I recently saw a blog titled “How to Fish the Old-fashioned Winged Wet Fly”, and it gave me pause. The assumption has always been that until Pulman codified dry fly fishing in 1851 in the “Vade Mecum of Fly Fishing for Trout” (https://amzn.to/2K3uuCx), that fly-fishing was a subsurface affair. But is it possible that the old-fashioned […]
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Category: Trout Flies
In the category “Trout Flies”, I cover “the bugs”, the flies that imitate them, and how to fish the imitations. My favorite flies are shared, and my reasoning for fishing them- trout love them! Some fly patterns have interesting histories, and I try to credit their origins when possible. Many photos supplement these articles.
trout fly, parachute Adams
Fly Fishing Montana’s Fall Shoulder
It’s fall in Montana, and the flyshop ceilings are echoing the cries of “It’s streamer time, it’s streamer time!” But I beg to differ. It’s always streamer time, if one is so disposed. But there are several reasons that I am not keen on fishing streamers in the fall or otherwise. First, I find that […]
Tying the SB Beadhead Nymph
The SB Beadhead Nymph, short for Simpson-Billmyer, is the best generic nymph pattern that I have yet fished. I have developed it over several years in collaboration with Jake Billmyer, manager of the Orvis Fly Shop in Charlottesville, Va. Typical of all the flies that I continue to tie and fish, it is easy to […]
Parachute Flies- It’s All About the Post!
When I first began fly fishing, parachute flies seldom filled flyshop bins. Catskill flies were in vogue then. But I quickly realized that flush floating flies, like comparadun and parachute flies, put more fish into my net. Parachute Virtues I still don’t know with certainty why trout prefer parachute flies. It may be that viewed […]
The White-Winged Curse; Fishing the Trico Hatch
Since the advent of fly fishing, fly fishers have had their demons. The summer trico hatch is mine. Through the ages it has frustrated fly fishers sufficiently to earn the moniker “white-winged curse”! A few weeks ago, I ventured to a stretch of the Madison River, to once again take on the curse. I arrived […]
Fishing Streamers
As leaves begin to turn from green to crimson and gold, trout anglers begin to think of fishing streamers. While streamers can, and probably should, be fished throughout the year, few question their especial efficacy in the fall. This is particularly true in streams inhabited with fall spawners, that is, brown and brook trout. Exhausted […]
Trico Spinner Falls- Breaking the Code
Summer is finally here! With it comes the eagerly anticipated summer hatches. On many streams, the early morning trico hatches and spinner falls offer the best chance to fish to rising trout. Background The trico hatch is a sight to behold. Clouds of insects fill the air. The trico hatch shown below was filmed by fishing buddy […]
Fly Fishing Spring Creeks
When I began fly fishing for trout, I was fortunate to be living in Virginia. The Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia boast over 2,000 miles of native brook trout water. Such small mountain streams offer the ideal venue for learning how to fly fish for trout. They require stealth, accurate casting, and good presentation. In […]
Ten Trout Flies Never To Be Without
Like many fly fishers, perhaps most, in my early learning phase, I felt overwhelmed with all the fly patterns available. It seemed like each pattern had its place in a well-rounded armamentarium. As a result, I carried box upon box of flies, limited only by the number of pockets on my vest. But over time, […]
Coachman Fly- Attractor Fly with a Royal History
I have always been fascinated by attractor, or “fancy flies”, as the Brits refer to them. A handful have stood the test of time, but when were they first tied and fished? What were they designed for? Who created them? How have they evolved? And why do fish take them? In this blog, I explore the […]
Quigley Cripple- Shuck or No Shuck
Flytier Bob Quigley has created a number of original flies. His best known, the Quigley Cripple, has long been a go-to fly for me. Many times in the midst of a hatch, trailing it behind a dun pattern has turned refusals into strikes, and saved the day. However, when I examine it, except for the […]
Imitationist vs. Impressionist- Design of Trout Flies
Does it really matter whether we fish for trout with artificial flies that are exact imitations or merely impressions of the natural fly? I confess at the outset that I am a died-in-the-wool impressionist when it comes to the design of trout flies. Part of the reason is that I am a lazy fly-tier. If […]
Fish Tandem Flies and Catch More Trout
Many’s the occasion that I have been asked how many flies I fish with at a time. In truth, I fish with as many as regulations allow, which in most instances is two. Why do I put up with the potential hassle of tangled flies and tippet? Because fishing tandem flies offers trout more choices. Sometimes I fish with […]
The Parachute Adams; an Attractor Fly for Everyone
I am a tyer of flies. I’ve been tying flies almost as long as I have been fly fishing, roughly fifty years. Tyers fall into two general groups, impressionists or exact imitationists. I belong to the former, and tie my flies to roughly resemble a stage of several flies. I also tie them with materials that will impart […]
Fly Fishing Tricos – a Great Summer Hatch
Fly Fishing Tricos – a Great Summer Hatch Fly fishers who live near a stream boasting tricos are indeed fortunate. The trico hatch is the longest lasting mayfly hatch, and one of the longest lasting hatches of any of the aquatic insects. They begin to hatch in early-summer, and continue to do so until the […]
Fly Fishing Emergers
It’s my observation that the average fly fisher does not understand and utilize the varied opportunities to fish emergers. Emergers are an important part of a trout’s diet, especially for large trout reluctant to come to the water’s surface. Their presence heralds the onset of a hatch, and they continue to be present throughout a hatch. […]
Fly Fishing the Riffle
Whenever I’m scouting a new trout stream, one of the types of water I look for is the riffle. Why? Well, to paraphrase the famous bank robber Willie Sutton, I want to fish riffles “because that’s where the fish are”! In this article, “Fly Fishing the Riffle”, I will describe the features of a riffle, its […]
Fishing Wet Flies
This article begins my third year of writing articles regarding fly fishing for trout. To my surprise, I continue to find topics of interest. I think that this month’s article about fishing wet flies is an especially fitting topic at this juncture. The wet fly is the artificial fly that started our sport of fly […]
Fly Fishing the Caddis Hatch
It was a late summer evening too many years ago, and I was standing knee deep in the Missouri River, several miles below Holter Dam. It was a windless night by Montana standards, the streamside grasses bending but gently. The sun was setting behind the Rocky Mountain Front, and caddisflies were everywhere. They were far […]
Summer Fly Fishing- Strategies for Trout
Summer Fly Fishing- Strategies for Trout I have previously written about fly fishing for trout in the fall, 10/14, winter, 1/14 and 1/15, and spring, 4/14. With this month’s article, “Summer Fly Fishing- Strategies for Trout”, I will complete the cycle of seasons. Each of the seasons alter conditions in trout streams, especially freestone streams, which in […]
Designing Trout Flies for Better Fishing
I must confess that I don’t really love to tie bunches of trout flies. I just can’t seem to strap myself to the fly tying bench in winter-time to do so. In fact, I tie most of my flies in proximetry to a fishing trip. Other times, it’s when I find a new tying material, learn […]
Fly Fishing Midges in Winter
It’s winter, the first day of January, the first month of the year, and in Virginia, the coldest month of the year. For the trout fisherman, this presents a host of challenges. It can be cold and windy, and the riparian foliage is bare, offering little cover for stealth. In addition, the diminutive midge is […]
Fall Fly Fishing- Strategies for Trout
Fall is a time of transition, from summer to winter. Many changes occur in watersheds during this time which will affect fall fly fishing strategies for trout. Some changes are obvious, such as cooler ambient and water temperatures, lower stream levels, crystal clear water, and colorful streamside foliage. I took these pictures yesterday along the […]