Three Great Flies that are Trout Catchers with Evan Ritchie

Evan Ritchie was our guest instructor on the last fly tying session of 2016/17 season. Evan brought three great flies to share with us before we head out on the rivers, streams and lakes. Evan fishes a lot in the southern part of our province and has favourite places he returns to every year. Evan shared a Caddis fly pattern by Roman Moses, a Tom's Green and a Grizzly Sledge Hammer.

Tom's Green

Hook: Mustad 37160, #10

Thread: Green, 8/0

Tail: White Ostrich Herl

Rib: Fine Gold Wire

Abdomen: Olive light bright dubbing

Thorax: Green light bright dubbing

Wing Case: Tan Rayon

Hackle: Emu, palmered over thorax

Head: Green Flashabou thread

Caddis Fly (Roman Moses), Balloon Caddis

Hook: Standard Dry Fly sizes 12-16

Body: Antron dubbing, colour to match your caddis flies (green, tan)

Wing: Deer hair

Head: Foam

The Grizzly Sledge Hammer (Hans Weilenmann)

Hook: TMC 2487 #8-14

Thread: Black, 6/0 or 8/0

Ribbing: Fine dark copper wire

Wing Post: White calf body hair

Thorax: Peacock herl

Evan shared a great trick with the group. Instead of using dubbing wax, Evan uses mouse glue traps. In Evan's left hand you can see two small pieces of the glue trap placed glue sides together. If you peel the pieces slightly apart, you can run this up and down your tying thread to secure dubbing to it. This works very well and I use it extensively on some flies. It makes the dubbing process quick, efficient and gives the tyer the ability to adjust dubbing amounts very effectively. 

The Caddis fly we tied used foam from the Dollar Store. This foam was purchased at a local store and cut to size. A life time supply of colours can be purchased for $1.00 per colour. 

Tom's Green had a variety of material that was really different. We used emu feathers but rhea feathers could also be used.  Green and yellow raffia also was used and is easily purchased at craft stores or florist shops.

Here is Evan showing the pattern prior to tying Tom's Green. This fly is a crane fly pattern. The crane fly hatch is often very heavy and usually follows the stonefly hatch. This hatch is typically in July in southern Alberta. The key to this fly is to match the colour to the bugs on the river, wherever you are! It is awesome to see an effective crane fly pattern.

The raffia had a nice sheen to it and was quite plyable so it tied in really nicely. 

As we tied the last fly of the evening, the Grizzly Sledgehammer, Evan shared with us that this is a great searching pattern.  He uses it on streams and lakes. It works well for any emerging bugs as it rides in the surface film. Evan loves this fly and has used it everywhere. The key is getting the body colour to match the emerging bugs. Evan usually uses tan or olive and ties it smaller and smaller as the fishing season goes on. If you are on water that is fished heavily, go with a really small size.

Thank you to Evan for a great session. It was an awesome way to end our tying season.

As this was the last session for the year and we are all headed out on the water to use the flies we have tied, we would like to thank all of the fly tyers who presented this year. We learn so much from one another and it is wonderful to see new presenters each year.

Please continue to let us know what adventures you are having by sending stories and pictures through the fishing season and we will post them here on the blog as they come in. It is a way for all of us to keep in touch throughout the spring, summer and fall until it is time to get out the vices again for the next year of tying.

All the best for the fishing season!