Kelly Galloup, guide extraordinaire, owner of Slide Inn resort on the Madison River in Montana, and developer of a list of flies like the Nancy P., Game Changer series, etc., visited our MSFF FFI club a few months ago. Kelly is well known for fishing from a boat with big articulated flies that land huge fish. I tend to wade most of the time, which means a bit different type of fishing (although I do occasionally fish a streamer).

One of the things that Kelly discussed during his presentation was color. Something I don’t think enough about when filling the fly box. His idea: when you’re searching for ‘the fly’ that’s going to work, alternate dark to light colors: if you’re fishing black, try white; brown or olive, try yellow or chartreuse. It’s not quite like the color wheel I learned about in elementary school art, but it does work.

I’ve started tying matching flies for the fly box. If I tie trout crack (white or orange), I’ll tie a similar midge in black or olive. If I’m carrying Olive Buggers, I also carry White Buggers.

And I”m starting to experiment with weight as well. Lightly weighted vs. more heavily weighted.

At one point, I’d decided to switch completely to tungsten beads (heavier); now I’m putting more brass beads on my files. But I tie them in pairs: Heavy and light.

Try it you’ll like it.

Now was red thread for tungsten or brass…