Fly Patterns And Videos - Fly Fishing Edmonton

Doc's Stillwater Fly Patterns

Here are some fly patterns that work well on stillwaters

Redd October

I came up with this bloodworm pattern based on the red holographic butt section of my X-mas Chironomid pattern. The trout's response to my pattern was simply unbelievable. I've never had as much success with any other fly before and this is still my goto to this day. I had a name contest on the Northern Lights Fly Tyers message board and the winning name was the Redd October. The best way to fish this fly is with a strike indicator and enough leader to set the fly one to two feet off any bottom structure.

RECIPE:
Hook Mustad C49S: Size #16 - #10
THREAD: Black 8/O
RIB: Fine Gold Wire.
BODY: Small Red Holographic Tinsel
BEAD: Gold 3/32"

Xmas Chrionomid

This fly is chironomid pattern and was conceived during a flies and beer night back in 2004 at my old bar Santannas. Best time to fish this fly is in May and early June. I first saw Brian Chan tying with a red butt section on his patterns using red or burgundy thread so I thought why not red holographic tinsel. I tie this pattern on a #10, 12 or 14 C49S caddis curved hook but it can be tied any size from a #8 to a # 24. I've had outstanding success with this pattern on every stillwater fishery I've wet a line and I'm sure you will too.

RECIPE
HOOK: Mustad C49S sizes 8 to 24
THREAD: Black 8/O
RIB: Fine gold wire.
BODY: Red holographic tinsel and green holographic tinsel
THORAX: Peacock herl.
HEAD: Silver bead.
GILLS (optional): White calf tail or midge gill .

Doc's Black Thread Midge

This is my simplest chironomid pattern. I came up with this version of the thread midge in the summer of 2006 after a day fishing deep for lunker rainbows at Star Lake. Black chironomids were the hot fly fo the day and I was doing well but I ran out of #14 size black patterns. When I got home I went to tie up a dozen but I found out I had used up all of the black material I was using for the body so instead I just used black 8/O thread. When I went back to Star the next day, the fishing was even better than the day before so I've been successfully tying and fishing the pattern with black 8/O thread as the body material ever since.

RECIPE
Hook: Mustad C-49S sizes #18 - #8
Thread: Black 8/O
Head: Black Bead size 3/32
Body: Black 8/O thread (other colors can be used)
Rib: Fine gold wire
Thorax: Peacock Hurl Gills: Midge Gill (white yarn) The shine on the fly is from applying Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails.

Water Docman

I invented this fly in the fall of 2004 for the boatman migration on Muir Lake. This is a buoyant pattern and I've had success fishing this fly using several techniques but my two favourite depend on the action or lack thereof, of the naturals. If the boatman aren't showing much signs of activity, using a long leader (9-12 foot) with a medium to fast sinking line, cast the fly out and wait for your line to pull your fly under the surface and start your erratic retrieve. This will pull the fly down sharply to imitate a diving water boatman ready to lay its eggs. This method works even better with traditional sinking lines that form a belly in them as your fly will also rise up sharply on the retrieve simulating that U shape path of a natural boatman as it returns to the surface for air. When boatman are actively taking flight, they'll tuck their wings in and drop to the waters surface looking to us like little rain drops. These animated boatman draw lots of attention by feeding trout which cruise around only a few feet below the surface waiting for these gifts from the heavens. The method I prefer during these boatman falls requires a floating line while observing rise rings on the surface where trout are feeding. Once a rise is spotted, cast you fly immediately into the rise ring and expect a take as soon as it hits the water, if not give it a little movement. Some days you may need to lead the trout and cast some 3 or 4 feet ahead of the rise ring in the direction that trout is moving but during a heavy fall, the trout tend to stay put after it rises and only moves for the next boatman that hits the water.

RECIPE
HOOK: Dry fly sizes 10 to 14
THREAD: Black 8/O
BODY: Tan nymph skin
SHELL: Brown craft sheet foam
LEGS: Super stretch floss