Isn’t it odd? Even if you have three or four fly boxes full of stuff, just before a big trip you feel as though you must tie some more? It is almost as if you are seeking some magic combination that will bring the mother load of trout that hasn’t been equaled since Christ told his Apostles to cast on the other side of the boat.

That is where I find myself right now. I have a one day trip planned for next week and even though I know that in one of my boxes is the right size and type of fly I will need, I am still thinking about when I will have time to tie some up for the trip.

The funny thing is…as always, I will wind up using one of three flies that seem to wind up on my tippet before the day is through. Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Hairs Ear Nymph, and a Parachute Adams. I have every variety of scud, sow bug, midge, caddis, and stone fly in my boxes, but I always return to those three. I have always heard that you should “dance with the one that brung ya”, and in fly selection I am no different. There may be slight variations to the patterns. A little soft hackle here, a little flash there, but the big three are always what I turn to.

I guess it is a lot like life. We are most drawn to the things that make us comfortable, things that we can count on. Even though the temptation or allure of something new excites our imaginations, it is the stability found in choices that take no effort that keep us on track.

There are those hard core fly fishermen who are dead set on matching the hatch, but how many times in a years worth of angling do you encounter a magic hatch? I can personally only recall two or maybe three times when the choice of fly was actually dictated by a massive hatch or the real thing emerging from the water. And even then I probably tied on an Adams with a Hares Ear Dropper. Stubborn to the highest, I cling to my comfort and hope that the trout are not nearly as dead set on the specific as I am.