I've always been intrigued by the tying habits and tactics of our European breathren. Well before American fly fishing became of age, the British, Irish, and Scots were toiling away at the vise. Hundreds of years of experience on English chalk streams and reservoirs, has created an untapped resource for American anglers to discover. Probably the best known English-originated patterns are soft-hackle fly patterns (although I'll venture a guess that most anglers would believe they are an American creation). Over the last ten years I've been methodically tying and testing hundreds of European wet flies in our very own waters in the good old U.S.A. The results, as you might expect, have shown that roughly half the Euro wet flies I've tested can reasonably catch fish. When I say fish, in most cases we are talking about trout, however some of the Euro patterns work well on bass too. Quite frankly, many of these patterns I've listed here often don't resemble any specific insect or fish. But then again, there are many North American patterns which resemble nothing natural and yet have world-wide acclaim. I have a hard and fast rule: never judge a fly by it's origin or looks. In any event, you should feel free to tie a few of these patterns and give them a test. I believe that more than a few will find their way into your fly box.
The Black & Orange Marabou is a great pattern that works on a multitude of freshwater fish. Trout, bass, pickeral, pike and other fish are decidedly carnivorous about this fly. It's an effective early season pattern for trout when it's fished slowly and close to the bottom. In the larger sizes, it's a great early evening or night pattern for most warmwater species. Of course, never satisfied with just one good thing, I've taken the liberty to develop some off-shoots of this pattern which are very effective as well. All you do is simply change the tail and throat colors against the black marabou. Here are the tail and throat colors that work well with the black marabou: white, yellow, and black.
The next three patterns are very popular British patterns when using a three-fly dropper setup. Each pattern has it's own designated spot on the dropper. I'm guessing that years, if not decades of experience have proven which order of flies is most effective. These flies, whether fished with a dropper or as a single fly, have proven to be very effective on U.S. waters. They most closely resemble the venerable hares ear patterns so well known here in the states.
In the area of simplification, the Europeans get another round of kudo's. Their 'Hare's Ear Goldhead' is about a simple a pattern to tie or fish as you'll find anywhere. It's also a recipe that offers a considerable number of options when it comes to body color. Here is the standard Goldhead recipe that has become an important part of my fly box. Other effective body colors for this pattern are gray, dark olive, brown, and olive brown. You can experiment with other colors...you are only limited by your imagination. The key is to tie the body so that it has a real buggy look to it.
Another great goldribbed hare's ear (GRHE) pattern is the Orange GRHE. This European pattern was developed specifically for lake fishing for trout. However, the Euro's are missing out on a good pattern that works well in trout rivers and streams. Sporting an orange tail, this pattern also works well on smallmouth bass when fished in the fast water. In most cases, it fishes effectively when it's deep. Fishing it deeply means that it should be touching the bottom as it moves along with the current. As an old friend of mine used to say, 'if it ain't catch'n a few rocks, it ain't gonna catch any fish.' No words have ever rang more true.
Bead-head patterns have taken the fly fishing world by storm. There aren't to many subsurface patterns that haven't been altered, and most for the better, to bead-heads. They allow the fly to sink head first in the water. By sinking head-first, the fly takes on a jigging action which most trout find irresistible. The bead-head also simulates an air bubble on the fly, which also scores very well on trout (and other freshwater fish).
The Copper Squirrel pattern is not to be underestimated. It's a buggy pattern that has all the makings of a great fly. That means it catches fish and is worthy of a spot in your box. In the early season, use this pattern tied in a size eight or ten. Later as the season progresses, you'll find sizes fourteen and sixteen to be most effective. Overall, it's a good all-year round pattern.
The Chatsworth Bug is a pattern that could stand for just about anything. Whatever it stands for, it catches trout. It seems to work best when fished deep, near or at the bottom. I prefer to fish it upstream like any other nymph pattern.
When it comes to nymph patterns, there are a handful that have proven themselves in a variety of testing grounds.The next two flies are excellent patterns that you will find few, if any, admirers using here in the States. In Europe, these particular patterns catagorized as 'large nymphs'. Whatever class they fall in, they are very effective. I have found that these two particular 'large nymph' patterns work well early in the season and then later in the fall/winter. The Bottom Scratcher is a very clever combination of marbou and hare dubbing, sort of a half nymph, half small fish pattern. The Big Monster, originally designed for lake trout fishing on some of the deeper European lakes and resevoirs, works just as effectively on streams as well. Both patterns have caught trout as well as large- and smallmouth bass. The smallmouth tend to really like them in the faster water and when tied in the larger sizes, like an eight or a size ten.
Give these Euro patterns a test drive. I'm sure you'll agree that they'll help you produce fish and become a valuable part of your fishing experience.
This article is excerpted with permission from the upcoming book, 'Subsurface Flyfishing: Strategies and Tactics', written by David Dirks. Publication date is expected to be May 2001 by iUniverse Publishers. Copyright 2000, David E. Dirks, All Rights Reserved. Inquiries regarding purchase of this book should be directed to dedirks@excite.com or David Dirks, PO Box 87, Westtown, New York 10998.
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