Well in years past I have always done very good when it comes to fishing for trout with a fly rod. Well this year, so far I have killed. The new patterns I worked on through the winter paid off. The H.Body Dries and new Streamers have opened the flood gates on Trout. The Husby Body Dry fly have been so productive that I have out fished bait anglers in minutes after I have arrived at a lake. So far I have only tried the HB Dry on Steelhead in moving water (and it worked), but this year I will be trying them on Boulder, NF Sauk, Lower Stilly, Jordan Creek, Jim Creek and hopefully the Yakima.

Rods:

Well Trout Fly Rods vary so much. My personal Favorite to use are a 9'0 6wt. or a 9'0 5wt. and you could vary up and down from there anyway depending on the situation and tackle being used. Foe instance a small creek with shy trout using -16 flies you would want a 4wt. or smaller. Where fishing Big fast water with heavy flieas a 7wt. and up would be wise. My suggestion is to buy a 6wt for mostly lake fishing with some river and creek fishing to start off with or a 5wt for more creek fishing with occasual river and lake fishing. A well made 6wt. can be used for everything in my opinion. Try finding a good Lamiglas in a local fly shop of outdoor shop, begin with that. Move up to a more expensive rod later. I would stick to the Lamiglas Series, but Hardy, Sage, Loomis all make great Rods also but you will pay for the name.

Reels:

Find a reel that balances with you rod, not only line wieght but alos will balance with you forefinger at the front of the cork. This is very overlooked when buying a reel but should never be. When a reel will balance you rod at you finger, it allows you to shoot line with a open loose hand, the rod will stay level while the line is shooting out, causing less friction and vibration in the line. The end result is a longer more delicate cast. Also for trout Don't get fancy unless you need to. If you buy a reel because you want to have the nicest on the lake, you should not be fishing. Think what you need. If you are to be trolling flies, and good drag or a very strong clicker pawl. If you are fishing small creeks you don't need a drag at all, since you will probly be pulling most fish in by the line hand. If you will be fishing multiple lines buy a STH reel with cassette system.

Lines:

Damn what a choice now a days. Here is my opinion, DTFT for Creeks to Small Rivers, WFFT for Salt, Rivers and Lakes fishing dries or sub-surface patterns, 15-30ft sinktip for everything else. Don't buy change-able tip lines, they suck. Don't buy shooting heads, they also suck. Don't buy SA lines or Rio lines. buy Cortland or Cortland seconds witch come in multiple brand names. Don't buy cleartip lines they suck. Try to buy something with Dracon core not mono, becasue of memory issues. Cortland 333 or some 444 lines are great.

Patterns:

ahhhhh there are so many where do I start.

Dries-

HB Royal Coachmen, Blue Dun, Blue-Winged Olive, Light Cahill, March Brown, Dark Hendrikson, Royal Coachmen, Para Adams, HB Brown, EXB May Fly,

Nymphs-

Stilly Nymph #1, HB Sanded, A. P. Black, A.P. Muskrat, BH HB Caddis, Carey Special, Flash Back Pheasant Tail, Fox - Squirel, Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear, Hare's Ear Flash Back,  

Midges-

Streamers-

HB Dragon Fly, HB Damsel, Black Matuka, Mrs Simpson, Black Nose Dace, Brown Woolly Bugger, Black Woolly Bugger, Black Leech, Little Brook Trout, Little Rainbow Trout,  

Wet-

Knudson Spider 3x, Alder, Blue Dun Wingless, Blue-Wing Olive (wet), Carey Special, Dark Cahill, Grouse and Orange, Hare's Ear Flymph, Hare's Ear Wet, Light Cahill Wet,  

Terrestrial-

Presentation:

     Streams- On streams I try to use a good no drag presentation, always keeping my line and leader behind the fly. I have found in some waters that casting striaght up stream and letting the fly approach you with the line leading the way does way better. I mainly depends on the paterns you are fishing, a dry mostly fish in the first

     lakes-