fly box

Fly Box documents fly patterns that have their origins in the Adirondacks or whose tier had spent significant time fishing in the region. We are working through tying and fishing with these patterns and, as we do, we will replace the gray silhouette place-holders with photos of the actual pattern.

 

Our goal is to continue to grow this page, as well as our ADK Tied blog series, over time as we continue to research and learn about different patterns. In the future, we hope to expand this to multiple fly boxes, because you can never have too many fly boxes!

 

Some of these patterns will be familiar to some while some others may be less known. We encourage you to try any of these patterns and let us know how they fish. To learn more about the specifics of these patterns, we recommend checking out the listed references at the bottom of the page.

Dry Flies

Grey Wulff

Lee Wulff

Hook: Standard dry fly (12-16)

Thread: Black 8/0, or 70 denier

Tail: Brown bucktail

Body: Grey wool

Wing: Brown bucktail

Hackle: Grey

Ausable Wulff

Fran Betters

Hook: Standard dry fly (12-16)

Thread: Orange 8/0, or 70 denier

Tail: Woodchuck guard hair

Body: Australian opossum – rusty orange / cinnamon

Wing: Calf-tail or calf body hair

Hackle: Grizzly and brown

Ausable Caddis Series

Fran Betters

Hook: Standard dry fly (14-18)

Thread: 6/0, or 140 denier

Body: Muskrat or possum dubbing

Wing: Dear hair

*Fran lists color variations in his book Fran Betters’ Fly Fishing – Fly Tying and Pattern Guide including: tan, blue dun, green, black, and brown.

 

Ausable Bomber

Fran Betters

Hook: 2x long dry fly (10-16)

Thread: Black 8/0,

Tail: Deer hair, or woodchuck guard hair

Body: Rabbit dubbing

Wing: Dear hair or calf tail

Hackle: Brown and grizzly

The Haystack

Fran Betters

Hook: Standard dry fly (14-16)

Thread: Orange 8/0, or 70 denier

Tail: Deer Hair 

Wing: Deer Hair

Body: Australian opossum or muskrat dubbing

Hinkley Queen

William Scripture Jr.

Hook: Standard dry fly (10-12)

Thread: Black 6/0, or 140 denier

Tail: Salmon hackle fibers

Body: White mohair

Rib: Silver Oval tinsel

Wing: Salmon goose quill

Hackle: White

Oriskany Dun

William Scripture Jr.

Hook: Standard dry fly (12-14)

Thread: Black 6/0, or 140 denier waxed

Tail: Moose mane hair

Body: Moose mane hair wrapped in diamond pattern

Wing: Mallard wing feather
Hackle: Light grizzly grey

The Usual

Fran Betters

Hook: Standard dry fly (14-16)

Thread: Fire Orange 8/0
Tail: Snowshoe hare foot 

Wing: Snowshoe hare foot 
Body: Snowshoe hare foot
Head: Thread 

Nymphs

Ausable Ugly

Richard Garfield

Hook: Standard nymph (2-18)

Bead: Sized to match hook

Thread: Grey 6/0, or 120 denier

Tail: Muskrat

Ribbing: Silver wire

Body: Muskrat, racoon and coyote dubbing

Hackle: Grizzly hen 

Picked Body Nymph

Fan Betters

Hook: Standard nymph

Thread: 6/0, 120 denier

Tail: Woodchuck fibers (tail or guard hairs)

Body: Muskrat with guard hairs 

Case: Foam or primary quill fibers

Thorax: Muskrat with guard hairs

*Fran lists color variations in his book Fran Betters’ Fly Fishing – Fly Tying and Pattern Guide including: black, cream, grey, and brown.

R.B. Caddis

Ray Bergman

Hook: Standard nymph

Thread: Black 6/0, or 120 denier

Tail: Peacock herl

Lower Body: Black chenille or ostrich tag

Body: White or light grey chenille 

Head: Thread and ostrich herl feelers

R.B. Nymph No. 2

Ray Bergman

Hook: Standard nymph (12-14)

Thread: Black 6/0, or 120 denier

Tail: Guinnea hen 

Body: Wool yarn*

Wing case: Guinnea hen

Legs: Guinnea hen

 

*Bergman lists several color variations of this pattern in his book Trout including mixed buff and brown, grey, and dark olive. 

Streamers

The Chambers

Perry Ehlers

Hook: Streamer (4-8)

Thread: Black

Body: Flat silver tinsel

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Wing 1: Yellow calf tail

Wing 2: Gray squirrel tail

Shoulder: Mallard breast feather

Cheek: Jungle cock

Head: Black thread, yellow-green painted eye w/ black center

Ed's Special

Ed Bendl

Trailing Hook: Salmon hook (8)

Hook: Streamer hook (6)

Thread: Black 6/0, or 140 denier

Body: Silver braided tinsel

Wing: Red and white bucktail, grizzly saddle hackle and peacock herl

Beard: Red bucktail

Grey Squirrel Silver

Ray Bergman

Hook: Standard streamer (4-12)

Thread: Black 6/0, or 140 denier

Body: Silver tinsel

Beard: Red hackle fibers

Underwing: Grey squirrel tail

Wing: Grizzly saddle hackle

Indian Puddle

Ed Bendl

Thread: Black
Tag: Flat gold tinsel
Body: Gold floss
Rib: Flat gold tinsel
Throat: Red calf tail
Wing: Orange, yellow, and
maroon bucktail, with strands of
gold crystal flash
Shoulders: Silver pheasant

Margo Smelt

Ed Bendl

Trailing Hook: Salmon hook (8)

Hook: Streamer hook (6)

Thread: Black 6/0, or 140 denier

Tail: Red goose quills

Body: Silver braided tinsel

Wing: White, yellow, and cerise bucktail, and peacock herl

Cheeks: Silver pheasant

Beard: Red bucktail

Scripture Bucktail No. 1

William Scripture Jr.

Hook: Standard streamer 

Thread: Black 6/0, or equivalent

Tail: Red wool yarn

Body: Silver flat tinsel

Wing: White Bucktail

Scripture Bucktail No. 2

William Scripture Jr.

Hook: Standard streamer 

Thread: Black 6/0, or equivalent

Tail: Red wool yarn

Body: Gold or silver tinsel

Wing: Brown bucktail

Scripture Bucktail Favorite

William Scripture Jr.

Hook: Standard streamer

Thread: Black 6/0, or equivalent

Tail: Red wool yarn

Body: Yellow wool yarn

Legs: Brown bucktail

Wet Flies

The Quebec

Ray Bergman

Hook: Standard wet fly

Thread: Black

Tail:  Yellow saddle hackle fibers

Body: Red-pink cellophane or pink floss

Wing: Duck quills 

Throat: Claret and light blue hackle

 

The Adirondack

Hook: Standard wet fly

Thread: Grey

Tag: Yellow floss

Tail: Black saddle hackle

Body: Grey dubbing 

Throat: Orange hackle

Head: Black thread

Wing: White duck quill

Standard Mini Muddler

Fran Betters

Hook: Standard wet fly (12-16)

Thread: 6/0 black

Tail: Mottled turkey quill or hen pheasant

Body: Gold or silver mylar tinsel

Wing: Mottled turkey or hen pheasant

Hackle: Fine deer hair

Fran Betters' List

The following is a list of flies that Fran Betters claimed were the best flies suited for the Adirondacks in his book, Fishing the Adirondacks.

Dry Flies

  1. Ausable Wullf
  2. Haystack (Light & Dark)
  3. Adams
  4. Grey Fox
  5. Cream Variant
  6. Hendrickson
  7. Light Cahill
  8. Caddis (Light & Dark)

 

Nymphs

  1. Black Stonefly
  2. Light Stonefly
  3. Light Cahill
  4. March Brown
  5. Hendricson
  6. Grey Fox
  7. Isonychia Bicolor
  8. Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear

Streamers

  1. Muddler
  2. Hornberg
  3. Mickey Finn
  4. Grey Ghost
  5. Bucktail
  6. Black-Nosed Dace
  7. Royal Coachman

Wet Flies

  1. Mini-Muddler
  2. Hendrickson
  3. Light Cahill
  4. March Brown
  5. Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear
  6. Coachman Hairwing
  7. Grey Hackle
  8. Brown Hackle

References

  1. Bergman, Ray. Trout. Third ed., Alfred A. Knopf, 1976.

  2. Betters, Francis. Fran Betters’ Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, and Pattern Guide. Edited by Craig Woods, Adirondack Sports Publications, 1986.

  3. Betters, Francis. Fishing the Adirondacks. Adirondack Sporting Publications, 1982.
  4. Klausmeyer, David. Favorite Flies: A Comprehensive Guide to Tying and Fishing the Best Flies Available. Skyhorse Publishing, 2020.
  5. Streeter, Robert W. The Greats of Adirondack Fly Fishing. RSO Media, 2020.

  6. The Catskill Fly Tyers Guild Gazette. (2015, May). 

  7. The Catskill Fly Tyers Guild Gazette, (2015, September).