easy flies to tie recommendation by barry ord clarke
Tying for Beginners

Easy flies to tie

Although you may think that they look challenging, heres a quick and easy selection of patterns to tie. I’v chosen five each of the following: Dry flies, Nymphs, Streamers and wet flies.

All these patterns are not only great for honing your techniques, but they are also extremely effective fishing patterns. Remember! Once the basic skills are mastered to perfection, they become the advanced techniques. Good luck with them!

5 Easy dry flies to tie

Dyret

This pattern has proved itself now over many years and has become a must have pattern for most trout and grayling fishermen in Scandinavia.

X Caddis

This is a variant of the original John Juracek’s & Craig Mathews pattern of a little egg laying caddis. In smaller sizes it also works well when midge fishing.

Hook: Ahrex FW501 #14
Tail: Z-Lon
Body: Pheasant tail fibres
Rib: Fine silver wire
Thorax: Olive superfine dubbing
Wing: Yearling elk hair

Adult blue Damsel

This adult blue damsel is a semi realistic but easy pattern to tie.

Quick sight midge

This extremely easy but very effective quick sight midge is especially for those of us who have some problems seeing small flies at a distance and at night. This pattern has never failed me, especially with big fish that are feeding on midges. It will float all day long and beyond…

  • Hook: Mustad C49S # 12
  • Tying thread: Dyneema or GSP
  • Body: Tying thread coloured with felt pen
  • Rib: Dyneema
  • Post: Poly yarn
  • Hackle: CDC fibres spun in a dubbing loop

IOBO

The original IOBO emerger or IOBO Humpy, as it is also known, was designed by Jack Tucker and for years was a somewhat secret pattern, only known to the privileged few. But this tiny non-specific emerger caught on fast and should not be under estimated, it is truly a deadly pattern, and a absolute must have pattern for all grayling fishermen.

Hook: Mustad C49S # 16-22
Tying thread: Grey
Trailing shuck: Two strands of crystal flash
Body/wing: One CDC hackle

5 Easy nymph flies to tie

Zebra midge

Hook: Barbless grub hook # 12-20
Bead: 2.8 mm silver slotted Tungsten bead
Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 Black
Rib: UTC Ultra wire silver
Thorax: Peacock herl

Pheasant tail nymph

Heres my version of the Phasant tail nymph by Frank Sawyer

Montana nymph

  • Hook: Standard nymph hook # 6-12
  • Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 Black
  • Tail: Black hackle fibres
  • Abdomen: Black chenille
  • Wing case: Black chenille
  • Thorax: Green chenille
  • Hackle: Black cock
  • Head: Black

Scruffy Brassie

Hook:  Mustad C49SNP # 6-22

Tying thread:  Dyneema

Body:  Copper wire

Head:  Mixed hares ear dubbing

Grey goose nymph

Frank Sawyer’s grey goose nymph that he developed for mayfly nymph feeding trout and grayling in Swedish Lapland.

5 Easy streamers flies to tie

The Dog Nobbler

Wooly bugger

Most fly fishermen have at one time or another fished with or a variant of the wooly bugger. This is without doubt one of the modern classics, that has only grown in popularity, and not without reason! The Wooly bugger is known as a fish catcher the world over. Its often named when a fishermen is asked, if you could fish with only one fly, what would it be ?

3M Minnow

A great little minnow pattern made from Marabou, Mylar & Mallard flank. It has worked well for sea run browns but should also be just as effective for browns and bows.

The Cormorant

Although a quick and easy tie, this is one of the most popular and effective mini lures of recent years.

Blue flash damsel

One of the most popular patterns in the UK in recent years. When using marabou, the key to getting it right, is to get as much animation in the pattern as possible, it helps using the right marabou in combination with a heavy tungsten bead to attain the optimal swimming and jigging action.

  • Hook: Mustad R75 #8 streamer
  • Head: 3.6 mm Tungsten bead
  • Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 Olive
  • Tail: Olive marabou & 4 strands Boosted wrinkle winter blue
  • Body: UNI Holo tinsel blue
  • Body hackle: Webby olive cock hackle
  • Collar: Olive marabou spun in dubbing loop

Easy wet flies to tie

Coch-y-Bonddu

This well known Welsh pattern represents a small beetle of the same name (red & black) that is found along the river and lake banks of the Welsh countryside. One of the classic peacock herl patterns that trout just love. Here’s the correct way of tying it.

Zulu Blue

Another classic wet fly that has for the most been forgotten but its well worth blowing the dust off this one especially if you are fishing sea run browns in fresh water.

Cruncher

An extremely popular pattern in the UK that is used from both boat and bank. The cruncher has many variants, this is the standard that can be tied on different hook weights and fished all year round.

Bibio

One of the most highly regarded Irish wet flies tied here for both trout and sea trout. Not only a killer pattern but a great fly for the new beginner to tie and have success with.

Hares ear soft hackle

A quick and easy Hares ear soft hackle / wet fly that will work just about anywhere. Fish it up-stream as an emerger / semi dry, let it drift down stream and as it passes you give it a pull and swing it down and across as a wet fly.

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Best Fly Tying Magnifying Glasses
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