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Favorite Great Lakes Steelhead Flys

25K views 47 replies 7 participants last post by  removed_by_request 
#1 ·
What are yours ?

Here are mine:

Nymphs

- Hex nymphs - many different patterns, natural colors, bead heads

- Caddis - PM, Disco,Viagra and many other variations

- Gartside Sparrows

- Stone - PM Stone, Bears Stone,many others variations. Otis Bug etc.

- Fresh water shrimp - Mysis several variations

Egg Flies

- Single egg yarn fly - Oregon Cheese, Apricot, Early Girl, Peachy King, Chartreuse, baby blue colors

- Clown egg

- Nuke egg

- Cactus Chenille eggs

- Bead egg and skein

Hair Wings

- Blue Berg

- Black and Boss Comet

- Cossebooms and Rats

- Black Bear Green Butt

- Skunk - Green butt and normal

- PM Interceptor - Fluor Green

- Crick

Streamers

- Graus Tiger

- Blue Smolt

- Chinook smolt

- Cardinelle

- Smelt & Alewife - Several variations

Marabou Speys

- Popsicles - various colors

Bunny leeches

- Black, Purple,
 
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#2 ·
In my limited steelhead experience here are my favorites:

Nymphs:

Estaz stones - black, brown, olive

Caddis - Bright green larva, viagra caddis

Eggs:

Scrammbled eggs - chartreuse/flame, oregon cheese/peachy king

Blood dots - various color combos

Simple eggs - chartreuse, oregon cheese, blue

Estaz eggs

Sucker spawn - pink, cream, oregon cheese, orange

I've only used nymphing tactics so I don't have any favorites for streamers. I would like to learn though.....need more time on the water.
 
#5 ·
These are a few...

of my favorite ties:

Nymphs:
Hex, caddis, Stone, Hares Ear (Flashback), Prince, PTs, and Shrimp

Egg Flies:
Dots, Nukes, Estaz, Clowns, Jerry Garcias,

Hair Wings:
Green butt skunk, Purple Peril

Streamers:
Bunny Sculpins, Small white stuff, Clousers (Bright), BBCD

Marabou Speys
Yeah some of those too, in a variety of colors.
 
#6 ·
Just can't get myself to use the Lawyer (ESL) flies yet.

I have heard of the Jerry Garcia but don't think I ever saw a picture of one. What is that tie ?

Got to add it this to to my fly wallett: True story: Went to the NY Filmore East theatre for a rock concert in Feb 1970 with my brother who was a rock mucsician and his muscisian friend who played with Arlo Guthries band. Grateful Dead and All Man Brothers were the two top groups. Anyway we had front row seats got their early and was talking to Jerry. Pretty cool, we did not know they were going to become rock super stars. Also love the Ben & Gerrys - Cherry Garcia ice cream try it some time.

Pm Out
 
#7 ·
favorite fly...

I would have to say they would be this:

Nymphs -

1)Little Stones(allocanpia)
2)Hex Nymphs
3)Amnesia Caddis
4)Czech Mate Nymphs

Eggs

1)Scramebled Eggs
2)Sucker Spawn
3)Nuke Egg
4)Dan's McCloud Egg

Streamers
1)ESL's
2)Sculpin imitations
3)Chinook Parr

Surf Patterns
1)Dan's Great Lakes Alewife
2)Dan's Holographic GL Baitfish
-smelt
-alewife
-perch

3)Surf Candies
4)Clousers
 
#10 ·
Hal,
LOL....Lawyer flies :hehe: My Dad is gonna love that.
JG Eggs-email me your addy again and I'll send a couple over. It basically is just the right colored yarn to make it look sort of tie-died. Sounds like you had a rare opportunity to see a couple of the greats in their prime. The last couple dead shows I saw, most of us were standing around wondering if he was gonna die on stage? :rolleyes:

LR

PS What do you guys mean?,,,Like the wine doesn't taste very good?;) :hehe:
 
#11 ·
Lipripper

Nice avatar picture of the puppie. Does he like to fish ?

Tie dyed egg flies, actually I probably already have them just didn't know they were called JG flies. Will have to do another trade soon got some new egg flies you have probably not seen up there in Wolverine land yet.

Actually at the show in 1970 at the Filmore East The Allmans Brothers were the first act of the show the lowest ranking band, a group called Love was next, than The Dead. All Man Brothers had just released their first album and no body including my brother knew who they were.

They were the best band that night at the Filmore East and went on to rock and roll stardom along with The Dead. Great memory that night was on a snowy Greenwich village night.

PM Out
 
#13 ·
Jealous 2

One of the greatest for sure. I'm a youngin too Dave. It's always cool to hear about the glory days from people that got to be right there when it was all going down. Makes me wonder what stories will be big hits when we get older. I am praying that it isn't boy bands.:hehe:

Hal, another swap is in order for sure. I am sure you have some of those eggs. It is mostly pastel colors pulled sparse and small and then clumped together so they blend in and then posted up like a normal yarn egg. That avatar is actually a pic of a buddy's hound who stuck some of those bubba teeth in him and took the shot. I thought it was funny so...what the heck. My dog has now put 2 and 2 together and knows that when I grab my gear we are going fishing. Today I caught him tugging on the straps of my gear bag as if to say "Common..don't go back to work....let's go fishing!" I wish I could have...its 42° here right now.

LR
 
#14 ·
Hey I did not notice the bubba teeth thats right up Flyfishark alley, there is an entire web site on that somewheres.

Looks like I will have a new dog soon probably a huskie of some type my younger son football player wants something to run with and his turn to pick the dog. But my wife said maybe we should have two so them I get to pick the second one.

Now that I think about the Allman Brothers and Dead Concert half of them are probably dead now. JG, Pigpen, Duane Allman etc.. Is Dickie Betts still alive he was really good.

Yes those days were really a renaissance period for america in many ways.

The front row concert ticket was like $ 20 also.

PM Out
 
#15 ·
Dickie still rips on the guitar and the Allmans are still pretty good live considering the number of brain cells they have destroyed along the way :devil: Always a great mix of folks at their shows.

I think the only other casualty from that gig in addition to those you mentioned was Berry Oakley, who crashed on his motorcycle almost exactly one year from Duane's death.
 
#17 ·
Nbrandon

Looks like you are the only spey/hair wing ONLY wet fly steelheader amongst us ?

Been tempted to go fully that way but to be honest I have not been as successful as when using nymphs and egg flys. I use them but only at certain times and situations.

You ought to try my PM Interceptor which was in another fly swap earlier this year. The tying instructions and picture are on the forumn in another thread. I fish it from size 4 down to size 8. Have taken browns, steelies, and kings on it.

Put the name in the search engine and you should be able to find it. If not send me a PM and I will send the tie to you.

PM Out
 
#18 ·
Hal,
I was diggin through old tapes last night and I may have come up with a copy of that show! It is labeled "Filmore-Allmans/Dead" I am trying to find a set list online to campare it with. It sounds pretty old and not great quality, but, if it is one in the same I'll send you over a copy to listen too. Maybe you can make out your voice in the crowd noise!:hehe:
Also, after I do some tweaking this weekend I may have a new sculpin pattern for you. I won't reveal til I get a chance to field test it.:razz:

John
 
#19 ·
Lipripper,

Cool you really may have it? Is that the only show they did together ? Did not know I may have been part of history that snowy night in 1970 - Greenwich Village, NYC - Filmore East. Have to tell my brother who is the rock musician, plays in small bands now once in a while. Very good bass player and singer sounds like Paul McCartney sings all of his songs. Went to a few studio recording sessions in NY but the bands he was with it never made it. Played NY area night clubs for years.

New Sculpin pattern, hey maybe a trad for my new egg and shrimp pattern is in order.

Hows the wire prototypes coming ?

PM Out
 
G
#20 ·
Any of you guys try tubes?

tie the same pattern on a tube either plastic or metal. What you get is a fly with a 360d view. Brass tubes are pretty neat, you eliminate the need for those nasty sink tips.

Check out Flydishusa.com for parts and pieces. Just remembr to scale down. You can tie nymphs, sculpins,buggers, on them. Your only limit is your imagination.

The original Allaman Bros. Band was probably the best rock band to come out of the 70's. Once Duane died that was it for them. Also Jim H. was not too shappy.

They have a new Cd and DVD out with his Isle of Wright concert. Bought both, some real top notch stuff.
 
#21 ·
I got the materials to make my own metal tubes but the amount of work seems to high at least for me withmy limited time, due to work, family, etc... Have some metal tubes from one of our PNW forumn members which will be dredged soon on GL rivers.

Will check it out anything to get deeper and make fly tying faster.

Thanks

PM Out

P.S. Will check out All man Brothers music, checked out their web site could not believe the detail history they have on shows starting in 1969. They have the shows I went to in 1970 at the Filmore east.

There only 2003 concert is at the Beacon Theatre in NY for a week in March. Probably sold out already.
 
G
#22 ·
The new Almans are not the same, get the Live at filmore east double cd and you will see what I mean.

As to tying tubes, I can kick out a good fly in 5-6 minutes, try it you will be amazed.

Get the tool that Mark B sells flyfishusa.com its only $19 and well worth it.
 
G
#26 ·
The fish usually tell me what the like. Most of my fish have been on a simple caddis pattern tied from a single marabou feather. Go figure. I like speys on tubes they are pretty neat, but if the fish don't like em all I am doing is washing hooks.

I'll give you colors, purple, black, tan, pink, and green. Never all at once, imagine that fly if you would.
 
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