Selective Trout by Carl Richards & Doug Swisher, Illustrated by Da

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One of the most essential yet seemingly simple aspects of creating a deadly pattern is size. This is especially true for the smaller flies, those less than 7 or 8 mm in length. If, for example, we are trying to imitate a natural that is 5 mm long and our artificial ends up being 6 mm long, we are a whopping 20 percent too large. One millimeter does not sound like much, but it can mean the difference between success and failure, particularly when diminutive patterns are used.

 

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[Dai 0]

As you know, I am a pretty big fan of Carl Richards, and things I tie often are based on his ideas. Add to that Gary Borger, Doug Swisher and you have then, those whom I have followed for flytying since the mid 1970s. For Salt-water, I continually reference Swisher/Richards - "Backcountry Flyfishing in Salt Water", Richard's "Prey" and will always Cherish "Selective Trout" by Dough Swisher, and Dr. Carl Richards, now deceased. Joe Brooks of Saltwater fame wrote the Preface for this work.

 

So While I am at it, I should mention a few other books of worth: Gary Borger. penned a very useful "Naturals" and his son Jason's flyting is extemely useful. There are many more Lafontaine's "Caddisflies" and "Stoneflies" by Swisher, Richards and Arbona , "Hatches I and II"- Caucci and Nastasi, "micropatterns", by Martin

I will note that I have used Brook's Stone, my variation to catch Steelhead, large and smallmouth bass, and trout. I prefer this for trout in any fast water where stone flies predominate and oddly enough, tied in about 3 color variations, it imitates a lot of insects, tied in varying sizes.

 

I used this wiggle nymph technique in the early 1980s for steelhead on the Root River in Wisconsin and other lake MI tributaries. It worked well also at powerplant outflow at Waukegan.

 

I am glad you posted this as it urged me to pull out books that had dust gathering on them, and peruse them.

 

On missouri streams for small mouth, I want to ensure that I have minnows by Statler and the Brooks Stone(don't want to forget the woolybuggers.

 

best regards to you, dai