Beginner flies for down south?

[bryan_w 0]

This is my first post. I received my fly tying kit and played with it a little but have not tied my first fly yet. I finally figured out how to correctly whip finish so I feel like I am now ready to try my first fly. I fish mostly for bass, bream and crappie in Northern Alabama. What would you suggest I start out with? Thanks for the help.

 

Bryan

 

[Peterjay 0]

Woolly buggers will work for anything, anywhere. They're also easy to tie and will teach you a couple of basic techniques. There are probably a zillion instructional articles and videos on the web. Just stick to basic patterns for a while - it doesn't pay to get ahead of yourself with more complicated stuff. Learn the basics and take it slow; otherwise you're apt to get frustrated. BTW - a simple bluegill fly that works is a nymph that's merely a chenille-wrapped hook. Half black and half white. I caught a ton of bluegills on it when I was learning to fly fish.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Woolly buggers will work for anything, anywhere. They're also easy to tie and will teach you a couple of basic techniques. There are probably a zillion instructional articles and videos on the web. Just stick to basic patterns for a while - it doesn't pay to get ahead of yourself with more complicated stuff. Learn the basics and take it slow; otherwise you're apt to get frustrated.

I second that!

 

BTW - a simple bluegill fly that works is a nymph that's merely a chenille-wrapped hook. Half black and half white. I caught a ton of bluegills on it when I was learning to fly fish.

Peter, he hasn't even tied a fly yet. He needs to tie for a few months before he should be privy to such top secret information!

 

Kirk

[SCOwens 0]

The PJ top secret black and white ....

[Roofish 0]

I started with Wooley Buggers, Clousers & Poppers pretty & YouTube realy helped guide me through them

[ditz2 0]

I live just a few miles north of you in southern TN. For Bream look up some soft hackles ties on google. They are simple and they work well when you need a fly that will sink slowly. Any type of soft feather will work for the hackle and some only require a hook, thread, and hackle...... When it warms up get some yellow 2mm craft foam at your local craft store and tie up a dozen spiders. I use black legs but I doubt it makes any difference about the color. A #10 aberdeen hook will work great and if you get it hung in a tree you can pull it loose by straightening the hook and then just straighten it with your plier and keep on fishin. This will work on creeks and ponds. It is much harder to write the instructions than to tie.

 

1 Yellow 2mm craft foam
2 cut a 1/8" wide strip 8" long
3 on a #10 ring eye hook start red or black thread behind hook eye and wrap to hook barb
4 tie in foam strip as indicated on above 'bug'
5 wind thread back to just behind hook eye
6 put light coat of super glue on full length of windings
7 pull foam strip down to lay on top of hook shank
8 tightly wind thread around foam( 3 wraps are enough )
9 pull rubber legs under hanging thread on both sides of body
10 2 more light wraps to secure legs
11 super glue on hanging thread starting at body and then down 1"
12 lightly wrap glue covered thread over the other leg wraps. Wait 30 seconds and cut thread and cut off the rest of the yellow foam strip. spider is done and will catch dozens of fish unless you loose it to a big bass or a tree. My 7 year old grand daughter ties these for bluegill. simple and effective
13 tie several more for your first fishing trip.

 

One can also make small poppers with the same foam that Is another story. If interested let me know.

[Peterjay 0]

Woolly buggers will work for anything, anywhere. They're also easy to tie and will teach you a couple of basic techniques. There are probably a zillion instructional articles and videos on the web. Just stick to basic patterns for a while - it doesn't pay to get ahead of yourself with more complicated stuff. Learn the basics and take it slow; otherwise you're apt to get frustrated.

I second that!

 

BTW - a simple bluegill fly that works is a nymph that's merely a chenille-wrapped hook. Half black and half white. I caught a ton of bluegills on it when I was learning to fly fish.

Peter, he hasn't even tied a fly yet. He needs to tie for a few months before he should be privy to such top secret information!

 

Kirk

 

Jeez, I guess I must have had a senior moment to let this kind of info get out. I'll probably be drummed out of the Farm Pond Clandestine Trespassing Association over this one.

[lykos33 0]

Well Peter than I'll invite you to join my "Chased out at Shotgun Point " club....

Murray

[Peterjay 0]

Well Peter than I'll invite you to join my "Chased out at Shotgun Point " club....

Murray

 

Murray, I'm already a lifetime member - probably in the Hall of Fame if they have one. As a matter of fact, I've set several world records in the 200-meter dash, not to mention the barbed wire fence jump. A 12 gauge shotgun shell loaded with rock salt is a great motivator.

[Markbob 0]

I hear anything in 'Bama will eat something that looks like a tiger...

[pop-n-bug 0]

Poppers would work good on bass and bream. I have fished them for years and always catch fish on them. Recently started tying foam ants and spiders made from the craft foam like dits2 was talking about. Very easy to tie. Youtube has lots of good ways to tie them. Ihave not fished with any of my foam creations yet but I am hoping to soon.

 

I see you are from Ft. Payne. What can you tell me about Little River Canyon?

[ditz2 0]

PJ....So you are the one that my step father was always chasing out of his pond. How does that rock salt feel?

[bryan_w 0]

Poppers would work good on bass and bream. I have fished them for years and always catch fish on them. Recently started tying foam ants and spiders made from the craft foam like dits2 was talking about. Very easy to tie. Youtube has lots of good ways to tie them. Ihave not fished with any of my foam creations yet but I am hoping to soon.

 

I see you are from Ft. Payne. What can you tell me about Little River Canyon?

 

I Live about a half mile from the Little River Canyon bridge right next to the falls. I have caught small bass and bream on poppers wading a few feet from underneath the bridge. There are some really deep pools there ( 6 feet or more) and I can't wait for it to warm up a little so I can try some streamers a little deeper. Beautiful area but can be tough to fish with the water moving pretty fast.

[bryan_w 0]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I will post some pictures of my first flies shortly.

[pop-n-bug 0]

Thanks for the info on Little River Canyon, Bryan. Found it on the net a while back. I come through Ft. Payne a couple of times a year and was thinking about slinging a few flies nest time I come through. Be careful. Fly tying is ADDICTIVE!