Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2021 - 23

plausible for something to look different
from one stream to the next stream. The
best example I can give is freshwater
shrimp at Falling Spring Branch,
Franklin County, versus Letort Spring
Run, Cumberland County. Both are
" close enough " to being the same but
look distinct enough to me that I carry
two different colored shrimp patterns.
While fishing one of the shrimp
The author's box of fly experiments.
where I am fishing. Anyone who fished with me in the
last 15 years knows this pattern.
Instincts
When it comes to the makeup of these " secret " patterns,
I do see a few trends. Most of these flies are excellent at
triggering a fish's primal instincts. In the world of fly
tying, this means adding flash, color, or movement. Flash
is the most obvious. You can tie flash into the tail of a
streamer or use it for the cap of a nymph, and it will stand
out more to a fish than a pattern that does not have it.
Color can be as simple as using a different shade of green
or using a bright color like orange or chartreuse within the
fly to make it stand out. Typically, if you want movement
in your fly, it is the angler who needs to make the fly
dance. However, take some marabou and stick it in a sink
full of water. Watch how it moves around. Rabbit and fox
hair are also good at moving on its own. I have even seen
anglers make fine deer hair come alive. Incorporating
these traits into a fly will also lead you in the right
direction when developing new patterns.
Stream specific
If you fish enough streams, turn over enough rocks,
and learn the waters you are fishing, you will find
yourself seeing things differently What does that mean?
A sulphur nymph at one stream may seem to have a
completely different hue at another stream. There are
many factors that go into color traits, and it is completely
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The best fly patterns take trial and error both at the bench and
on the water.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2021
23
patterns at Falling Spring Branch early in
my fly fishing life, I caught a Creek Chub
that had a vastly different coloration
from those in the nearby Conococheague
Creek, Franklin County. A few weeks
later, I had a streamer pattern that after
trial and error matched what I saw
that day. It has become an absolute fish
catching fly for me on limestone creeks.
Many anglers would keep slinging the
same Olive Woolly Bugger hoping for
the best, but you can change the game
for yourself. No one actually gets into fly
tying to save money. You get into fly tying
for the ability to create your own artistic
interpretations of what you think will
catch fish. Do not get caught up trying to
match every fly in a fly tying book. Get
good at the various tying techniques; then, set yourself
free. Many hook packages come in sets of 25. I see that
as 25 opportunities to create your next secret fly.
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2021

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