Thanks for the fine comments! I actually have a lot more than these.
Teamtrout, if you're looking for inspiration, there's plenty of flies posted here on the forums. Check out some of the Steelhead & Salmon flies, various trout flies & saltwater flies posted in the various forums. Many of them will work well for bass in some situations. When I have the opportunity to chase stream Smallmouths, I'll often use large foam Stonefly or Hopper flies or some of the Steelhead patterns such as MOAL's or Intruders. Plus, some of the most productive cray patterns I've found are nothing more than Bonefish or Redfish (or Carp) patterns tied in colors that mimic local crayfish.
Think outside the box!
As I said, I've been doing this a long time. It's not difficult to assemble a large collection of flies over many years. You just have to sit down & tie. Even with so many flies in my boxes, I still enjoy tying & when I tie, I'll add perhaps a dozen flies at a time to the collection. Some of those flies in my boxes are purchased, and some have been provided in swaps, so that too can add up quickly.
Large collections are not necessary for catching, but again I like variety. Tying different styles of flies IMO has helped make me a better tier, and of course I never run out of ideas or flies! My last outing to a trout stream, something I don't get to do often, I caught one small 10" trout on a Clouser Minnow with bead chain eyes that I had tied with the intention of chasing Crappies with it. The trout didn't seem to mind!
BTW, the Murdich Minnow that tedwin183 mentioned is a very good style for LM bass & Striped Bass too! I tie them a little different than the original pattern, but same basic idea!
Some additional patterns that I've tied recently. These were tied with both Redfish & Bass in mind, as they'll work for either!
