Essential fly?

[Troutier bassier]

What is your guys's essential fly? The one that you have to have when you go fishing, and I'm talking any species. No one type in particular. I need more flies cause I'm running a little short.
I plan on fishing a lot of Bluegill/Panfish this year, and also Bass. But will keep fishing Salmon/Steel in season.
Any input would be appreciated. :)

[lesserevil665]

When I used to fly fish oh so many years ago...my had to have it with me at all times fly was always a black woolly bugger with a little flashabou stream in the tail...and my backup must have was a nymph type fly my old science teacher in HS taught me to tie (he was a good guy and one heck of a fly fisherman), but cant remember the name of it...

[Osmosis]

mosquitos, all spring and summer I love them for big ol trout!
then scuds and chronomids of various tiny sizes and colors. One that's been doing well for me since fall is hares ears with or without black bead heads.

Alot of black or dark brown soft hackles can put a whoopin on trout and bluegill too.

A guilty fly rod pleasure of mine is to swing small dick nites through pockets and chutes in rivers like the Tualatin for smallmouth.

[Twise95]

I always have to have 3 different flies with me:

1) stimluator (dry)
2) flashback hare's ear (nymph)
3) joe's hopper! (dry)

The joe's hopper dry fly grasshopper pattern is no doubt my most productive fly during any summer trout trip. Sometimes I throw it on just for the heck of it and more often then not I have success with it. The hare's ear is an essential standby that always seems to do well for me too.

[Gabe]

A red San Juan Worm has been without a doubt my number one fly for trout, even better than the pellet fly. Size 10.
Next up would be a brown flashback bead head in size 12. (which looks like a food pellet)

[stephan009l]

Good o'l fashioned Caddis Elk hair fly in size 12 is one of those I don't leave home without. The rest tend to be the basic one's I've made.