Baitfish Patterns

[Wildfisher]

North American anglers use these a lot on rivers. We conservative Brits less so. Big Don trout  are mainly piscavores and many are caught by salmon anglers.

Anyone got suggestions for good baitfish patterns for rivers? What sizes? Profiles?  Best weighted? Best fishing technique?  etc etc

[Wildfisher]

Nice one Andy!   Are these eyes plastic bead-chain or brass dumbbells?

[Scotaidh]

These are the kind of flies that I would never normally consider fishing, but if you see someone else using them and catching fish it's time to give it a try.

[haresear]

I like arctic fox as a material for a fish pattern. It is just so easy to use and you can get the right profile really easily.

Col's posts on pike flies introduced me to EP fibres, which are also easy to tie with and have just the right crinkliness that gives volume to a fly at the head and belly, where it looks right. It also eases my conscience that "no arctic foxes were harmed during the construction of this fly...."

Alex

[Clan Ford]

Like some others, I'm hoping to do a bit more streamer fishing this season.  Watched the Oliver Edwards DVD (courtesy of Acefisher, thanks Paul ) and picked up a few pointers but think I pretty much had the general idea.  I'll probably be limiting myself to simple wooly buggers and zonkers rather than the more complicated bait fish patterns due to the time it will take to tie them up but you never know.  As you say Fred its big business in the States.  I've attached a page out of a Calelas catalogue, might give you some ideas.  I fancy some of the minnow patterns - no sculpins (Bullheads) round here :shock:

Norm

[.D.]

I don't do a lot of streamer fishing, and I'm quite certainly (quite certainly) no expert, but I can't see past Woolly Buggers.Black or Brown Olive seem to work OK. I like a shaggy mixture of natural and sparkly dubbing, rather than chenille for the body. And a little weight in the front half - usually a bead, and a few wraps of lead, but I've tried those rather expensive Roman Moser "Snapheads" too. I think conventional wisdom suggests you tie them in a few other colours too though. I've had a couple of above average (though by no means "lunkers") fish for my local river on this version over the last couple of days ( the season has started for me now ):




If it's not a WB, but one of the seemingly countless reservoir lures that are essentially the same fly :? :roll:,doubtless one of you dirty stockiebashers will enlighten me on it's real name :lol:.


Cheers,

.D.