Worst of the best.

[Piker20 0]

Interested to know what pattern fails for you. I reckon there will be at least one pattern that is quoted by everyone and their uncle Cleetus as being the dogs swingers but for you it stinks.

 

For me its a diawl bach.

 

From Wiki.

Meaning "little devil", the diawl bach is a popular Welsh fly pattern used in British still waters, and an appropriate lure to use when the fish are feeding on midge pupae. The dressing is simple: size 8 to 14 hook, brown thread, a few barbs of brown hackle for the tail, copper wire, a few barbs of peacock herl for the body, and tying thread for the head.

Variations include jungle cock substitute cheeks, red head, hare's ear for the body and flash materials on the back.

Fish as one of a team of three flies drawn slowly on a dry line with a long leader. A particularly effective method is to let the wind push the floating fly line around and look for a twitch in the line as indication that a fish has taken the fly. It can be effective during a midge (chironomid) hatch, and a flashy version is worth using towards the autumn as a pinfry imitator.

 

 

I always try to give this pattern a swim and it always looks like it should cover a range of natural the fish may be eating. But to this date I have never landed a fish to one.

 

So which famous pattern have you never had any joy with?

 

[thursthouse 0]

believe it or not..mine is the GRHE. I've never caught a fish on that pattern and have zero confidence in it. It's funny too since everyone and their mother swear that it's a great pattern. Everyone once in a while I'll go back to the vise, tie up some more, and fish em again - time and time again same result.. no fish.

[cheech 0]

Interested to know what pattern fails for you. I reckon there will be at least one pattern that is quoted by everyone and their uncle Cleetus as being the dogs swingers but for you it stinks.

 

For me its a diawl bach.

 

From Wiki.

Meaning "little devil", the diawl bach is a popular Welsh fly pattern used in British still waters, and an appropriate lure to use when the fish are feeding on midge pupae. The dressing is simple: size 8 to 14 hook, brown thread, a few barbs of brown hackle for the tail, copper wire, a few barbs of peacock herl for the body, and tying thread for the head.

Variations include jungle cock substitute cheeks, red head, hare's ear for the body and flash materials on the back.

Fish as one of a team of three flies drawn slowly on a dry line with a long leader. A particularly effective method is to let the wind push the floating fly line around and look for a twitch in the line as indication that a fish has taken the fly. It can be effective during a midge (chironomid) hatch, and a flashy version is worth using towards the autumn as a pinfry imitator.

 

 

I always try to give this pattern a swim and it always looks like it should cover a range of natural the fish may be eating. But to this date I have never landed a fish to one.

 

So which famous pattern have you never had any joy with?

 

100% agree on the diawl bach... Never caught anything on it.

[mikechell 0]

I have to say the San Juan Worm, since I've never caught my targeted species on one. One of my rods always has one tied on and I try it quite often. So far, no bream or bass has ever even pecked at it.

But I did catch some Rio Grande Ciclid on one, once in Houston.

[Dcap240 0]

The klinkhamer. The fish love em but those hooks just don't hold on to the fish.

[starsky 0]

I fish nymphs 75% of the time. Its my preferred method and diawl bach, ptns and crunchers in various guises are my go to patterns. In a wave I fish traditional patterns. I love tying them and using them, but one famous fly I have on my top dropper always in a 3 fly cast and is a pattern most guys swear by. I cannot catch on is the Kate Maclaren! I love tying them but I cant tell the last time I caught on it. I fish every week.

[singletrack 0]

Funny I am also in the hairs ear camp. Tied many of them not so much of a bump on one. Everyone is always saying what a great pattern it is. For me my great pattern is a bead head prince. I catch a ton of fish on that pattern but nothing on a GRHE. I have pretty much stoped fishing them.

[Piker20 0]

Some interesting replies. I would happily swap my diawls for all the above patterns. Might consider a swap around the lines of this thread.

[Henrik Thomsen (DK) 0]

Pattegrisen, or in English, the piglet. A famous Danish fly for sea trouts, it works shot for me. I'll just stick to my sandeel patterns.

 

Henrik

[Crackaig 0]

This is a bit weird but Czech Nymphs. Not the technique, but the flies. I can catch on other flies fished in the Czech Nymphing method, just not the dubbed Czech nymphs. I've tied hundreds, if not thousands, and plenty of other people catch on them. Not me. Polish woven nymphs, fine, my wire woven ones also fine.

 

Put a case caddis on the point and a BH PTN and caddis pupa pattern on the leader and I'll be fine fishing them Czech nymph style. Strange but...

 

Cheers,

C.

[Ty Flyer 0]

I've never had prince nymphs work for me, or a muddler minnow for that matter.

[bighornbuster 0]

For me it is a pattern called the Dreamsicle. It is a nymph, woven body with white and orange floss. Tried it on the Big Horn at Ft. Smith in the 80s because some guide was raving about it. Caught a very large sucker on the first cast and threw all six of the flies in the river. I did release the sucker and then had to wash my hands. Bad JuJu with that fly.

[Stevester 0]

The Muddler is my never catch fly. I have tried and tied them for decades and could probably count on one hand the number of fish I have caught with it. Especially the original pattern, the marabou versions seem better.

 

Steve

[redietz 0]

For me, it a Wooly Bugger for trout.

[oldtrout58 0]

I believe that I've never caught a fish with a Hornberg.