Spring Fly Patterns for Stocked Ponds

[AxeMan]

Help me out here guys. I am just getting ready to hit my stocked ponds again with the fly rod this weekend. The ice is off and the water is crystal clear. What fly patterns have you had good luck on in the early spring for rainbows? Both wet and dry flies?

I have been using nymphs with gold beaded heads such as the prince nymph and mosquito and midge patterns for dry flies in the past with success. It might be a touch early for dry patterns but I have found that they will take them early in the past. Any proven patterns would be appreciated.

[Paul C]

I use the black one with a few strips of green foil or the beaded green with a few strips of green foil.
Happy Fish Hunting :D

[AxeMan]

Paul, you are welcome to come along. I just paid my membership today. He said the fish did well this winter and I have some more good news about the ponds. Call me and bring your flies.

[greylynx]

A small piece of turkey feed or fish feed stuffed in a little ball of nylon stocking on a size 10-14 3x long nymph hook.:D

[Doc]

Chironomid larva, wooly buggers, scuds and especially water boatman.

Cheers,
Doc

[fishstix]

After they get stocked,You can pretty much use anything in those ponds.
Last season as a joke i tied a small piece of shoelace to a hook and it worked.
Heres a link to albertas stocked lakes.
http://www.srd.alberta.ca/FishingHuntingTrapping/SportFishing/FishStockingMap.aspx
If you snoop around the srd site a bit you'll find more info on stocked lakes.

Fishstix!!

[drhook]

Whenever in doubt on dryflys hook up the old faithful Royal Coachman. I don't believe they represent anything but they always come through.

[Kingfisher]

Any time is a good time to use a leech pattern. I like a bead headed sparkle leech. Or a black or red leech. Or even a black and red mixed.

For chronomids I'd always go with a black with red rib. No matter what time of year it is.

Rob

[Paul C]

After they get stocked,You can pretty much use anything in those ponds.
Last season as a joke i tied a small piece of shoelace to a hook and it worked.
Heres a link to albertas stocked lakes.
http://www.srd.alberta.ca/FishingHuntingTrapping/SportFishing/FishStockingMap.aspx
If you snoop around the srd site a bit you'll find more info on stocked lakes.

Fishstix!!
ShoeLace fly ? I thought Mr. Axeman was looking for actual flies

[AxeMan]

I got 4 rainbows today all about 2.5 lbs. They seemed to like a bit of red or orange on the fly. I wonder if they are eating the eggs that a few of them are popping out. Only saw a couple rise. The red chironomid pattern was working today. Damn wind was a pain today.

[steve]

Paul, you are welcome to come along. I just paid my membership today. He said the fish did well this winter and I have some more good news about the ponds. Call me and bring your flies.

Axeman, are you fishing at E.G's deer farm?

[AxeMan]

Axeman, are you fishing at E.G's deer farm?

Yes :)

[jrs]

They were hammering black leaches this past weekend. A few were taking chironomids as well but the leaches were definetly the ticket.

[steve]

Yes :)

I fish out there quite a bit too, I use a strike indicator with any little gold bead head chronomid about 18-24'' below it, when they start rising I use a Elk hair caddis for the rest of the year.

[AxeMan]

Steve, during the summer when they are rising like mad try one of these floating foam back water beetle flies. They absolutely destroy it. I have good luck on the gold bead heads as well, especially with a black and silver striped body. See you out there sometime. :wave:

[steve]

Steve, during the summer when they are rising like mad try one of these floating foam back water beetle flies. They absolutely destroy it. I have good luck on the gold bead heads as well, especially with a black and silver striped body. See you out there sometime. :wave:

I will have to try that thanks.

[Paul C]

Just wondering were you got that beetle ? :wave:

[aulrich]

One fly I like on stock ponds, and I forget it exact name but the orig pattern was deer hair tail and wing case, peacock body and grizz hackle 14 or 16 dryfly hook. I swapped out tan foam for the wingcase to make it more durable.