The Deer Hair Sedge - I've found this to be the only reliable surface fly in my very short fly fishing career to date. I've found it easy to tie and I can churn out a batch of varying sizes in an evening. I think a large part of this fly being productive for me is that I am able to fish it confidently - having first read a bit about the Bob Wyatt ethos, then caught some fish, used the fly some more, persevered when the going was tough, caught some more fish, and so it goes on!
If I'm allowed a favourite wet fly too, that would be the Black Pennell. Not very exotic, but the first fly that I tied on my vice and has proved very tempting to river Brownies in smaller sizes. I have fished this singly on long leaders to good success, throwing it across stream and down which I think makes it work in spidery fashion. I've found any type of nymph a bit hit or miss so far and I've no doubt that that is down to presentation.