Alaskan Pattern Productivity, What Works;

[Ard]

Since the Alaska Forum threads are only about a year old I have pasted a bunch of salmon and trout patterns onto the 'Flies' thread. I admit many of the patterns remain unproven because I am only one man and I can only fish one fly at a time. I tend not to change a pattern when it is putting fish on the bank.

I am going to list the patterns that in the seasons that I have been using them have accounted for at least 25 or more fish. Recipes for the flies pictured can be found in the stickies and patterns that are not on this thread either remain untested or under 25 fish.

The #1 Trout & Steelhead producer, Ard's Nine Three;

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Swift deep water, The Orange Bunny Comet;

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Swift & Deep on rainy day's and at first light, The Rainy Day Special;

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More moderate flows, Orange Amnesia;

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Silvers, The Bush Doctor;

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Trout & Char, The Spey Ghost;

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Trout, Char & Salmon, The Alaskan Lady;

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Trout & Char, The Red Head;

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Sockeye & Kings, Skykomish Sunrise;

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Freight Train;

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Trout, Signal Light;

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Trout & Silvers, The Kuntz Killer Egg;

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#1 All species, The Santiam Spectrum;

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Silver Salmon, Egg Sucking Leach;

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Those are the flies that I have been using. many of the other patterns have caught fish but not to the extent that they became remarkable. This is another year to try some new ties and I will see what works and what sorta works

Ard

 

[rrarods]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

I am definatly getting some of those! Any selections for grayling?

 

[caseywise]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

ard,
awesome flies! the spey flies are exceptional

casey

 

[fyshstykr]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

I'm thinking Ard will be adding a new one to the selection soon.:wink:

 

[Ard]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

This will catch fish, tied on a size 2/0 hook and swung through holding water it has been a good morning fly for king salmon. I have had a wonderful three days with the fly in the picture.

AK. Assassin;

Hook: 2/0 for Kings
Tail: Two bunch's of hackle fibers one hot pink and one chartreuse
Butt: Chartreuse synthetic chenille
Body: Pink synthetic chenille
Underwing: Pink crystal flash, Make it long and lay it along the body
Wing: Opaque white poly yarn
Top: More pink crystal flash don't be afraid to make it long enough so it will trail the fly.

 

[Ard]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

I am definatly getting some of those! Any selections for grayling?

For grayling stay small whether you cast dry flies or wets. For dries I use 14 & 16, wets are tied down to # 10. They will take darn near anything as long as it's small enough to fit the mouth.

Sorry to be so long in answering you here, I just saw this question.

PS. Add a little bunch of blue crystal flash to the wing on the Freight Train and they seem to work a little better on rainy days.

 

[Ard]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

This rendition of the Freight Train has been the fly for sockeye & chum this season. I have added some Crystal Flash as an under wing, changed the wing to bear hair, and placed a thorax of dubbed blue / purple sparkle material directly behind the wing material. The gob of dubbing helps keep the wing & hackle bulging out a bit when the fly is fishing and I believe the fatter profile helps.

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Tied on a Diiachi 2051 size 1.5
Tail: Dyed hackle purple
Body: Rear half is golden yellow floss, front half red silk floss
Rib: Silver tinsel
Thorax: Blended dubbing - blue & purple sparkle dub
Under wing: Blue purple Crystal Flash
Wing: White hair
Hackle: Dyed Shlapplin purple


This was the first sockeye of the season, caught 4 weeks ago. The fly from the picture is the one in the fishes jaw.

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More on the same fly, all males;

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Chum salmon have been plentiful and here's a nice fresh one hooked to the freight Train also. All together the pattern has landed in the vicinity of 35 - 40 sockeye and probably the same number of chum.

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Whether you plan for Alaska or the Great Lakes rivers this pattern may be a good choice for your box.

Ard

 

[gatortransplant]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

Ard, I will be having a go at tying some of these as soon as I get home and have access to a vise and materials... credit card balance be damned

 

[jpbfly]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

Ard...hope you'll show me how to tie one of these beautiful flies...and also eat one of these salmon togetherBy the way never told me if you caught any with the Alaskan Tsarina....I guess no

 

[Ard]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

For those who don't mind tying something a little on the fancy side of life..................

Fishing Saturday and Sunday (September 17 & 18, 2011) I used one fly, the same for both days. Ard's Nine Three Spey Dress tied on a #4 partridge Bartleet hook. The fly landed one dozen salmon and 5 trout. I will finish the season with this fly and a Santiam Spectrum (I'll use the Spectrum if the Kenai ever drops from semi flood stage )

This fly will catch trout or salmon anywhere;

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The fly pictured is on a heavy iron, the Bartleet is a better low water or fine wire hook for this pattern. i don't know what they think it is but it works well.

Ard

 

[williamhj]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

Wow, those are some very nice looking flies and I like that they have been tested. I've never tried flies that style, makes me think I need to start learning.

Thanks for posting them.

 

[Ard]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

Hi William, you're welcome and thank you right back

The original Nine Three pattern or the variations I make of it have been catching trout and salmon for me since I first started tying it circa 1979 - 80. If you learn to tie and fish feather wing streamers you won't go back to any other type of wet fly. They are like fishing with spinners except you feel like you've accomplished something because they're just feathers. The hit you get is similar to a fish stopping a spinner on the retrieve.

I've been a dedicated streamer fisher for almost 20 years now. I became an opportunistic dry fly guy and still use them but the streamer is my favorite way to fish for larger trout or salmon.

Ard

PS. Check the Flies For Alaska Salmon & Steelhead thread in the Alaska forums, there you can find many wild looking patterns that you can talk a fish into hitting. http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/flies-alaska/12818-flies-ak-salmon-steelhead-fishing.html

 

[s fontinalis]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

Ard,

Been searching for the flies thread but havent been able to find it, and i particularly like the Nine Three...do you have a pattern on the forums for that fly?

 

[Ard]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

I pasted the link on the bottom of my last post.........................

If you use the pattern I call Spey Dress for trout, I would put the materials on a Partridge Bartleet #4 or 6. That is the hook I'm using for trout and it will hole fish up to 10 pound and over while not injuring a small fish.

http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/flies-alaska/12818-flies-ak-salmon-steelhead-fishing.html

 

[littledavid123]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

Ard

The Nine Three reminds me of a streamer I am having some success with. Looking at yours gives me ideas where I can make improvements, not copying, but a better understanding of what is missing.

There are many reasons why we tie flys and posts like this and others who contribute, bring information to this forum that normally would take a lifetime (if ever) to learn.

Thanks

Dave

 

[Ard]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

Dave,

Copy away buddy, that is why I put the fly on the forum. It works like a charm for me and my wish is that others use it and have the same success.

 

[Ard]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

This fly, from page 2 of 'Flies for Alaska Salmon & Steelhead' caught 9 salmon today and didn't come apart. Todays date: September 20, 2011, there is still a good month of fishing left before cold becomes a problem. I'm going to keep fishing for one of our big rainbow trout until the ice makes me quit. When you look at the second fish on this thread you may understand how it's hard to know when you are seeing a trout or if you're looking at a semi fresh silver / coho salmon.

Orange Cross;

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Not all were this dark but this one shows the fly, I was hunting for rainbow trout / steelhead and there are some here. the problem is that they are hanging around the salmon and you can't keep the salmon off your fly. Imagine that! It's for real, I could have caught many many more salmon but if I can see one start chasing the fly I speed it away from them. If I were to let every one that goes after the fly grab it I would not be doing much trout hunting.

I also took 4 more on the Black Heron today;

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One of the fish that grabbed the Black Heron Spey fly;

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[Ard]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

Most recently the Jock O' Dee (from the Salmon Fly Tie Along thread) and The Red Head (found in the Flies for Salmon & Steelhead thread) are winning the days, I'll be fishing a Red Head tomorrow............

 

[Ard]

Re: Pattern Productivity, What Works;

Taken on the Red Head along with many other fish on the same pattern this fall;

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The fly;

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Yes, I'm pushing the fancy flies for use where ever you are fishing cold water trout, steelhead, and salmon. The jury is back, the verdict is in, the flies catch fish. Now I know you can catch fish on a woolly bugger but making something that pretty and then seeing a fish grab hold of it puts you near the top of the enjoyment scale for sure.

 

[gatortransplant]

Alright Ard, I had to BS some mats on this one, but here's my attempt at your Orange Amnesia. I got a bag of salmon hooks so I had to have a go. I may be going out in the morning and there should be salmon running where I'm at, so I figured I'd borrow some patterns from the master! Unfortunately my assortment of feathers is lacking, so I can't take a shot at the starling feather patterns, and my flank-wrapping-fu is severely lacking.

What do I need to improve? And what other patterns should I tie? There should be steel, browns, and salmon in the water tomorrow.

And this is what a 9-3 looks like tied by a novice with no starling feathers and no step-by-step