Simplest Fly?

[Preach 0]

Ok folks,

 

My son and I have been brainstorming over the simplest fly we can tie. By simple I mean, the least materials used for a functional and fishable fly. Something easy to and quick to tie.

 

What's the simplest fly you tie or know of?

[rockworm 0]

Midge larva: Just thread on a small heavy hook.

[Preach 0]

Midge larva: Just thread on a small heavy hook.

You have a pic?

[JoeBillingsley 0]

Hard to come up with anything simpler than the midge larva. The Teeny Nymph adds only one more material. To keep from having to guess about the length of the pheasant tail fibers, sometimes I tie it backwards and tie off at the back of the fly.....or tie in a ribbing and wind the pheasant tail back and catch it with the rib like hackling an Elk Hair Caddis. But that adds another material. You could tie the pheasant in at the front, take the thread back to the back, wrap the pheasant back, catch it and rib with the thread back to the front and tie off. Eliminates the wire rib.

 

 

Joe

[Preach 0]

Hard to come up with anything simpler than the midge larva. The Teeny Nymph adds only one more material. To keep from having to guess about the length of the pheasant tail fibers, sometimes I tie it backwards and tie off at the back of the fly.....or tie in a ribbing and wind the pheasant tail back and catch it with the rib like hackling an Elk Hair Caddis. But that adds another material. You could tie the pheasant in at the front, take the thread back to the back, wrap the pheasant back, catch it and rib with the thread back to the front and tie off. Eliminates the wire rib.

 

 

Joe

 

Nice! That is for sure a simple tie.

[Preach 0]

I was fishing in CO and catching nothing while an older gent near me was wearing them out. I slipped over to ask what he was throwing and he chuckled and said, "The 'Stupid' fly." He showed me a midge hook wrapped with peacock hurl and nothing else. Simple!

[JohnP 0]

In his book "What Trout Want," Bob Wyatt mentions a fly called the "hank of hair," literally a hank of deer hair lashed to a hook. He said it was remarkably effective but never caught on because it was too simple.

[JoeBillingsley 0]

Then there is Taylor Streit's "S**t Fly". It's a Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear without the tail, rib, or wing case. He says many times he's used a GRHE that keeps catching fish after those components have been torn off by fish. So he just dubs Hare's Ear from back to front and ties off.

 

Joe

[planettrout 0]

K.I.S.S. Midge Larvae...

 

 

Micro tubing down to the bend and back, black thread (8/0 Uni, Gordon Griffith's 14/0 Sheer, Veevus 16/0 or Tiemco 16/0)

 

...or a Miracle Midge:

 

 

White thread and Lagartun x-fine copper wire...use a sharpie to make the head black...

 

 

PT/TB

[Preach 0]

K.I.S.S. Midge Larvae...

 

 

Micro tubing down to the bend and back, black thread (8/0 Uni, Gordon Griffith's 14/0 Sheer, Veevus 16/0 or Tiemco 16/0)

 

...or a Miracle Midge:

 

 

White thread and Lagartun x-fine copper wire...use a sharpie to make the head black...

 

 

PT/TB

 

Super nice! The K.I.S.S. has a nice cased caddis green.

[SilverCreek 0]

Can't get much simpler that a bare hook!

 

I've caught fish on a bare Daiichi 1273 red hook on the San Juan River.

 

 

I've also seen fish caught on a strip of chamois tied with two overhand knots to a bare hook as a San Juan Chamois Worm pattern. Like the pattern below but with the chamois strip knotted to the fly.

 

[Preach 0]

Can't get much simpler that a bare hook!

 

I've caught fish on a bare Daiichi 1273 red hook on the San Juan River.

 

 

I've also seen fish caught on a strip of chamois tied with two overhand knots to a bare hook as a San Juan Chamois Worm pattern. Like the pattern below but with the chamois strip knotted to the fly.

 

 

Whoa...now that is simple! Guess I need to round up some red hooks. Any ideas on where to get some?

[mikechell 0]

Actually, if you look for octopus hooks in the smallest sizes, they come painted in various different florescent colors. Hungry fish hit them like they're little worms.

I like a simple Brassie for a simple, quick sinking fly ... and a foam spider for the same traits in a floater.

[sandflyx 0]

Honey bug, one material

 

[planettrout 0]

Can't get much simpler that a bare hook!

 

I've caught fish on a bare Daiichi 1273 red hook on the San Juan River.

 

 

I've also seen fish caught on a strip of chamois tied with two overhand knots to a bare hook as a San Juan Chamois Worm pattern. Like the pattern below but with the chamois strip knotted to the fly.

 

 

Whoa...now that is simple! Guess I need to round up some red hooks. Any ideas on where to get some?

Most fly shops that carry Daiichi hooks can order the Daiichi 1273...this is the Gamakatsu C12-B red scud hook...which would be interesting with some clear micro tubing wrapped around it's shank:

 

 

They can be ordered directly from Gamakatsu:

 

http://www.gamakatsu.com/fishing-hooks.php?pid=1214

 

PT/TB