Selected Fly Patterns of the Mt. Hood Area

These are my personal favorite fly patterns, the ones that I have taken the time to test and use on the streams and lakes of the Mt. Hood area. Some are attractors while others are imitators. I cannot pretend that I have created all of these fly patterns (the ones that I have created usually have "Kam" in the title, which gives you a sense of my overwhelming modesty) but I have reinvented a few that have become gems on these streams.  Who knows?  When I'm really old and gray (my late thirties and early forties), you can improve these fly patterns or even make an entirely new pattern.

Tan Czech Nymph:

Hook: 10-18 Scud

Weight: Lead Wire

Body: Tan Hare's Ear Dubbing

Rib: Copper Wire

Thorax: Hare's Ear, guard hairs left in

Wing Case: Scud Back, olive or tan

Legs: Hare's Ear guard hairs picked out

Note: This fly is very dense and sinks quickly, making it good for fishing with other flies. It is also extremely effective in its own right and has caught plenty of fish.

 Foam Beetle:

Hook: 10-18

Body: Black, tan, or brown dubbing

Back: Black foam, pulled tightly

Legs: Black, tan, or brown rubber legs

Note: The standard terrestrial pattern I always have in my box when fishing the Mt. Hood streams, this fly is extremely buoyant and virtually unsinkable due to its foam body. It's not original, but a pattern easy to modify and change to suit your needs.

 Kam's Little Black Beetle:

Hook: 16-24

Body: Black Sparkle dub

Back: Black foam

Legs: Krystal Flash

Note: This is an example of one of the many variations of the standard beetle pattern. This one is one of my favorites, tied in small sizes with Krystal flash. It's slightly difficult to see, but a small strike indicator can make it a little easier.

CDC Dun:

Hook: 10-14

Tail: Tan hackle fibers

Body: Tan Dubbing

Wing: Three CDC feathers

Thorax: Tan Dubbing

Note: One of my favorite mayfly patterns, this fly is not only exceptionally buoyant, but is extremely easy to tie and has a natural footprint on the water's surface. It can be tied in an assortment of other colors to match what particular hatch is going on at any moment.

Green Rockworm Soft Hackle:

Hook: 10-14

Body: Green Dubbing

Thorax: Tan or Brown Dubbing

Collar: Hungarian Partridge, stripped on one side.

Note: The soft hackle style of fly is an extremely popular one used to imitate an assortment of different insect species. The one above is one of my favorites.

 Bead Head Pheasant Tail:

Hook: 10-18

Weight: Lead wire or bead head (optional)

Tail: Hare's Ear guard hairs

Body: Hare's Ear dubbing

Rib: Copper wire

Thorax: Hare's Ear dubbing

Wing Case: Turkey quill segments

Legs: Guard hairs picked out.

Note: Everyone knows how to tie this pattern, but I thought it was worthwhile to include it because it has worked so well for me in the area. I tie mine using lighter hare's ear, but the fur from the darker sections can also be effective.

 CDC Caddis:

Hook: 10-14

Body: Orange, tan, grey, or brown dubbing

Wing: Brown CDC feathers

Legs: CDC fibers

Note: This is one of my favorite all time patterns, and is an amazing caddis imitation. Not only does it look as realistic and float as well as most other caddis patterns, but it is extremely easy and convenient to tie. A must have for any fisherman.

 Green Rockworm Standard:

Hook: 10-16

Dubbing: Green dubbing

Thorax: Hare's Ear dubbing

Note: This is the standard Rockworm pattern I usually use. It imitates the cased caddises that are commonly found in the Mt. Hood area, especially near the Salmon and Zigzag rivers.

Sparkle Czech Nymph:

Hook: 10-16 Scud

Weight: Lead wire

Tail: Krystal flash, clipped short

Body: Green, tan, or brown dubbing

Rib: Krystal flash strand

Thorax: Hare's Ear dubbing

Wing Case: Scud back, olive, tan, or brown

Legs: Guard hairs picked out

Note: This nymph works very well in murky or fast moving water, as the flash grabs the attention of most fish. This nymph is a great choice if you aren't sure what exactly you should tie on.

 CDC Royal Coachman:

Hook: 10-16

Tail: Brown hackle fibers

Body: Peacock herl, red floss, and peacock herl in that order

Wing: White CDC feathers

Hackle: Brown Hackle

Note: This pattern, developed to emulate the classic Royal Coachman dry fly, was modified by me to be easier to tie and more buoyant. This was done by adding CDC wings, which not only make the fly more realistic and aforesaid buoyant, but more durable than the classic duck quill segments.

 Kam's Special:

Hook: 8-14, long shank

Weight: Lead wire

Tail: Brown hackle fibers

Body: Black Chenille

Rib: Copper wire (optional)

Collar: Hungarian Partridge or grizzly hackle

Note: This is a true original. It initially came while fooling around at the vise with some materials. I didn't think it would be the least bit effective, until I tried it on a whim one day. Turns out the trout loved it. I don't know exactly what this fly imitates, but it seems to be effective on trout of all sizes. I highly recommend keeping at least one around when fishing, just in case.

Grey Wulff:

Hook: 10-14

Tail: Elk Hair Fibers

Body: Grey Muskrat dubbing or similar

Wings: Elk hair fibers

Hackle: Brown and Grizzly

Note: Probably the most popular dry fly in the Western United States, the Grey Wulff has been modified and changed to suit the needs of fly tiers all across the west. Although the true Grey Wulff is tied in the style of a Blue Dun, my favorite rendition is made to resemble an Adams, with brown and grizzly hackle.

Royal Coachman Soft Hackle:

Hook: 10-14

Weight: Bead head (optional)

Tail: Brown Hackle Fibers

Body: Peacock herl, red floss, and peacock herl in that order

Collar: Hungarian Partridge or brown hen hackle

Note: The very first fish I ever caught were on a Royal Coachman dry. Liking the obvious effectiveness of the pattern, I did some research and found out the dry fly was actually based off of the Royal Coachman wet fly. I also found out that there were streamers, poppers, and bass bugs based off the fly. However, the one I had to try was the soft hackle, and it proved to be an excellent pattern. Use this on any stream or even lake as a starter pattern.

Wooly Bugger:

Hook: 6-12

Weight: Lead wire

Tail: Black, olive, or brown marabou

Body: Black, olive, or brown chenille

Hackle: Black, olive, or brown hen hackle

Rib: Krystal flash strand

Note: The Wooly Bugger. Enough said.

 Damsel Nymph:

Hook: 10-14

Tail: Olive Marabou

Body: Olive Marabou strands

Rib: Copper Wire

Eyes: Melted monofilament or pre-made plastic eyes

Beard: Olive Marabou strands or Wood Duck flank fibers

Note: I always take this to any Mt. Hood lake I fish. It's a standard, always effective pattern, considering that nearly all the Mt. Hood lakes have damsel larvae present in them. The legs on the fly above are wood duck, although I honestly prefer marabou strands.

CDC Emerger:

Hook: 10-14

Tail: Tan CDC Fibers

Body: Tan CDC Fibers

Wing: CDC Wing, tied in a bubble

Note: This fly is tied entirely out of CDC, making it very buoyant. It imitates an emerging insect, and works very well when fished on a floating line in the midst of a heavy hatch.

Loop-Bodied Beetle:

Hook: 10-14

Body: Black, tan, or brown

Back: Loop-bodied foam

Legs: Black, tan, or brown rubber legs

Note: This fly is very similar to the standard beetle, with the exception being the loop in its foam back. The foam loop traps a bubble of air underneath it, making it more buoyant than the standard.

Green Czech Nymph:

Hook: 10-14 Scud

Body: Green dubbing

Rib: Copper Wire

Thorax: Hare's Ear dubbing

Wing Case: Olive scud back

Legs: Guard hairs picked out

Note: One of my "go-to" patterns when fishing the Oak Grove Fork and other streams, this is the standard Czech Nymph, designed to be fished with a team of other nymphs. However, it is still extremely effective on its own.

Flatwater CDC Dun:

Hook: 10-14
Tail: Pair of stripped brown hackles.
Body: Tan dubbing, dubbed in a dubbing loop
Wing: Tan CDC feather
Thorax: Tan dubbing

Note: Similar to the CDC dun, this pattern is more sparsely and realistically tied to be effective on flat, slow-moving water. Thus, this pattern is extremely effective on the Oak Grove Fork meadow for the Brook Trout found there.

Kam's Mayfly Nymph:

Hook: 10-16
Tail: Wood Duck or Mallard flank feather fibers
Body: Muskrat dubbing or Pheasant tail fibers
Rib: Copper Wire
Wing Case: Turkey flat
Thorax: Muskrat dubbing
Legs: Brown or grizzly hackle, pulled over thorax.

Note: This fly is extremely realistic and effective, but a pain to tie. I'll occasionally crank out a few, but it really isn't worth the effort. However, it's still a good fly that I always bring on the water in case I run into some picky fish.

Brassie:

Hook: 10-16 Scud
Body: Copper wire, tightly wound and coated with Laquer
Thorax: Peacock herl

Note: This fly is extremely popular, effective, blah blah blah. I think I'll save the effort of explaining how great this fly is and instead post a picture of a fish caught on one.

 Dark Cahill:

Hook: 10-14
Tail: Wood Duck or Mallard flank fibers
Body: Hare's ear or muskrat dubbing
Wing: Wood Duck or Mallard flank
Hackle: Dark Brown or Badger

Note: This was one of the first patterns I ever learned to tie, straight out of a little pamphlet that only included a few basic flies. It turned out to be a winner, catching fish not only in the Mt. Hood area, but across the entire state.

 Kam's Tail:

Hook: 10-18
Weight: Lead wire or bead head (optional)
Tail: Pheasant tail fibers
Body: Pheasant tail fibers
Rib: Copper wire
Thorax: Hare's Ear or Muskrat Dubbing
Wing Case: Pheasant tail fibers
Legs: Guard hairs picked out

Note: When I was a beginning fly tier, I would have difficulty with the legs of the Pheasant Tail. Frustrated and fed up, I made a thorax out of Hare's Ear Dubbing. After it turned out to be extremely effective, I kept tying it, even after I could easily make the original Pheasant Tail.

Standard Pheasant Tail:

Hook: 10-18
Weight: Lead wire or bead head (optional)
Tail: Pheasant tail fibers
Body: Pheasant tail fibers
Rib: Copper Wire
Thorax: Peacock Herl
Legs: Pheasant tail fibers

Note: The pattern above has obviously been chewed on by a few fish, and thus is an excellent pattern. Or at least I think it has. That could just be my tying.

Sparse-Bodied Caddis:

Hook: 10-14
Body: Orange, tan, grey, or brown dubbing
Wing: Deer hair, flare trimmed out
Hackle: Brown, tied as collar and clipped on top

Note: Another dry fly designed for the Oak Grove Fork Meadow, this pattern is sparsely tied to have a more realistic and natural profile on the water than a standard Elk Hair Caddis.

30 Second Mayfly Nymph:

Hook: 10-18
Weight: Lead wire or bead head (optional)
Tail: Wood Duck or Mallard flank fibers
Body: Hare's ear dubbing
Rib: Copper wire
Thorax: Hare's ear dubbing with guard hairs
Legs: Guard hairs picked out

Note: This is a great fly for the beginner to tie, as it not only is quick and simple (hence the name) but it is best tied to be as scruffy and beat up looking as possible. Some of the finickiest fish I've seen have taken this pattern when it seemed nothing else would work.

Foam-Bodied Ant:

Hook: 10-16
Body: Black foam
Hackle: Brown or black