A Time and Place for Attractor Patterns

Written By: Tom Johannesen

There is nothing more exciting than watching your perfectly tied dry fly get gently sipped from the surface by a hungry rainbow after matching the hatch to the best of your ability. That scenario is in a perfect world, but there are times when the stars do not align and we must look at other options when trying to entice a fish to strike.

In my opinion there are only two categories that all flies can fall under. The first is an imitation, which is a fly that is designed to mimic a specific insect or food source. The second being an attractor pattern which is designed to convince a fish to strike out of curiosity or anger. I realize many of us would prefer to only fish with actual imitations, but when fish are just not in a feeding mood and no hatches are present, it doesn’t hurt to explore attractor fly options.  

When I first started fly-fishing BC’s interior lakes over forty years ago, all I fished with was attractor patterns, as I did not realize there were any other options. In the eighties the most common interior flies consisted of flies like the Doc Spratley, Carey Special, Black Gnat, Royal Coachman and Woolly Worm’s to mention a few. All these flies and many other attractor patterns do indeed look like food, but they don’t actually imitate any form of insects. These common attractor flies have withstood the test of time but have been gracefully set aside to make way for a whole new generation of attractor patterns.

The most noticeable change to attractor flies is the use of UV and flashy materials that came onto the market a couple of decades ago. These materials add life and attraction to the previously drab dull flies of the past. We now have more options for making flies float higher or sink faster with the use of foam eyes or tungsten beads. By simply using sparkle chenille or adding a little crystal hair to an old school fly you will give that pattern a whole new more vibrant appearance. Yes, watching an insect emerge on the water’s surface and matching it so perfectly that a feeding fish is convinced it’s the real thing is what fly-fishing is all about, but watching a large rainbow chase a booby pattern across a shoal before inhaling it only feet from the boat can be equally as exciting to many. 

Must have Attractor Patterns

Over the years the popularity of attractor patterns has increased with a new generation of fly tyers taking up fly-fishing. I feel that new attractor patterns are being created daily as there are endless possibilities compared to insect imitations that have already been imitated in every way possible. I look at it this way, there are approximately a dozen insects that can be imitated in our interior lakes but the possibilities for tying attractors patterns is only limited to the fly tier’s imagination.

When I started writing this article my intentions were not to take away from the art of tying an exact insect imitation but more to give anglers an option when trying to entice weary trout to bite. Some attractor patterns are very simple like woolly buggers which is simply chenille wrapped around the shank of the hook with a hackle palmered around it while others require several more materials to complete. When assembling a collection of attractor patterns a variety of woolly buggers in different colors and sizes is always a great place to start. Popular woolly bugger colors include shades of green, brown or black but sometimes even bright colors will achieve positive results.

Relatively new to the BC fly-tying world are blobs and boobies. These unfamiliar flies were first introduced to BC in the early nineties when British anglers brought them over for the Commonwealth fly fishing championships. Throughout the competition many Canadian anglers were surprised on how productive these odd-looking flies were. That said, these unique attractor patterns never really caught on until recently with stillwater anglers throughout BC. These flies do come with a little controversy as many avid anglers do not consider them a fly. That said, I must admit these small unnatural looking flies do catch a lot of fish.

For myself I find boobies highly productive when sight-fishing weary trout in shallow water. What makes the booby unique is its movement that very few other flies can achieve. The booby differs from traditional flies due to the fact it is extremely buoyant from the large foam eyes tied on the head. The buoyancy gives this fly a unique swimming action in the water that drives fish crazy. When retrieved with a short aggressive strip the fly literally swims throughout the water column with a jerking action.

These flies must be used with a full sinking line as the line draws the fly towards the bottom when retrieved. A leader from six to eight feet long works well to get the fly in front of the fish. The crazy swimming motion convinces the fish to strike out of curiosity not a desire to feed.

If you have never crossed over to the dark side and tried a booby, put a few in your box for those days when the fish refuse every insect imitation you toss at them. The most popular color combinations include orange, yellow and bright green. The most popular colors of the foam eyes include white, yellow and black. 

When all is said and done your imitation fly box should always include a variety of proven attractors including Carey Specials and Doc Spratley’s in red, green, brown and black in sizes from as small as a #10 to as large as a #4. These old school attractor patterns are still commonly used by trollers as the larger profile offers good visibility in the water when searching for fish. These large flies are also a good choice for trollers as they tend to track true in the water at any speed whereas small flies tend to roll and twist the line.

Methods for Fishing Attractor patterns

What makes attractor patterns different from other flies is the fact they are designed to draw in fish based on size, shape and color and not because they actually resemble any specific food source.  Most attractor patterns are fished using a sinking line, but the heavier patterns can be fished with a full floating line or a sink-tip.  Regardless of the line you are using, attractor patterns are primarily used for locating fish in an unfamiliar body of water. Once fish are located, then the angler can change techniques and do a little more finesse style of fishing.

For myself I often use attractor patterns to locate fish suspended at certain depths. As these flies are generally larger in size, they are ideal for fishing when trying to cover the deeper depths of a lake. For myself I like using attractor patterns along the edges of shoals as fish will often hold in water from ten to twenty feet deep as they try to take cover from the bright sun. I also find attractor patterns are productive as they can cover a lot of water in a short period of time as these flies are generally retrieved at a quicker pace. 

Best Time to Fish Attractor Patterns 

One of the best characteristics of attractor patterns is the fact they can be fished under any fishing conditions as you are not trying to match any specific hatch. As these flies can be productive even when fish are not actively feeding there really is no bad time to fish them. Keep in mind if there are visible hatches occurring around you it is always best to try and match the hatch first as your odds of hooking a fish will be much better. In other words, don’t be casting a Doc Spratley at fish that are taking insects off the surface. As for the best time of day to fish attractor patterns, they can be productive from first light until dusk during any weather conditions. I’m not saying suggesting that attractor patterns are productive all the time, but it is nice to have options when fish are being finicky. 

Next time you’re out on a lake and the fish show no interest in your insect imitations try an attractor pattern and see if you can convince a fish to strike out of anger verses hunger. I’m sure you too will be surprised at the productivity of the unique flies.