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The British Columbia Fly Box

British Columbia is a sprawling province with a wide range of fishing water. Kathy Ruddick was challenged to come up with a bare minimum fly box - a survival box - that would arm a fly fisherman for any water, anywhere in B.C., in any season.
She compiled the following. A dozen trout flies, and nine bucktail patterns to be used mostly for steelhead, salmon or sea run cutthroat.

Trout Flies
Idaho Nymph
Chan's Frostbite Chironomid
Marabou Damsel
Maroon Marabou Leech
Parachute Adams
Black Interior Chironomid
Tom Thumb
Doc Spratley
Hare's Ear Bead Head Nymph
Lake Dragon Fly Nymph
Pheasant Tail Emerger
Elk Hair Caddis
Salmon, Steelhead and Sea Run Cutthroat Flies
Smiley Needlefish
Gold Rolled Muddler
Joe's Prawn
Polar Bear Beach Fly
Flash Dance Deceiver
Natural Bomber
Polar Bear Bucktail
Bead Head Flash Fly
Coho Killer
Kelsey's Hope (A River Never Sleeps . com favorite)

For salmon in Freshwater, rainbow, cutthroat and bull trout and Dolly Varden Char.

Hook:
For medium water use a Daiichi #2055 Size 5 hook (Other hooks will work but it is essential that it be an up eye hook of Gold color although I have used a Mustad #340007 Size 6 with success as well. Tie larger, longer and bushier flies for heavy dirty waters and a low water version on smaller hooks with little dressing.

Body:
1st - Mylar wrap the hook with Mylar Tinsel 3/64ths wide works the best (Uni-Tinsel #12)
2nd - Wrap the tinsel with monofilment leader material. I use Maxima 10 or 15lb Leader material Clear

Wing:
1st - Apply about 12 strands of Hareline Dubbin Inc's Krystal Flash Pearl #9 or similar material.
2nd - Apply the same amount of dark green bucktail slightly longer than the Krystal Flash.
3rd - Apply the same amount of dark blue bucktail slightly longer than the green bucktail.

Whip finish and cement the head. Except for the body which takes some time it's a simple and effective pattern. And its important to wrap the body with mono for effect and to protect the Mylar from being ripped on the teeth of fish.

This fly is fished just like any other streamer pattern, but can be strip retrieved when fished in slow or dead water.

Want to know more about this fly visit our back issues story on Kelsey's Hope here!


Visit A River Never Sleeps, preferred Fly Fishing Site Hosts


A River Never Sleeps pages about Fly Fishing in Western Canada are linked below