There comes a time, whereas a fly angler, you decide you want to stop buying flies and tie your own. Maybe you were drawn to tying flies but now you want to start fishing them. It is easy to get overwhelmed when looking for flies to use or tie, and not all flies are easy to tie or fish with. So we put together a list of 5 flies that are easy to tie and fish.
The flies on this list are all designed to be easy to tie. They can all be modified to imitate different types of forage, likewise, they can all be fished in different ways. These flies all catch fish, similarly, they have made some of our lists in the past. But there is a bonus with these flies, they will also help build up your fly tying skills. Learn these flies and you will have a foundation that will help you tie any file you can imagine. The only fundamental tying skill we are not covering is spinning and stacking deer hair. So here are the 5 flies that are easy to tie and fish.
Woolly Bugger
The one and only Woolly Bugger, it is the ultimate anytime anywhere fly. It comes in so many different colours, sizes, and can be weighted or unweighted. This fly is the go-to fly for so many anglers for good reason, it catches fish. It is as easy to tie as it is to fish. For example, you can cast it and retrieve it, cast it and dead drift it, swing it or hold it downstream. Basically just get this in the water…
How to Tie the Wolly Bugger
- Bead Head, Cone Head and/or round lead underbody optional…but I prefer a bead head.
- Hook – 2X streamer, size to fit your quarry.
- Tail – Marabou (Crystal flash optional)
- Body – Chenille
- Hackle – Palmered Saddle Hackle
Bi-Visible
A dry fly that is easy to tie and fish. The Bi-visible is a little more subtle than the Elk Hair Caddis but can be fished the same way. It is a buggy fly that a lot of fish like, and a breeze to tie.
How to Tie the Bi-Visible
- Thread – Tan
- Hook – 20-8 Dry Fly
- Tail – Hackle Fibers
- Body – Brown Hackle
- Hackle – Cream or Grizzly Hackle
Clouser Minnow
The Clouser is a great fly, it can be tied in different sizes and colour patterns imitating more than just a minnow. It is the first weighted fly on our list and can be fished for more than just trout. In the saltwater it can be a shrimp, in dark colours, it can be a crawfish. Learning to tie the Clouser will teach you how to work with buck-tail, setting you up for the Elk Hair Caddis. You also learn how to add weight to a fly with dumbbell eyes, which comes in handy.
How to Tie the Clouser Minnow
- Thread – Contrasting Colour or Red
- Hook – 2X Streamer to fit your quarry
- Weight – Dumbbell Eyes
- Throat – Buck-Tail
- Wing – Buck-Tail, Crystal Flash Optional
Elk Hair Caddis
Another easy pattern to tie and fish, this dry fly is another fish catcher. Upstream, dead drift, or waking the fly, it catches fish through a hatch or as a search pattern. This fly gives lots of room for error while you work on your dry fly skills.
How to Tie the Elk Hair Caddis
- Thread – Tan
- Hook – Dry Fly 20 – 4
- Hackle – Palmered Brown
- Ribbing – Gold Wire
- Body – Rabbit Dubbing
- Wing – Elk Hair
Pheasant Tail Nymph
The Pheasant Tail Nymph is another one of these anytime anywhere patterns. You only need 3 materials and some weight to tie it. It is an easy fly to fish, and most important, it will help you learn a lot of important fly tying skills.
How to Tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph
- Thread – Black or Brown
- Hook – 20 – 8
- Weight – Bead Head or Round Lead Underbody
- Tail – Pheasant Tail Fibers
- Rib – Copper or Gold Wire
- Abdomen – Pheasant Tail Fibers
- Thorax – 3 or 4 strands, twisted Peacock Herl fibres
- Wingcase – Ringneck Pheasant Tail Fibers
- Legs – Ringneck Pheasant Tail Fibers tips
