Hey, Del- I have three usual 'go-to' flies: For a nymph, the old standby BHPTN. My favorite (and most effective) dry is the Butter- Bee. Recipe is: Hook: Mustad 94842 (Up-eye Dry) Sizes 12-24 (16 and 18 work best for me) Thread: Yellow 8/0 Tail: Light Ginger hackle fibers Abdomen: Bright Canary- yellow Floss Thorax: Same Yellow floss, built up for the hackle to sink into Hackle: Light Ginger, at thorax or mid-fly Wings: Badger Hen Hackle tips Rib: Super-fine copper wire or tinsel I have used Yellow-dyed-CDL-hen tips for wings, which works VERY well! The hackle may be trimmed top and bottom to make an instant spinner, folding down hen hackle tips.
Then there's the Patriot. Recipe is: Hook: Mustad 94833 (1x fine, standard dry) Sizes: 10-18 Thread: Red 8/0 Tail: Brown hackle fibers Body: Smolt blue Krystal Flash (or something similar from FlyTyer's Dungeon, no affiliation) wound around the shank; wind some red thread in the middle of the shank, similar to the royal coachman Wings: White impala or calf tail, divided Hackle: Brown (I think this came from Charlie Meck??) There ya' have them... All I ask is you don't fish my streams ;) Tight wraps, Pete
