The Dirty Dozen – 12 Essential Stillwater and Reservoir Patterns

I’m looking forward to 2022 and have made a conscious effort to prepare in order to maximize my time on the water. My tying has increased tenfold as I begin replenishing my boxes. I’ve analyzed my fishing diaries over the last 5 seasons in order to identify what I actually need to tie and what patterns are consistently successful. I’ve concluded the following 12 essential stillwater and reservoir patterns (in a variety of sizes) are easily my most consistent patterns and account for over 60% of my fish caught each year.

12 Essential Stillwater and Reservoir Patterns: Lures

Recently stocked fish are easy to catch. There is no other way of putting it. Any lure moved in front of a fish is usually enough to illicit a response. However, there is also the distinct opportunity of picking up an overwintered fish or two with the correct fly. This is especially true when you are predominantly fishing “deep & slow” as is often the case during the cooler months.

1 & 2. 5cm Olive Snake & Olive Snake Booby

A 5cm Olive Snake in standard or booby form are my “go to” lure patterns on almost any stillwater or reservoir no matter what the time of year. The natural color is non-scary and it also loosely imitates Perch fry and Damsel nymphs. Throw in an incredible amount of movement and it’s easy to see why it’s a devastating pattern on any line at any speed. The 5cm weighted snake produces an undulating action when retrieved and is generally my best and most used lure. It will account for stock fish and resident fish alike. Also being just 5cm it’s relatively easy to cast even on lighter #5 or #6 weight rods.

3. 7.5cm Black & Gold Snake

As with any snake a pattern, this is full of movement to induce lethargic fish into a response even when they don’t really want to feed.  Black is essential especially when fishing colored or deep water as it’s silhouette stands out. This version is based on the legendary Hummungus’ color scheme and has been essential when targeting big browns.

If you can’t catch on a Snake then there are either no fish in front of you or they will not respond to a lure. Meaning, you will have to go natural and imitative. Snakes are simply that good at putting fish in the bag!

4. Hummungus

This fly really needs no introduction. It’s a great “Fry” pattern and has accounted for a lot of huge browns over the years. This includes Rutland’s Record fish of 17lb. Again, a pattern that will work all season on any stillwater. I tend to fish a size 8 fly on a 13ft leader of 10lb Masterclass Flurocarbon. The bead chain eyes on this pattern are essential to create that lifelike look and the undulating ducking and diving effect when retrieved.  

5. Black & Green Booby

This is a simple fly that will always catch fish. It will be most often used as a single fly on a sinking line and retrieved slowly. As such, I find that there’s no need for a large range of sizes. One size will suit all situations, so stick with a standard size 10 hook and 7mm foam eyes. This will provide enough buoyancy to pop the fly off the bottom and away from any obstructions. This is a great pattern early or late season.

6. Mini Cocktail Booby

With fish becoming increasingly pressured and spooky, neutral density patterns that don’t rise or fall quickly in the water column have been a revolution. A heavy wire hook and reasonably small 4mm foam eyes means that this pattern won’t float like a standard booby. Rather, it just sinks extremely slowly. Can it still be called a booby? Either way it’s essential and my number one point fly when fishing the “washing line” technique.

7. Hybrid Mini Booby Biscuit

Again, much like the mini booby, this is a pattern purposely dressed short to create a smaller profile in the water. A round 4mm foam cylinder is used in the tail so the fly remains perfectly symmetrical and doesn’t twist and spin in the water (as can happen with cut foam tails). It’s a perfect top dropper or point pattern when fishing the surface layers.

12 Essential Stillwater and Reservoir Patterns: Nymphs

Early in the season (March – June) aim to “straight-line” nymphs (buzzers) through a range of depths rather than just in the surface layers at the same level as you would when employing the “washing line” method. Three or four flies 5ft apart is a standard cast for many anglers. The point fly should always be the heaviest to set the cast to sink and allow the dropper patterns to cover the depths. I tend to use the heavyweight hooks in sizes 10 and 12 or add a small 2.5mm tungsten bead to the head of patterns to really get some depth.

In clear or shallow water, a smaller size 12 fly has the advantage of a much better presentation. In colored water or at depth a larger size 10 fly with its increased silhouette is preferable.

8. Black 2-Tone Buzzer

A simple variation of the classic stripped quill buzzer that has proven itself time and again. I wanted a realistic pattern that would stand out in the water compared to the thousands of natural insects. Basically, a trigger that would pull the fish to my fly. I prefer a simple dash of fluro orange paint on a yellow wing case. It is however is a very fine line between success and failure. Bling up a “natural” patterns too much with hotspots, tinsel cheeks and a bright thorax and all you will do is attract the stock fish. With these, less is often more. The smaller sizes are ideal when fishing the washing line or in the autumn months when the buzzers are naturally much smaller.

Once the water warms and the fish are just beneath the surface the “washing line” becomes the number-one method on almost every still water. I find size 12 patterns are preferable to size 10s. This is because a size 12 heavyweight hook has approximately 40 per cent less wire than the equivalent size 10. It allows for finer leaders and slower sink rates. This is essential essential when fishing high in the water.

9. Nemo Red Holographic

25 years ago I started making variants of the most popular patterns to give the fish something a little different. The idea was to set my flies apart for the run of the mill patterns that many other competitors were using in the hope that it would give me an edge on those difficult days. I reasoned that a diawl bach—although a proven fish catching fly—lacked movement and didn’t have a great profile. In addition, the cruncher had a movement and a better profile, but lacked any bling. So, I simply combined the two.

Initially I tied a fly thinking the red holographic tinsel head would represent the blood of an insect as it hatches and provide a target point. On reflection though, I think this is rather fanciful. However the result is one of my most effective stillwater nymphs to date. In larger sizes it’s taken for either a buzzer or bloodworm. I tend to fish it as a top dropper pattern when straight lining nymphs as being closer to the surface allows the holographic tinsel with catch the light more. In the smaller 12’s and 14’s its an ideal pattern when fishing the washing line in clear water or over weedbeds. If I was forced to pick just 1 nymph this would be it!

10. Green Cheek Diawl

This is a great example of adding perhaphs too much bling to a pattern. The bright cheeks and pearl flashback means this isn’t a natural looking pattern at all so it’s predominantly a stockie fly for the majority of the season. HOWEVER, in June and July when the fish are pre-occupied with pin fry then it really comes into it’s own. During this time it accounts for a lot of grown on fish.

12 Essential Stillwater and Reservoir Patterns: Dry Flies

You should aways be prepared for some topwater action. While you don’t need to have every imitation in the book, having a few confidence patterns is key.

11. Foam Daddy

A pattern that easily makes my essentials list. It’s an ideal “natural” top dropper pattern to create disturbance, or a point fly pattern when fishing the “washing line” method. It’s an all season pattern and is taken not just as a daddy but a variety of insects due to it’s general “buggy” appearance. Size 12’s are great fished subsurface on Grafham’s notorious “shrimp feeders.”

12. The Big Red

A real mouthful of a dry, especially with its horizontal profile. It pulls up fish from deep when other patterns fail. It also has the added advantage of a parachute hackle that allows the fly to sit more in the surface film rather than on top of it. For this reason you don’t see the fly as clearly as you would a conventional dry. It’s an ideal dropper pattern when paired with a more visible hopper on the point.

In difficult conditions I tend to make a cast and leave my dries out. I wait for the fish to find them rather than repeatedly casting the water and spooking fish. The Big Red will lie flat so you won’t actually be able to see it on the surface. Instead concentrate on the point fly, and if anything rises just in front of that assume it’s taken the dropper and lift into the fish

Rob Edmunds

Rob Edmunds is a stillwater and reservoir fishing expert. "I began fly-fishing at just 4 years old and match fishing soon became my primary focus after first representing England at just 16 years of age. A stellar career beckoned and I've been fortunate enough to win a number (9) of European titles both individually and as part of a team. A creative fly-tyier and responsible for many of the popular patterns we now take for granted (Nemo, Tequila Blob, Traffic Light Buzzer, Snake Booby etc...). My focus has shifted slightly in recent years to targeting specimen trout. Currently the only person to have ever caught at least 1 "double figure trout" from all 4 of the Anglian Water Reservoirs. A regular contributor in the angling press for over 20 years (Trout Fisherman, Trout & Salmon) and well known on the stillwater and reservoir circuit.

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