Some cool ice out patterns

[The fly fisher]

i started realy getting into fly fishing two years ago and was flie fishing for browns in alberta right after the river unfroze(im only 14 years old) and had no luck. I have no idea what is the first bug that hatches or anything so i need to get as much info as posable before it melts. i did get 1 with a hairs ear but it was probly just luck.

[Magnet]

Welcome Fly fisher! You definately will learn a lot here.

[Mantis]

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[AaronJasper]

Welcome to the site!

The hare's ear is a killer nymph! Don't get overwhelmed with all of the different fly patterns. The old standby's often get ignored but are great producers!

I would go in there with some sort of streamer after ice out. Those browns should be looking for a meal.

Does the stream have stoneflies? If so a large rubberlegs stonefly pattern might be tough to beat! Mantis' advice of pitching the flies upstream and taking out the slack line is a great simple way to start nymhing.... even though he made it "overly" simple, you will catch fish doing just that

[The fly fisher]

thanx guys i will have to trie some stone flies because there were some under the rocks last year.
This is a pretty cool site
And ill tie up some green weenies they are suspost to work good and they are very easy to tie.

[euroflifisher]

Hey Fly fisher, sounds like you've joined the brotherhood, good job.

Now my advice for figuring out what is hatching is to buy a hatch guide for your area, probably the best 15 dollars(if exchange rates haven't changed) that you will ever spend. The other thing I'd recommend is to get on the good side of some of the older guys, they are a wealth of knowledge. Lastly, go to your local fly shop and ask around, someone should be willing to help you.

One thing that the shop guys will help you with also is local names for bugs and fish. Believe me, knowing this vocab is a major help when deciphering the information about conditions that you recieve. Also, I believe that stoneflies are often referred to as salmon flies in Canada, I think this is right but be sure to know the difference if there is one. Any way feel free to pm me also with any questions.

[SirJohnny]

Hi there:

- Welcome to the world of fly-fishing.

- Your best bets would be hare-ear nymphs, and pheasant-tail nymphs. These are
great starter patterns, and won't knock your fishing budget.

- I would talk to your local fly-shop and see if they have a Thompson Vice lying around
that you can pick up for $10 or $15. A pheasant tail clump runs $5. Hooks $10 for 100.
Can use copper wire from an old electrical motor (hint: model train transformer, or
engine motor).

- You can look on Youtube for videos on how to tie pheasant tail nymph and hares-ear
nymph. See if you can find a video n how to tie Al's rat. It's just brown thread for
the body and muskrat (can use grey cat/dog hair) for the collar. Tie it on a size #20
hook.

- Those three patterns will get you started, and will be productive throughout the
season.

- By the way, where are you located (city, town???). May be able to point you in
the right direction. If not, I am sure others here will.

Tight lines.

John Coxey
(Syracuse, NY, USA)

[The fly fisher]

thanks guys i will tie some of those patterns up and hope for some better early year luck this year.

im from around central alberta around red deer or calgary

lots of help exept should i be fishing by the bottom with a long leader and split shot/s or just a dead drift with a weighted nymph or a buzzer/chiromonid or a strike indicator

also are there much drys of the start when the ice melts or terestrials i get most exitment seeing a big trout grab your flie than guesing,feeling, or watching a strike inicator (i normaly fish the middle of summer or start of fall)

ive got a good idea of what the bugs names are so they would help so i can make my own patterns to imitate them

[cluster]

you'll have the most luck fishing flies close to the bottom. however you choose to do that is up to you. strike indicator or high stick/ long leader both work. just use the appropriate ammount of weight.

[euroflifisher]

Also there are some drys, but at your latitude they won't show up in large numbers until spring is in full swing. That doesn't mean though that you can't catch them on drys but that is a lower percentage technique for the moment. Just do what cluster says, should get you into some good fish.