Large cone head

Hook: size 2 3x streamer (smaller ones are ok too)

Tail: Black marabou w/ a few strands of black Krystal Flash

Body: Black chenille or some flashy chenille

"Hackle" Black Disco Yarn

Collar: Big, webby grizzly hackle, red thread wraps

Some of our favorite and most productive flies.  

Hook: size 12 to 18 wet fly

Tail: Either white (clear) or tan antron

Body: Sparkle dubbing color to match natural. Peacock is always a good choice too

Rib (optional) Fine copper, gold or silver wire

Over wing: Clear antron slightly longer than the hook shank

Wing and throat: Partidge

This simple, little fly has been one of my most effective producers for years. Gary LaFontaine was the inspiration for this pattern. Tied in the size and color of mayflies and caddis flies this fly will work! Fish it either in the surface film during a hatch behind a dry, or down deep behind a big, heavy bugger. Tied with a bead head and fished deep prior to and in the early stages of a hatch this fly drives trout crazy.
These top two flies did not end up here by accident. If I could only fish two flies they would be a big, black bugger trailed with the emerger below . Fished alone these two flies are killers. Fished together, well, just give em a try.

Hook: size 12 to 18 wet   Thread: Color to match natural

Bead: Gold or silver sized to match hook size

Abdomin : Pheasant tail

Rib: Copper, gold or silver wire

Thorax: Peacock

Hackle: Any soft hackle to match natural

 

Another simple fly that just catches lots of fish. This fly trailed behind a heavy bugger down real deep and swimming those seem lines catches fish, big fish.

Hook: size 2 3x streamer

Thread: Black

Head: Large cone, any color, spun and clipped deer hair

Body: Flash chenille

Wing: Black Zonker strip

Rib: Copper wire

 

Hook: Size 2 3x streamer

Head: Large silver cone

Thread: Olive

Tail: Olive marabou topped with yellow, few strands Krystal Flash

Body: Olive/brown flash chenille, with yellow legs tied in first

Hackle: Grizzly

Rib: Fine copper wire

The Black Betty. A good fishin' buddy loves  slamming big browns with this fly. (There may be a more formal name for this pattern, but this is what Gary calls it and he first introduced me to it.) I can still hear him as we float down the river singing the Ram Jam song of the same name. He has an uncanny way of timing the lyrics of the song to when the fish hits. " Whoa Black Betty bam-ba-lam". During the "bam-ba-lam" part the big brown slams the fly. He has done this so many times it is almost frightening.
Another great color combination. Sometimes the fish just want something besides a black bugger. One of the best early season floats, early March, in recent years was saved by this fly.