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Top 10 scottish fly recommendations

389 views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  MCXFisher  
#1 ·
Hi all ,going to tie up my first Salmon flies this Winter. Can i have recommendations for the top patterns. Hoping to stick with 10-12 patterns in different weights and sizes. Should i tie doubles and tubes?
Is the general consensus on tube hooks moving towards just singles or are people using doubles and trebles still.
Many thanks, Jay
 
#7 · (Edited)
Hi all ,going to tie up my first Salmon flies this Winter. Can i have recommendations for the top patterns. Hoping to stick with 10-12 patterns in different weights and sizes. Should i tie doubles and tubes?
Is the general consensus on tube hooks moving towards just singles or are people using doubles and trebles still.
Many thanks, Jay
You've got some good suggestions there, one thing to bear in mind is that some flies suit a tube better than others and some better tied on the hook.

I quite like modifying patterns a bit and I think a gbwg tube tied sparse in the wing with a hackle at the throat, maybe light feelers too is a pattern whereby you can vary things a bit, some heavier tied and some more translucent that always fishes well and you can be confident in.

For a dressed hook its hard to knock a cascade but as above I think its one that doesn't look great on a tube.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Where ever possible I fish Trebles, unless there's a reason not to. I also fish mainly tubes these days from 1/4" to 3"+, precisely so I can vary the hooks if I need to.
For a relatively new apprentice to fly tying, keep things simple. Tubes are a great way to start before moving on to dressed Doubles or Trebles.
Silver Stoats Tail in tubes and doubles is a great fly to learn the basics on, simple Bucktail Wing and Silver body will give you an excellent fly for both Salmon and Sea Trout.
The Willie Gunn in both Gold body and Black body with Gold Rib, I'd learn to cope with that on tubes initially before moving to dressed hooks.
Once you get a grip of those two fly's on tubes it open's up a vast range of flys that can be tied using the same techniques and just varying the colours and maybe the odd bit of material.
Simple Black and Yellow tube is all you need early season.
Before you move onto dressed hooks, perhaps you should realise Black, Yellow and Orange form the basic colours for many very successful Salmon flies, you won't go wrong with those 3 colours.
Once you get a grip of the basics, you can move to more complicated patterns such as the Cascade or " Allys" series of flies, these style of flies are essentially a different profile of fly which can be quite important.
More so than pattern or style are proportion and volume. You really need to understand these two concepts and apply them to your own efforts. A size 8 double say should always big bigger than a size 10 and so on, same with tubes, bigger the tube and the bigger the overall length of the fly. Then, no matter what you tie, be very aware of NOT! using too much material, if you can see the body of the fly showing through the wing/ hackle then thats what you're looking for, better slim and sparse than big n fluffy!.
Lastly a Cascade does look good on a tube, in fact they're easier to tie like that initially any way, you've more space to learn how to do what you need to be doing.!
Lastly watch anything by Davy McPhail on you tube, he's a legendary flee tier and you'll learn so much from his you tube vids.
When I tie up new to me or difficult patterns, I have a you tube vid. behind the vice and copy blindly stage at a time what I'm seeing on the screen. Don't be afraid of watching several vids. from different Tyers before you yourself start, give yourself as much info as you can absorb, it will help you out.
It will be difficult, often frustrating, but the more you can absorb before you start the better and quicker will your efforts reward you.
Best of luck, Pedro.
 
#13 ·
I only use one pattern, the MCX Dark, which shares attributes with a variety of other patterns. It’s tied as a double, tube/conehead, Snaelda and Sunray.

The sole exception to this is in low light conditions with cold water I might use a black and yellow pattern owing to it’s superior performance in the infrared spectrum.
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#14 ·
50 years of tying & fishing salmon flies have led me to 6 patterns: Cascade, Collie, Black & Yellow, Blue Charm, Posh Tosh & Alistair.
To my eyes some patterns look better on different hooks:
Collie on 1 in tube or 8 double
Cascade & Posh Tosh - doubles 6,8,10,12,14
The Black & Yellow on various weight 1in and 1/2in tubes
The Blue Charm (low water style sits on singles 8,10) or doubles 8,10,12,14
The Alistair on micro tubes.
I also make up micro tube hitches of the Alistair & Blue Charm.
Though only 6 patterns, you will still have plenty of choice of hook size, weight & profile.
 
#15 ·
Thanks mate, really appreciated. I have come to the same conclusion with trout flies. I use to tie every pattern but mow on the rivers i generally fish 3 dries and 2 nymphs all season. Different sizes and weighting on the nymphs though