How Many Flies Used per Hour of Fishing?

[karstopo]

How many flies do you use on average per hour of fishing? I'm at about one or two. Fish can mess them up. I can lose them on snags. Fly may not be effective for structure, depth, etc.

But since I rarely fish with other fly fishermen or women, I'm curious what is typical out there.

 

[clouserguyky]

It really depends. I've had days where my I've changed ten times within an hour and days when I've used the same fly from sun up to sun down with consistent success. On average though, I'd say 1-2 for me. I like to work a fly for a bit before giving up on it, but some days I'll go 3-5 if I'm just trying to find where the fish are.

 

[ottosmagic13]

I'll err toward 3-5.

I'm usually running two flies at minimum and between snags, fish catching wear and tear and deliberate changes probably 3-5 flies is reasonable.

Even if I get a hatch and focus in on a single dry pattern or are using a particular streamer I'll still change 2+ times an hour.

There is an inverse relationship: if I am catching fish I'm changing out flies to fresh ones but not changing patterns; If I'm not catching fish I'm changing patterns trying to find what they want.

 

[stenacron]

I voted "other" as it varies tremendously. Nymphing I will use (lose?) zero to a dozen per trip.

Fishing dries or wet flies... I have flies that have been with me for several seasons. Comparaduns (for example) are incredibly durable. Same with soft hackles... they will last for many trips without retiring to the "stripping" pile.

I answered this assuming you meant burning through flies, and not changing flies.

 

[karstopo]

I voted "other" as it varies tremendously. Nymphing I will use (lose?) zero to a dozen per trip.

Fishing dries or wet flies... I have flies that have been with me for several seasons. Comparaduns (for example) are incredibly durable. Same with soft hackles... they will last for many trips without retiring to the "stripping" pile.

I answered this assuming you meant burning through flies, and not changing flies.

I'm looking for burning through flies, flies lost, damaged and changing them for whatever reason. Things like changing them to match the hatch, changing size or color.

I probably don't change enough sometimes and just get locked in enjoying casting and the scenery. I realize 10 or more is a lot per hour, but I'm allowing for folks that might have more than one rod handy or use tandem, droppers, or maybe have some flies that last for a fish or two and have to be discarded.

 

[cab]

I used to just change flies until I found something they liked. This has changed, drastically.

Nowadays, I tie a fly on for a reason. Research done ahead of time, something I saw, not just something that worked somewhere. And, now that I carry everything in a backpack, I wait for a reason to change flies. One more reason I like generic, or suggestive patterns. This approach makes me concentrate more on presentation, the most important thing, IMO.

HTH,
CAB

 

[ia_trouter]

About Half my fly changes occur when I am already catching fish. How would I otherwise know what else they might like?

That doesn't make any damn sense.

 

[bill_s]

I presume many new fly anglers are similar to me, in that I often changed flies; believing that was the critical aspect. As I have learned more, I change much less. Instead I am trying to improve my presentation.

I have not yet experienced a true hatch. So I am in prospecting mode.

I think, in prospecting mode, be it dry or nymph, I need to focus more on my presentation and not be concerned with fly selection. From my reading, I have learned it is not important that my prospecting fly be a wulf or a humpy, a PT or a Hares Ear, but that I have a darn good presentation.

So..there it is!

Cheers

 

[kentuckysteve]

I checked 1 or 2 but it just depends.I can fish a small popper or the same top water pattern all morning but if i am fishing a small kentucky stream and doing more tree fishing than stream fishing i can go thru a few flies pretty quick.

Other times it's usually about 1 or 2 an hour.

 

[moucheur2003]

I will usually give a prospecting fly at least an hour before I think about changing it, unless the fish obviously start rising to something different from what I'm throwing. But if I'm getting strikes I might leave one fly on for the rest of the day (or until I lose it).

 

[mka]

I can fish a fly all day if it's working...not a big changer of flies and not uncommon for me to leave a rod rigged up with the same fly for a couple days of fishing.

 

[jdavidcraven]

Depends. When I'm bushwacking, I use a lot.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[nijimasu1]

I fish nymphs more often than dries, and I often fish a dropper under a dry, so I try to commit to the dry and switch the trailer more than anything.

 

[fredaevans]

Probably just two ... Dog nose in the fly box ... choice ... approved/rejected.

Dog Nose, inspect: Wrong choice: "THE LOOK, You are pulling my chain?"

'Mz Doggie-Dog' is now flaked out on top of the bed. For her breakfast ... a bit of fried Burger/Egg on top of her kibble?

My House Keeper: (No shxt) ... "I'd like to intoduce you to a friend of mine"

"She fly fishes."

Game changer?:shocking:

fae

 

[fredaevans]

To respond to a few PM's/E mails The Huge 'Fuzz Ball' name really is "Turkey." Adopt a dog many years back, came with the name .. the name should be 'Bed Hog.':faint:

fae

 

[Bigfly]

I can fish a fly all day if it's working...not a big changer of flies and not uncommon for me to leave a rod rigged up with the same fly for a couple days of fishing.

If you understand what is working.....you only need one.
As always...learn the cycles of bugs first......then pick out a fly.
Guessing leads to many attempts, and little success....

Jim

 

[Rip Tide]

One day a couple of years ago I was fishing a small trout pond out of my float tube in the rain.
Close to the water surface like that, you're right there with hatching bugs, and because it was raining they were readily noticeable as it took them longer to take to the wing.

That one afternoon, the hatch changed just about every 15 - 20 minutes and if you were slow to realize and didn't change with it, you were left behind.
SOL
Even though I was right there with my bugs-eye-view, by the time that I realized what was happening and switched flies, I had maybe 10 minutes before the hatch changed again

Interesting day.

I voted "other" 'cuz it's different every time.
Some days I might keep the same fly on all day, other days I'll change every 15 minutes.

 

[lbrain]

All of the above... I guess it depends. One thing I discovered, getting better eye glasses and magnifiers this past month will lessen my reluctance to change flies. My fingers get cold easily, so that also factors in on cold days - I make a best guess, and when get broken off or chewed up, I go streamer cause it's easier to tie on for me with freezing fingers. In warmer weather, I'll change as conditions dictate, but stick with something for an hour until it's not working or I get bored with it. I'm still learning, and new to fly fishing trout in this area. I've seen guys just sitting on the bench or hanging out stream side just waiting for 'the hatch' before they wet a line. So learning the water is important around here.

Sometimes I'll just fish a single nymph all day and just call it practice.
I'll pester the hell out of a fish until he finally gets pissed off enough to eat it, or just ignores it... usually the second.

 

[corn fed fins]

I assumed flies/hour is asking how many times I switch my pattern/hour.

So, normally I place one dry/dropper or two nymphs and rarely change. My initial set up started with observation and knowing the water. If I do switch, it's from nymphing to dry/dropper or vise versa; following the fish and their feeding pattern.

Now weight and depth I may change countless times/hr depending on where I'm targeting.

 

[karstopo]

Thanks for the replies. A lot of good insight into why people change patterns like keeping up with the hatch or to target a depth. My last two trips were a 3-5/hour because I had sighted fish that wouldn't take anything I tried so I switched patterns a bunch and a less than one per hour because the fish were all over the one shrimp fly. It seems that everyone is just trying to figure out the conditions and hatch and then adapting their plan and presentation accordingly. I'll probably still carry more flies than I could possibly use in 20 outings just to have more options open.