Take a look at your fly boxes. A real hard look. Be honest with yourself. How many of those flies buried deep among a hundred other flies actually worked last year. If you’re like me there are only a handful of them that truly performed.
This season try and go skinny. Skinny meaning less flies in your packs and more emphasis on your technique and presentation. While working resident trout take 5 – 7 patterns each with a few different colour combinations. Same with Steelhead or Smallmouth Bass (even less) or Musky. Working the river and getting the fly in front of the fish is more important then changing patterns every 5 minutes to finding that lucky fly. Most good fly fisherman have a few “go to” patterns that they constantly use and fish with confidence.
It is this confidence that gives you the focus to drift that fly towards the fish. Travel light, and fish smart.
