Small flies... and large

Fall fishing for sea trout means small flies. Here are my favorites... and a couple of not so small ones that have proven useful as backups.

By Martin Joergensen

Low water Red Tag, Copper Bully and Killer Bug

Red Tags - a normal size 4 fly with full body and heavy hen hackle and a selection of low water specimens

Black Frede a large and fluffy variation of an old trusty pattern.

I highly recommend using small flies for fall fishing for sea trout and rainbows in salt water. The fish have been feeding all summer and can be picky and veeery slow and reluctant to take any fly offered to them.

One more fell for the Moyerfokker. This 1½-2 kilo fish took with vigor in bright daylight and gin clear water.

Hence the imitations are also very boring. The most boring one is a pattern that doesn't hardly deserve a name, but to my knowledge is generally known as the Killer Bug.
I usually start out with this fly at tying demos because everybody can learn to tie it. It's also so easy that I can't fail... Last - but not least - tying this fly also demonstrates how little it takes to tie a good fishing fly. It's nothing but grey dubbing on a hook. Thats it! It's one of my most productive flies for rainbow in salt water and a very good autumn fly in clear, calm water. And it's a good imitation.

A Bully and a classic
The Copper Bully is a pattern I started using with great succes this spring. It was shown to me by a guy in a local flyshop, and proved its worth on its first few trips. I tie it smaller than the original and use some copper dubbing which is not as bright as that used on the original. My version could rightfully be called a Fancy Killer Bug.

My last small, fall favorite is a true classic. The Red Tag is a regular in my fly box. I use two versions: an ordinary wet fly tied on a streamer hook and a low water version tied on a hook almost the same size. The idea of low water flies is old as Methusalem (almost) and is simply a way of tying a small fly on a larger hook. My thought was that when it can be done with salmon flies, it can also be done with Danish salt water flies. A small fly on a big and sturdy hook - ready to take on a 5 kilo (10 lbs) fish.

When it comes to large sea trout flies, few are better than this one - how ever ugly it might look. A true Moyerfokker...

Did you find the above interesting?
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