Good companions

Much-travelled ARMANDO QUAZZO lists six trout flies that have consistently proved themselves throughout the world - so much so that they are now considered an essential part of his luggage.

Trout speak the same idiom worldwide: a good fly will be effective from the river Test to the most secluded stream in the Colombian Andes, and yet one of the great riches of our sport is an endless list of known fly patterns, plus a massive variety of different dressing combinations that any fly tyer may manipulate to create his own 'secret weapon'. Thus, with literally thousands of flies from which to choose, what is it that governs why you should choose one fly ahead of another? In short, it is a mixture of confidence, trust, personal experience and inspiration. Here, I've listed six trout patterns that contain all these essential elements for me, and, before I set off on my travels with a fly rod, I cannot leave home before I'm sure that samples of all of these flies are present in my fly box.
These six trout flies have been invented and popularised by other tyers; I simply made some minor modifications to tailor them to my personal needs. I can recommend them all as great flies and great travelling companions.

Peute Peute" is a French idiomatic expression usually referred to a woman and indicates that particular type of girl you would not like your son to date with. It is a really effective and versatile pattern: it floats like a cork, it may imitate either a sedge or an emerging upwing or, when fished wet, a large variety of aquatic insects. To tie it in the proper way, select the darkest feathers and do not overdress (a couple of hackle turns will do the job). This ancient and simple fly proved to be the correct answer during sunset fishing the Dora Baltea River, when three or four different insects were hatching at the same time. A well presented, big Peute was merrily taken by big speckled trout during the dead drift or even when skated across the surface.
Hook:	Dry fly, short shank (size 10 - 20).
Body:	Yellow turkey or goose biot.
Hackle:	Female duck breast feather, wound and clipped to length.

Hillbilly The Hillbilly is a typical searching pattern for fast-moving waters; the woodchuck wing guarantees buoyancy and visibility even in the most difficult light conditions. It represents an adult caddis and, in larger sizes, it might be taken for a grasshopper. I really love to fish it in the hottest summer days close to undercut shady banks: it can provoke savage rises. With this fly, I had a memorable day on the Loue in France some years ago when the number of 20-inch plus trout and grayling I landed soared into double-figures. It seemed that the trout could not get enough of a size 10 Hillbilly: the amazing thing was that the local fishermen had great trouble catching far fewer fish with their tiny CdC 'nearly invisible' emergers and 7X tippets; how does the saying go? Big fly = big fish!
Hook:	Dry fly (size 10 - 16).
Body:	Rabbit fur dyed cream.
Wing:	Woodchuck body hair.
Hackle:	Brown and grizzly mixed.

No Name Wet The No Name Wet, is more than a specific pattern, it is a method of tying wet flies by using the famous 'Pardo' coq de Leon feathers. These come from the Leon Spanish region and display an exceptional texture that cannot be matched by any other material: they have an incomparable sheen, are rigid and beautifully mottled (by the way, this is the best tailing material for mayflies I am aware of). In order to form the special cone-shaped collar, you have to align the fibres on the top of the shank and tie them with a couple of loose turns, then distribute the fibres around the hook shank with a careful pressure of the nail of your thumb; it takes some time to master this technique but it is definitely worth it. The No Name Wet is a great lure to fish downstream and is also effective during those heavy hatches when trout seem to take everything but your fly. Cast it upstream of the rise, let it sink a few seconds and start a quick retrieve. Do not use light tippets! On a rainy August day on the Furckla river in Austria, my fishing mentor was impeded by a serious foot sprain: he gave me a 'No Name' and urged me to put on a stout leader. The 'No Name' took over 50 brownies and rainbows before disappearing in the jaws of a large specimen that cartwheeled downstream and snapped my tippet. The No Name also caught some 'uncatchable' afternoon trout in the Spanish Najerilla River when fishing between the weed banks in slow moving water. My Spanish friends were amazed, because they thought trout would observe the 'siesta' period.
Hook:	Nymph, 3x long, heavy wire (size 8 - 10).
Tail:	'Pardo' coq de Leon.
Tag:	Red silk.
Body:	Black silk, The body may be varnished to improve durability
Hackle:	'Pardo' coq de Leon.

Sedge Pupa This simple Sedge Pupa has to be heavily weighted and is really effective when fished very slowly (nearly creeping along the bottom). However, it also works as a searching pattern; possibly at its best when coupled with a bob fly. The evening fishing on the river Traun in Austria was frustrating, since trout rose everywhere to adult sedges, but did not care for our dry imitations. After uncountable fly changes, with confidence at an all-time low, I tied on a weighted Sedge Pupa and tossed it into the current. As soon as I started retrieving, trout skyrocketed to grab the fly, and the faster I retrieved, the more fiercely they gulped the moving nymph.
Hook:	Bait or grub hook (size 8-10).
Body:	Yellowish cream rabbit dubbing.
Rib:	Amber Swannundaze or Larva Lace.
Throat:	Partridge fibres.
Head:	Black Antron dubbing.

Arctic Bugger The effectiveness of the Woolly Bugger is universally proven: should freshwater be found on Mars, Martian trout would rise to a well-presented Woolly Bugger (should the water be salty, do not forget the Lefty's Deceiver box on the starship). The only difference between the classic Woolly Bugger and its Arctic brother is that in the latter Arctic fox hair is used instead of marabou at the tail. Arctic fox hair has the same seductive and wiggling action of marabou, but it is ten times stronger. Black, olive, brown and yellow are catching colours as well. The Po River, the largest Italian stream, flows in the very middle of the city and, thanks to the efforts against the pollution, nowadays is clean and holds trout. One morning, I knotted a white Arctic Bugger I had tied to test the effectiveness of Arctic fox fur against the brittle marabou alternative. To my great surprise I had a three-pounder on the second cast and four more nice trout were hooked and released: real 'downtown' fishing!
Hook:	Streamer, ring eyed (size 2-10).
Tail:	Arctic fox fur flanked by few strands of pearl Kristal flash.
Rib:	Grizzle hackle.
Body:	Spun Polar-Aire material.

Arctic Bugger The very first time I was introduced the Animillo by a good friend who has a great success in fishing competitions, I was flabbergasted and disgusted. It does not represent anything in particular, it is definitely awkward and ugly ... one word to describe it could be "horrible". Nevertheless, the Animillo has proved to be nearly infallible, from the gin-clear waters of the Alpine streams to reservoirs muddy waters where it outclassed the majority of other lures. It is sometimes true that the runt of the litter turns out to be the very best. This is a 'competition' fly (read reservoir) but I gave it a try on the Tanaro river (a few miles downstream its high-altitude springs) after a light storm. Water was just a little coloured and the Animillo was able to catch the attention of two or three really large trout in every pool. This is quite remarkable in a mountain creek.
Hook:	Nymph, 2x long, heavy wire (size 10 - 14).
Butt:	Green dubbing.
Body:	Chocolate brown dubbing ribbed with copper wire.
Wing:	Dark brown marabou with strands of copper Flashabou.
Head:	Chocolate brown dubbing.