Top Dry Flies

[fisher26]

So I have to admit that I love dry fly fishing but by no means I'm a pro. I have been fly fishing for a fairly long time and I don't have a great collection of dry flies. Most of the time I fish dries I'm prospecting, but matching the hatch is not my skill. I have started to read about the classic matching the hatch dry fly fishing experience and I really want to try more of it in the summer of 2008. Don't get me wrong I have done plenty of prospecting with coachman’s, humpies, trudes, stimmys etc.

 

What I lack is the size 20-mayfly emerger stuff. You know the evening hatch on the crow and bow in autumn where you really need a good selection.

 

What I'm asking what is the essential list of matching the hatch dry flies? The three main matching the hatch type insects are caddis, mayflies, and midge’s right?

 

I'm just a little unsure...

 

So what are the top dry flies for matching the hatch? (Including emerger patterns)

 

Thanks for helping me decide what to stock my boxes w/ for summer 2008!

[rusty]

I do a fair amount of dry fly fishing and would say that all you really need are different colors and sizes of Parachute Adams (say #14, #18 in olive, cream, and gray), a few Peacock Caddis in #14 and #16, and some CDC Griffith's Gnats in #18 and #22 for the small stuff. A few spent Tricos can come in handy from time to time as well.

 

I think the key is not pattern as much as presentation. I caught quite a few fish eating Tricos on the small Parachute this year by making a good cast in the right spot and not overworking the fish.

 

I like to keep the number of patterns to a minimum. It makes the tying easier and reduces the urge to switch flies after every cast.

 

I swear that many of those late August Crowsnest trout could recite the entire Orivs catalog of flies and won't go near anything with a hook in it.

[maxwell]

rusty has got it its not always the perfect fly that catches the fish...as for some smaller dries i like...

 

bwo parachutes 16 and 18

for tricos i like black parachute adams 18-22

for emergers i love th klinkhammer special...tan brown black and olive 14-20

parachute adams are great for march browns in a 10...same fly in brown and olive a little bigger for the larger drakes

i like EHC's with or without hackle brown tan and black

[fisher26]

I swear that many of those late August Crowsnest trout could recite the entire Orivs catalog of flies and won't go near anything with a hook in it.

 

 

Lol, good point. I know those crow bows can be picky as hells come late August. However the reason I want to get more into matching the hatch is to experience the quintessential fly fishing experience more. So many people fly fish only with nymphs, a giant indication and 2 or 3 giant lead flies, and they catch lots of fish even if they're new. Don't get me wrong this is a great way to fish I just want to experience more of the traditional fly-fishing experience.

 

Those crow bows sure are fussy.

 

Thanks for all the help everyone, keep those recommendations coming!

[DonAndersen]

Fisher..

 

You might want to add a Cluster F**K in 14>20, several BWO's tied Marinaro style in 20>26, several "Wee Brown Things" [a right decent BWO emerger pattern that you won't find on the interent] in 18>20. Plus several simple caddis emergers in #14>16. Plus what the others said.

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

[Tako]

Tie parachutes in sizes 12-16 in colours grey, olive, tan brown, and orange. If those don't do it, not much will.

 

Now, if I only could find time to tie anything....

[Guest bigbadbrent]

Tie Usuals for all of your mayflies, they'll outfloat most other imititations, and all it takes is different dubbing and different sized hooks and one foot, and you can do thousands of flies.

 

 

Elk Hair Caddis, trimmed hackle on the bottom

Humpys

Stimulators

Some sort of hopper imitiation

[prairiebrown]

One fly pattern I would not be without anywhere would be Quigley Cripple patterns for all types of mayflies, pmd, bwo, green drake, brown drake etc.

[johnbransfield]

F-fly a go too for may flies in all the regular colours, size 18-22

[DutchDryfly]

My top 4 which are almost always on my line anywhere in the world:

 

Elk and CDC (various CDC colors)

BWO ( Better winged olive)

Blue dun

Adams

 

Don't need anything else !!

[grannyknot]

Parachute adams is usually on the end of my leader. By far my most productive dry.

[Tako]

Parachute adams is usually on the end of my leader. By far my most productive dry.

 

K.I.S.S.

 

Catch more fish that way. Confidence in a fly pattern matters as much as the fly pattern

[Fishietales]

Most productive dry fly I've ever fished with has to be the Gray Duster, and next to that is Goddards Last Hope, in the chop of a fast current then look no further than a Griffiths Knat or a Bi-visible all in size #18 - #14, early season I would think a Pale Watery Dun, and don't forget a very small Black and Peacock dry, for those breezy days when small beetles are getting blown on the water

[Guest Dennis59]

There a couple odd balls that should be a must the SA Hopper and the Chyrnoble ant (Tan, yellow, & black) Chyrnoble in size 8 to 14 and the SA as small as 18. Roman Caught one of his biggest Rainbows on the Crow with a size 18 SA hopper.

 

Tight Lines Always

Dennis S.

[fishfreak]

Flies I like:

- parachute adams - size 18

- griffiths gnat - size 18

- chernobyl ant or turks tarantula - size 10

- green drake - size 12-14 - lotsa fun in July!!

- caddis - size 14-16

- yellow humpy - size 14-16

 

I'm not a Bow expert, but these are great flies everywhere else. I need to try ickyflyworks.com someday...

[bigbowtrout]

SHHHHHHHHHHH the red ant is a great dry

 

[fisher26]

he SA Hopper and the Chyrnoble ant

 

 

You match the hatch with those? lol. I seem to remember asking for hatch flies, when it comes to fishing with a glob of foam and hackle I'm set.

 

 

Thanks for all the suggestions

[Hawgstoppah]

Late June and early July you'll smack those "fussy" crowsnest sippers with a #20 PMD. And never go without #20-24 trico emerger and dry combo. With the right presentation, you can pick of those fussy crosnest rainbows one by one.

 

My box for this summer would include

 

Caddis of various patterns #16-20

PMD #18-20

BWO #18-22

Adams #12-22

Green Drake #10

Golden stone #6-10

Salmonfly #2-4

Trico #20-24 (and emerger patterns dropped of 24" of 7x leader in #24)

Black Ant #16-18

Hopper (#4-10)

 

That's about it. 10 patterns I rely on year after year. If they don't work, I figure I need to go work on MY skills, becuase my presentation was dreadfull.