Solving Puzzles of Fly Selection with Phil Fisher

Solving Puzzles

Phil Fischer

March 11, 2010

Callibaetis Lifecycle Patterns (see below)

Our speaker for March is Phil Fischer who will present a program on "Solving Puzzles", something we’re all faced with each time we go fishing.

Have you ever experienced trout rising consistently, only to throw your whole fly box at them and wind up frustrated? ”Solving Puzzles” is overviews, from a fly tier’s perspective, about fly patterns and the “why's” behind fly selection. In this presentation, Phil will share with you why certain patterns work well, and why others don't. He'll cover hatch periods, and what to look for on the water to determine what trout are feeding on, and what patterns effectively match each portion of the hatch. He'll review the Mayfly and Caddis fly life cycle through patterns, and share why you might fish with each pattern, and what makes it successful. Solving Puzzles is a result of many years of experience that pulls together the fundamentals of entomology, fly tying and fly fishing.

Bio:

Phil Fischer is an avid fly fisherman who was born and raised in the Bay Area and has fly fished for trout extensively through California and the Western United States. He has over 40 years of fly fishing and fly tying experience. He was tutored by Andre Puyans and taught fly tying classes at Creative Sports in Pleasant Hill for a number of years. He owns Phil's Custom Trout Flies, and has fly customers throughout the US who count on his expertise in solving fly fishing puzzles on their own home waters. He can be reached at:

http://www.philscustomflies.com/

Click link: Parachute Poodle Callibaetis (PDF file) tying instructions from California Fly Fisher magazine. Open in Adobe Reader. Here are the pattern recipes from Phil's presentation to GBF on March 11, 2010:

Callibaetis Lifecycle Series

Pattern Selections:

Callibaetis Series

· Callibaetis Nymph

· Callibaetis Soft Hackle Emerger

· Callibaetis Poodle Parachute

· Callibaetis Cripple

· Callibaetis Poodle Pullover Spinner

Pattern Recipes:

Callibaetis Nymph

Hook: TMC 2302 size 12-16, or similar

Thread: Tobacco Brown, or light olive

Weight: .015 Lead Wire

Tail: Lemon Wood Duck Flank Feathers

Abdomen: Light Olive dubbing or Goose Biot

Rib: Copper Wire

Thorax: Light Olive Dubbing or turkey biot

Wing case: Turkey Flank

Legs: Lemon Wood Duck

Callibaetis Soft Hackle Emerger

Hook: TMC 2302 size 12-16, or similar

Thread: Tobacco Brown, or light olive

Weight: .015 Lead Wire

Tail: Lemon Wood Duck Flank Feathers

Abdomen: Light Olive dubbing or turkey biot

Rib: Copper Wire

Thorax: Peacock Eye Barbs

Hackle: Hungarian Partridge

Callibaetis Cripple

Hook: TMC 2487 size 12-16, or similar

Thread: Tobacco Brown, or light olive

Shuck: Light Olive Zelon

Tail: Lemon Wood Duck Flank Feathers

Shuck Binding: Softex

Thorax: Light Olive Poodle Hair Blend

Wing: Texas Whitetail Deer Hair

Hackle: Tan/Callibaetis Whiting Saddle – Undersized

Poodle Parachute Callibaetis

Hook: TMC 100 size 12-16, or similar

Thread: Tobacco Brown, or light olive

Tail: Dun or Brown Micro-fibbets

Abdomen: Natural Turkey Biot

Thorax: Light Olive Poodle Hair Blend

Wing: Texas Whitetail Deer Hair

Hackle: Whiting Dun Grizzly Saddle Hackle

Poodle Callibaetis Pullover Spinner

Hook: TMC 100 size 12-16, or similar

Thread: Tobacco Brown, or light olive

Tail: Dun or Brown Micro-fibbets

Abdomen: Natural Turkey Biot

Thorax: Light Olive Poodle Hair Blend

Wing/Hackle: Dun Grizzly Saddle Hackle

Loop: 4x or 5x Tippet