Barr's Box: An Inside Look at the Fly Boxes of an Expert Colorado Fly Tier

This article originally appeared in the May 2005 issue of Fly Fisherman. 

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You can't carry enough flies to cover every fishing situation you encounter, but most of us fish the same waters year after year and have an idea of the imitations we need to carry. In this article I am going to discuss the core patterns in my box for fishing in the Rockies. I only use some of them for specific situations, but instead of trying to remember to add a particular pattern for a seasonal hatch, I generally carry all my flies. Many of these patterns work equally well for hatches in the East.

I fish for trout primarily in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho from early spring through late fall. When the fishing is good, I go out in the winter. The fish in these areas can be heavily pressured, so many of my patterns are designed to trigger wary fish or look as unobtrusive as the natural and not spook fish.

I carry a minimal number of patterns, but I include many sizes of specific patterns depending on the insect each represents. For example, I carry Baetis mayflies ranging from #18 to#26, PMDs ranging from #16 to #20, and caddis from #16 to #20. Though I am aware of larger and smaller caddis, I don't encounter them enough to justify adding more fly boxes or bumping a row of flies that I use more often. I carry three large 18-compartment fly boxes in my kit bag loaded with flies to restock the smaller fly boxes I carry in my vest.

These are the patterns that I have the most faith in because they have been successful for me over the years. There are, however, many other good patterns for a given situation. The fly patterns I carry work well for me because I am confident in them. You just need to build up your boxes with your confidence patterns, develop a system for organizing your boxes that works well for you, and hope the planets line up on your next fishing trip.

Box One

Box one is my nymph box and contains all of the flies that I fish subsurface, though not all of them represent a specific immature stage of an aquatic insect.

Side 1. I devote this entire side to various colors of Copper Johns, because they are effective for me wherever I fish. I most often fish them in conjunction with another nymph, either with or without a forge dry fly as an indicator. [See "Barr's Hopper-Copper-Dropper," FFM September 2002. THE EDITOR.]

I carry Copper Johns in #12 to #22 in nine colors–copper, red, chartreuse, green, wine, blue, silver, zebra, and black. For deeper water or fish that need extra attraction, I often use Copper Johns with tungsten beads and rubber legs in olive/black, copper/copper-brown, blue, and red.

Jumbo Johns include a black with a salmon-colored bead and black legs, a copper/copper-brown with an orange bead and orange legs, and a • ginger/black with pumpkin-colored rubber legs–all with hen-back collars.

Copper Johns with rubber legs often come in handy when fish seem to respond to the added action. I like to trail the Jumbo Johns behind a streamer or use them in combination with other nymphs in the spring when the water is high and discolored.

Side 2. Copper Johns are general patterns. The nymphs on this side are designed to imitate specific food items.

Row 1, Tung Teaser (#12-18). This is my replacement for the Prince Nymph and is a good all-around pattern with white biol tails, synthetic peacock dubbing, lead underbody, and a tungsten bead. When there isn't significant mayfly or caddis activity, I fish this fly as the second or last fly in a three-nymph setup. When fishing it with a Hopper indicator, I trail it below another nymph. It is a good Green Drake nymph.

Row 2, Net Builder Caddis larva (#14-16). Caddis are ubiquitous food items for trout in most rivers. I tie this pattern in green/olive, amber, and cream. Though the pattern is called the Net Builder, it also doubles as a free-living caddis larva. I fish this from March through June when our streams have the most caddis activity. The green version of this fly is effective when the various Brachycentrus species start moving- especially during the Mother's Day caddis hatch in April and May.

Row 3, Golden Tungstone (#10-18) in flashback and plain versions.This Golden Stonefly imitation has a tungsten b ad and lead underbody, so it gets down in faster, heavier water where stonefly nymphs live. Often I fish stoneflies in the spring when the rivers are slightly discolored; at that time, the flashback version is a good choice. I fish Golden Stones in the late winter and spring before the Salmonflies start hatching (then I use dark stonefly nymphs} and again through the summer.

Row 4, Dark Tungstone (#6-10).1 like the flashback version of this fly because I usually fish these patterns in off-colored water when Salmonflies emerge in May and June. When fishing this fly in a multiple­ nymph setup, it is my first fly, usually followed by a Copper John and a Baetis emerger, Net Builder, or Graphic Caddis.

Row 5, Cranefly larva (#8-10). Many rivers have abundant populations of cranefly larvae, but because most of them hatch at night, anglers are not aware of them or don't pay much attention to them.

Though I only carry this fly in two sizes, naturals can be larger or smaller. Last year, I did not find a bad time to fish cranefly larvae, but this pattern was especially effective in the spring and summer.

Row 6, Aquatic worms (#8-14). Some people think that the only time trout see worms is after heavy rains that wash earthworms into the river. In reality, many rivers have substantial populations of aquatic worms that closely resemble their earthen relatives. Red patterns tied with chenille and wire are my favorite.

Row 7, Eggs (#10-16). If there is any spawning activity, eggs work well throughout the river. Rainbows and cults spawn in the spring; whitefish and browns in the fall. To imitate whitefish eggs, I use a #1B yellow egg pattern. I do not cast to fish on redds. One of my most effective techniques for sight-fishing is to get above the fish, cast long, pull my line back, and then use the highly visible egg to line my trailing nymph up with the fish. Then I put total slack in my leader and let the nymph dead-drift into the fish's face. I watch for a white mouth or other sudden movement and set the hook. If I do not see a white mouth open, Ido not set.

Row 8, Pure Midge Larva (#18-24). In certain fisheries, especially tailwaters, midge larvae are important parts of the trout's diet. My three favorite colors are fluorescent red, blue, and chartreuse. I often fish this as the last fly in a multiple-nymph rig.

Box Two

Side One. Most of the flies in this box are for those times when I encounter rising fish. Rows 1 through 4 are Viz-A-Duns, my favorite mayfly dun pattern. The hackle is tied thorax-style, trimmed on the bottom, and the hackle stem is glued into the dubbing with vinyl cement. This protects the fragile hackle stem, even in the smallest sizes. I also cement the base of the Compara-dun­style wing so that ii maintains its shape after many trout.

This pattern catches fish whether they are feeding on duns, emergers, or cripples, and it serves as a highly visible, buoyant strike indicator that lets you know whether you are getting a good drag-free drift. Even in #24, you can see this fly well. The hackle helps keep the fly floating while it supports an emerger dropper.

Rows 1-2, Baetis Viz-A-Dun (#18-26). Baetis are the most prolific mayfly in the Rockies and can hatch any day from March through November. The heaviest hatches often occur in the spring and fall.

Row 3, Trico Viz-A-Dun (#18-24). Trico duns do not have black bodies like the Trico Viz-A-Duns. They typically have olive or cream-and-olive bodies, and the Boetis Viz-A-Dun is an excellent match for the Trico adult. I use the Trico Viz-A-Dun when trout rise to Trico spinners. In my area, Tricos hatch daily from early July through October. The spinners hit the water mid to late morning and provide most of the Trico fishing.

My standard setup when fishing a Trico spinnerfall is 6X fluorocarbon to the Trico Viz-A-Dun and 6 to 8 inches of 6X fluorocarbon to a Trico Sunken Spinner. One quarter of the fish take the Viz-A-Dun; the rest take the Sunken Spinner. The Viz-A-Dun lets you know whether you are getting a drag-free drift, which is essential with spinners, and acts as a strike indicator.

Row 4, PMD Viz-A-Dun (#16-20). PMDs are the last of the big three mayflies that predictably bring up rising trout in the Rocky Mountain region for an extended period of time. PMDs hatch from late spring through early fall. The best hatches occur in early to mid summer; however, never with the numbers or predictability of Baetis or Tricos. They can hatch at any time of the day from mid morning through evening.

Rows 5-7, Web Wing Caddis (#16-20)-raw 5, tan; row 6, brown; row 7, dark dun. These durable, realistic caddis patterns imitate most of the naturals that I see. The wing is Web Wing, a durable material from Hareline that holds its shape and is superglued to the body so that it maintains its realistic profile after repeated hookups. It is a great flatwater pattern and ii is also effective when fished in tandem with Mike Lawson's E-Z Caddis.

Rows 8-10, Lawson's Spent-winged Caddis, E-Z Caddis, and Yellow Sallies (#16-18). Mike Lawson's Spent-winged Caddis and E-Z Caddis with olive and Ian bodies round out my adult caddis patterns. I like to use a Web Wing or Spent-winged Caddis trailed behind an E-Z Caddis indicator. Web Wing Yellow Sallies or yellow Stimulators are good imitations for Yellow Sallies, small stoneflies that can range in color from yellow to lime green depending on where you fish. Often PMDs and Yellow Sallies hatch at the same time. If trout are rising, try an adult PMD and Yellow Sally combo.

Side Two. This side holds the emerger, pupa, or spinner stages of the adult stages on the opposite side of the box. The last row holds beetles and ants.

Row 1, Micro Emergers (#20-24). These small, slim emerger patterns represent small Baetis or midge pupae.

Rows 2 and 3, Baetis Barr Emergers (#16-24) in plain, flash. back, and beadhead versions. The flashback emerger is my favorite, although fish that see a lot of flies may only be fooled by the plain version. This pattern accounts for more of my fish caught over the past 29 years than any other pattern in my box. In the winter, it is an excellent choice as a small Baetis or midge pupae and is responsible for countless fish on the Frying Pan, Blue, and Colorado rivers. The Barr Emerger is a great bottom fly in a nymph or Hopper-Copper-Dropper setup at any time of the year.

Rows 4 and 5, PMD Barr Emergers (#16-18), floating and sinking versions. The floating version is tied on a Tiemco 101 light wire, flat hook; the sunk version on a 2488H (heavy wire, curved).This is a must-have pattern for me if there has been PMD or Yellow Sally activity. Most stoneflies crawl onto the bank to hatch, but Yellow Sallies hatch in the river like PMDs.

During a hatch, I hang either the floating or sinking emerger off the bend of the PMD Viz-A-Dun. Sometimes rising fish want a pattern in the film or right beneath the surface. I'll switch back and forth depending on what the fish prefer.

Both the floating Baetis and PMD Emergers double as cripples. A great combination to use if there has been PMD or Yellow Sally activity isa #16 red Copper John with a #16 Flashback PMD Barr Emerger hung off the bend.

Row 6, Graphic Caddis Pupa (#14-18). I fish the green pupae in spring and summer and1hetaninfal, though there are exceptions. This pattern has been one of my three best producers over the past four years. It has a silver holographic butt that I believe triggers takes. I swing it to rising fish or use it as1he bottom fly when nymphing. In my opinion, most caddis pupa patterns are too bulky. Real caddis pupa are sleek with a hump in the rear.

Rows 7-9, Trico, Baetis, and PMD spinners. As with the PMD and Baetis emergers, I carry these tied on heavy- and light-wire hooks for drowned and floating versions. Baetis spinners dive beneath the water to lay their eggs on the bottom of the river. Some end up in the surface film, so I carry a few small olive and rusts pinners in #18-22.

For PMD spinnerfalls, I carry both rust and olive versions in#16-18. If trout are rising to PMD spinners, I always fish them in tandem with a #16-18 PMD Viz-A-Dun as an indicator. If there have been regular, heavy spinnerfall, the PMD Sunken Spinner is a good choice as the bottom fly in a nymph rig.

When fishing Trico spinner fall, my first choice isa #18-24 Trico Viz-A­ Dun with a #18-24 Trico Sunken Spinner trailed off the bend on 6 to8 inches of 6X tippet. After the trout quit rising, I fish the heads of runs with a hopper, #18 black Copper John, and a Trico Sunken Spinner to catch trout that have moved up to feed on drowned naturals.

Row 10, beetles and ants. I carry a few beetles and both winged and plain ants. For me, these are necessary patterns. If I have a trout feeding irregularly near the honk, I can catch him on a beetle. If I cannot get a trout to take a fly representing what the fish is actually feeding on, most often I tie on a beetle.

Box Three

This box is smaller than the first two and contains all drys. One side is filled with B.C. Hoppers (#6-10). Spring through fall, I usually fish a Hopper­Copper-Dropper if there are no rising fish. The B.C. Hopper is buoyant and highly visible in all light conditions. The B.C. Hopper is not just a hopper, which most anglers think of as a fall pattern. The tan-and-yellow-bodied versions catches hopper and Golden Stonefly eaters, and the orange-bodied pattern is a great Salmonfly imitation.

The second side of this box contains a few of the mayflies that I might luck into such as Mahogany Duns and Green Drakes. If I know Green Drakes are hatching, I add a few reserves to my supply. The rest of side two consists of some Wulffs and various Kaufmann's Stimulators in different sizes and color combinations. The Stimulators and Wulffs are great searching, small­ stream, and dry-dropper patterns.

Box Four

In this small box, I carry four streamer patterns, all made from fur and marabou, which look alive in the water. In all my streamers, I like natural colors such as olive, rust, black, tan, and cream. The Slump Buster (#4-10) is tied entirely with pine-squirrel Zonker strips and has a tungsten or brass cone. This is a perfect baitfish silhouette when stripped, and deadly when allowed to dive behind rocks and into drop-offs. Slump Busters without cones are nice trailers behind the conehead Slump Buster or in shallow water.

The Bouface (#4-10) is tied with a rabbit or pine-squirrel Zonker strip with minimal flash and marabou collar. The gold bead gives it a slow dive rate. It is effective dead-drifted in rivers or fished in lakes. Some in New Zealand dead-drift this fly under an indicator with good results.

The Meat Whistle (#4-8) is tied on a jig hook so that it rides hook point up. This fly is designed to be fished on the bottom and hopped along like a crayfish. Fish are used to seeing flies stripped through the water column but not hopped along the bottom. You can strip or dead-drift it as well. Many rivers have good populations of crayfish; however, they are often nocturnal or hidden under rocks so many fisherman are not aware of them. My largest river fish in 2004 was caught on a Meat Whistle–a rainbow just under 10 pounds.

Box Five

My stillwater box contains flies that I have chosen after 30 years of lake and reservoir fishing. I carry Callibaetis emergers (#14-16), damselfly nymphs (#10-12), red and chartreuse Copper Johns (#14-16), scuds (#12-16), a variety of midge larvae and pupae, and beadhead Boufaces (#6-10).

If the fish are heavily pressured, fishing nymphs under on indicator is my most successful approach. The only movement of the flies comes from waves on the water's surface or o hand twist to twitch the flies. The first fly is always o Copper John in either red or chartreuse, which sinks the flies and catches plenty of fish. If the fish haven't been pounded, o variety of retrieves work. I coordinate my fly selection to whatever insect activity is going on. Usually I fish three nymphs under on indicator, with my lost fly near the bottom. For example, if there is Callibaetis, damselflies, and midge activity, I start with o #16 red Copper John because most midge larvae are red. Behind it I trail a damsel nymph and a Callibaetis emerger. If I am casting and retrieving, my first fly is an olive beadhead Bouface followed by a damselfly nymph. I cast and let the rig sink on a clear intermediate line and then try a variety of retrieves.

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John Barr is a fly designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

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