Flies in the Box

SHEPPARD’S JAPANESE BEETLE (×3/×6)
As months get warmer insects abound in our parks. Crawling along the bank or flying low across the water, they are a constant snack for our underwater friends. Brian’s mom hated the Japanese Beetles that decimated her flowers every year. So he thought, “Man! Fish would go nuts for those little guys!” He was right. This imitation matches the original in all aspects with the added benefit of a bright sighter on top. Another EXCELLENT fly to use in your dry dropper rigs as temps rise and fish go deep! Color: Classic Peacock

FUR ANT (×2/×4)
This old standby needs no introduction and is equally at home in NYC as it is on a trout stream in Montana. Cruising blades of grass along the bank, ants often misstep and end up as appetizers for fish. This pattern is great gelled up and worked in the surface film or fished deep in the warmer months. Color: Black

CP BABY HOPPER (×2/×4)
Brian loves Charlie Craven's Baby Boy Hopper. Hell, he loves all of Charlie’s patterns, but this one has a practical home in ponds abounding with ravenous panfish. As city goers, our fishing time is limited and we have to get out regardless of conditions and the water is often murky at best. This little fly creates plenty of disturbance and the fish tear them up faster than we can stock ‘em! Thanks Charlie! Colors: Green or Tan

BARR LEECH (×2/×4)
John Barr dons this great streamer as the “rubber worm” of flies. A lightly weighted leech pattern, the Barr Leech is a catch all alternative to many streamers and has accounted for nearly every species you can imagine. For those of you hunting for bass in the park, here’s your answer. Color: Olive

SHEPPARD’S CP CRUNCHER (×3/×6)
Brian found himself needing a small fly with great movement and a little bling that he could whip up quickly. Adapted from the British style of “cruncher,” he ties a thorax of fluorescent Ice Dub into a silhouette of a soft hackle pheasant tail. An awesome alternative when a little depth is needed. Colors: Chartreuse, Orange, and Pink Variants

Brian’s Advice

New York City’s parks are part of my daily life, as they are for millions of people. When I explain that  “Yes! You can fish in the parks,” people look at me like I have six heads. For a beginning angler, this gives you an opportunity to learn to fish just like most of us did: in warm-water ponds for panfish. Into late spring, you can often sight fish bluegill beds in the flats right by the banks. A CP cruncher or small beadhead hung just off the bottom and underneath a floating beetle may be the only flies you need all day. As days warm up, allowing your flies time to sink and reach the cooler water along structure is the way to go. Fish right up against the bank. The concrete seawalls hold plenty of cold, dark places for these fish to rest and casting there may be the only place to find fish.