Favorite patterns for Czech/Euro nymphing

**AaronJasper** · 11-11-2008, 08:19 AM

Copper Johns! ... Not! I think the Chernobyl ant catches more fish!

**troutzilla37** · 11-11-2008, 05:22 PM

[quote author=DejonHamann link=topic=2030.msg15063#msg15063 date=1226375601]
I used to commit the worst faux pas after fishing a beat in competition and ask fellow competitors what patterns were working for them. The answer was invariably: "pheasant tails and hares ears!" I always thought they were giving me the polite "You're such a freaking rookie, f-off, and learn not to ask stupid questions!" Well, I was partially right. The other side of it is they were actually using pheasant tales and hares ears

[/quote]

I agree 100%. I have fishing in two Youth World Championships thus far , the 07 one is the US and the 08 one in Portugal with the Youth FF Team USA. I didnt fish very well either time finishin no better than 38 but the 4th session in portugal a czech kid a spanish kid an myself beat the frenchman, Frederic Letexiar that was youth world champion last year and was in the running for a medal this year until that point, he ended up 4th. Just a side note but his younger brother Johnathan was world champion this year. Talk about a fishing family. Any how later that night after the comp was over i was talkin with the kid up in his room . Hes actually a really nice kid and he showed me his fly box he fished with the previous year in our country. It was a a box simply of various hairs ears with different beads, dubbing blends, and hot spots. Which proves to me its really not the pattern, its the technique.

**jhouseman** · 11-11-2008, 11:13 PM

That's a great account troutzilla - thankyou! Great to have a member of the Youth Fly Fishing Team USA aboard this forum. A real honor. How many team members do we have now? Loren and Troutzilla? Very cool. I'm really jealous that you and the other team member have had LW and George Daniels as exclusive teachers/coaches over the last 2 years. Especially GD, can you impart any insight into the general makeup of his comp boxes? I've often heard he fishes dry/dropper almost exclusively.

Btw, don't fret about your finish. You were there and competed! That's freaking awesome! Once again I'm jealous. Wish I could have had that kind of experience at your age!

**troutzilla37** · 11-12-2008, 12:06 AM

Thanks. Its deffinetly an honor to be apart of the Youth Team. I have met some terrific anglers that are some of my best friends from the team. I learned alot from Loren and George. They are great anglers, coaches, and great people for that matter to want to take the time to teach us younger anglers. I have improved so much. As for patterns we just keep it simple. We work more on technique. Pattern is lower on the list than technique. As i have said above the best anglers on the world stage use HE's nothing fancy and even at that rate, everybody does there own thing thats what its about finding out what works for you and not trying to be exaclty like the french. Have confidense in what you do ! On a beat that i might take for example 10 on dries by stealth the next angler might run up the middle ripping streamers and take the same amount. Whose to say which technique is better ? You can't go wrong with the patterns you were talking about in the post above. I fish alot of the same types of things. And although i was there and competed. I had a broken hand and competed with a splint on my left hand haha so it was tough. But i lost focuse and didnt do my best.