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[Colersmom]

Hi guys, what flies/leaders do yall use for cutthroat and bullies at this time of year?

[RalphH]

A number flies are effective at this time of year. The Wooly Bugger, muddler minnow, various egg and flesh flies, alevins and just about about any fly that looks like a small fish or minnow. Larger flies for bull trout and a bit smaller for cutthroat. There are photos and pattern recipes for a number of such flies in the Fly Fishing Cafe pages. There don't need to be those flies but if they look like that you'll be on the right track.

[clarki]

I suspected there would be a number of articles online re flies for BC cutthroat. I did a quick search and found a number. Suggest giving Google a whirl.

Also the FWR archives can be a gold mine, here’s an example:
http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=26104.0

[RalphH]

I made a post or two in that thread such as this one suggesting people follow the KISS principle - keep it simple "stupid"

You don't need a lot of patterns. Carry fewer patterns in various sizes. What you carry should be tuned to the time of year to some extent.

Examples: Minnow or Baitfish:  Rolled muddler, Tied down Mylar minnow #6 to #10. You can throw in a regular muddler and that will work (all year)

Streamers: Mickey Finn - same sizes. You can throw in a Professor or a darker set of patterns like a March Brown wet, a Coachman or a silver brown (mostly in the fall)

Alevin: Egg & eye (winter only)

Nymphs: generalistic nymphs # 6 to #16 ie hare's ear, half back, prince nymph (best winter & early spring but all year)

Midges/Chironomids: griffiths gnat, TDC : these are usually very small #16 to #18. Trout love' em tho' (winter early spring)

Emergers:  any soft hackle #10 to #16

Dry Flies: Mayflies and stoneflies. Mays are in 2 sizes basically either a #10 (March Browns) or small like a #16. Adams, compara duns and various parachutes in browns and dark greys. Stones too are either tiny (#18) or larger (#10). A griffth gnat works for the small ones and any larger pattern like an elk hair caddis etc for the larger ones. (mostly winter to early spring)

after that  some wooly buggers, black and olive #8 & 10. A white or cream one works as a flesh fly.Im usually put a gold bead on 'em. (anytime)

Eggs: late fall early winter.

Twelve years later fishing is a lot different and fish simply are not as numerous. Fact is they are rather scarce.  In early winter the food they will be eating are salmon eggs, bits of rotted salmon flesh, minnows and sculpins and the odd nymph . That equals 4 different sorts of patterns. Later in winter there will be more bug hatches but consider yourself lucky if you encounter both a hatch and trout feeding on them. Bull trout are not that common locally. Yeah I have had the odd day I encountered a number but then gone years without catching one.

The main thing in fishing for trout & char is the solitude. I haven't come across another angler in years though some areas very close to Chilliwack are still popular.

[hammer]

There are definitely fewer trout and char  in the immediate lower mainland. Both cutties and bull trout are dependent on wild populations which are not as abundant. I find I get way more bull trout in glacial systems locally. I have had solid Cutty days but usually have to hit several spots on the mill run before I find a patch of them. I use a minnow fly, a few versions of buggers, and beads mostly for cutties in the Fraser and tribs.