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A Look at Bass Fly Patterns and Other Warmwater SpeciesHere are a series of article on choosing the best bass fly patterns for largemouth, smallmouth, and rock bass. Along with bass patterns I plan to add patterns that are also effective on bluegill, crappie, and other panfish and warmwater species. Two Ways to Choose FliesWhen deciding which fly patterns you’re going to need there are two different ways to choose. Both ways will depend on where, when, and how you can present the flies to the fish.The first and best way of choosing is by using a process called “match the hatch.” First, you find out what type of food is currently available to the fish you intend to catch. Next, check out the fly patterns you currently have and see if there is any that are similar imitations. Tie one on and go with it. Sounds simple enough. Some people go overboard with this method and try to make exact replicas of the real thing. I try to keep it as simple as possible and find a bass fly pattern that is close. Some popular bass patterns don't seem to imitate anything but catch bass just the same. The big problem comes when you have never fished a certain water or are simply unsure of what food is available to the fish. Knowing ahead of time makes matching the hatch easy, especially if you keep a journal and have the information handy before you venture out. The second method is to take the flies that others suggest and try them until you find what works best in your area. Start with some of the more popular flies and use them until you know more about the body of water you mainly fish. A good place to find out what is working before hand is your fly fishing club or local fly shop in the area. What I plan to do here is show you my methods for choosing flies, the fly patterns for these flies, and if you aren’t a fly tier where you can get the same fly or at least an alternative imitation. Meet My Personal AssistantBefore we start I’d like you to meet my personal, amateur entomologist and bug/critter photographer, Owen.Owen’s PhotosMy method is simple. When Owen is not fishing he takes photo of bugs, insects, or anything that he thinks a fish might find appetizing and keeps them handy for me. Later we can download the pictures to the computer and start our research.First we have to find out what the picture is of. Frogs, crawdads, and such are easy to identify as we’ve seen them hundred of times. Insects are a little harder to nail down. They all look the same to me, but Owen hits the books and tries his best to find a similar picture. If we come to the conclusion that it is actually a match and we have more information on it we then try to find a bass fly pattern that is similar. If possible we try to find fly patterns that match all the stages of the insect’s life. Now for the acid test. Take the flies out and see how the fish like them. The Bass Fly Pattern DatabaseHere’s where you’ll find the different patterns I found as good imitations. Along with each pattern I will try to add different methods for presenting them and which type of bass or other warmwater fish it is effective on.
What Patterns Have Worked for You?If you have a pattern you would like tell others about please feel free to add it in the form below. Please give as much information as you can. A picture of the fly can also be added if you have one available.Reader's Patterns.Have a great fly pattern? Share it with the other readers. To leave the bass fly patterns page and return to the home page click here. Sign up for our free ezine.To get updates to the site, fly fishing stories, tips and gear information feel free to sign up for our free monthly ezine – Fly Fishing Journal.
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