy in living color! Glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for writing!
I would add the patterns that don't overlap to Trout Unlimited's Bakers dozen.
where is the poper
Post a Comment