PRODUCTIVE DRY FLIES

The total number of flies being fished today; dry flies, nymphs, streamers and large flies, cannot possible be surveyed. New patterns come into existence daily. Flies and their prototype are, for many fly fishers, as fascinating as the catch. This may be one of the reasons we have so many flies. Fortunately there is a small, elite group of flies which over time have developed the well earned reputation of catching more fish than most other flies. These are “blue chippers”: they pay dividends on a regular basis.
 
These are the flies you return to after fish repeatedly shy away from that new pattern your trying. When properly presented, the success of the flies may be attributed to a size-shape-color combination which, from the fish’s perspective, resembles one or more naturals that the fish has previously enjoyed. However, this doesn’t explain why fish are attracted to shiny metal heads and long, white rubber legs. A fish‘s gastronomic peculiarities are not yet completely understood but, if shiny metal heads and long white skinny rubber legs are a part of those peculiarities, the fly fisher will be quick to accommodate the quarry at the expense of increasing his or her catch.
 

THE ADAMS
The Adams dry fly is arguably the most successful most popular dry fly in the western United States. In sizes 10 to 26 it can be used to match a variety of mayflies. The fly is successful during hatches of the mayflies, Callibaetis, Heptagenia and even Baetis, one of the most prolific and common of the mayflies. These families of mayflies are common on most waters in the U.S. Their combined hatches provide Trout meal opportunities starting in early April and lasting through October.

PARACHUTE ADAMS
This fly is the reason the word “arguably” is used in the above description of the Adams. The Parachute Adams is in the “if I had only one fly to fish with--" category.
 
One of the reasons for its great success is that the belly of the fly rest on the surface film creating a more realistic appearance of the natural from the fish’s perspective. And, from the fly fisher’s perspective the wing post offers good visibility. 
 
When the post is tied with Krystal Flash in place of white calf-body hair the visibility becomes even better. Krystal Flash is spiraled mylar which reflects light at all angles including back to the angler.

THE ROYAL HUMPY
This fly was introduced in 1972 to solve the problem of visibility experienced be some using the famous Humpy fly. The popular Humpy’s gray color combined with the glare of the water made it impossible to see under these conditions. Adding white wings to the Humpy and changing the hackle color resulted in an excellent attractor pattern, especially in fast water.
This fly, now with greater visibility, had an uncanny resemblance to certain insects. 
 
The appeal of the Royal Humpy is world wide. Tied in large sizes, the fly is an excellent Atlantic Salmon attractor. In dark hair, the fly is a good imitation for the Brown Drake. With cream hackle and a hair hump, it imitates light mayfly hatches.

LIGHT CAHILL
This cream colored pattern combined and the Adams (above), which resembles many dark mayflies, can together be used to imitate most mayflies you will encounter by simply varying the size within the two patterns. The Cahill, a brilliant insect reproduction, is best known in its dry fly version but is also successful as a wet fly and a nymph. Sometimes the fly is at its best when imitating mayfly spinners. This creation shouldn't be limited to traditional #12 and #I4 sizes. It can represent larger mayflies on a #10 - 3x and down to #20 for light midges.

THE Mc MURRAY ANT
Fish loves ants - some of the very best fishing will occur when ants are upon the water. Some contend that the Trout's savage, frantic behavior exceeds that experienced by the famous salmon fly hatches. The down side is that the ant phenomenon is always localized, brief (about 30 minutes) in duration and unforeseeable - you won't find it if you're looking for it. 
 
Ants don't take to the air often and when they do they are elaborately timed with conditions involving warmth and humidity in the air and moisture in the soil. The right occasion would be a quiet afternoon with much breeze and after a good rain. If at the time the ants make their move to mate in the air moderate breeze comes up, the ant, with its poor capacity for flight, can be blown helplessly onto the water. 
 
Some entomologist suggest the light - reflecting surface of a river might actively lure swarms of ants to their doom. Some suggest it is the sour, tangy taste of formic acid, a poison along the sting, that appeals to Trout. What ever it is, Trout love ants so, always carry a few in your flybox. The Mc Murray Ant pattern (pictured) is overall the most durable and effective of the ant patterns.

THE ROYAL COACHMAN
This world classic, highly visible, surface attractor with its green peacock hurl, red rayon-floss body plus white wings, doesn’t look like anything in nature. But, when it gets wet, the peacock hurl turn a bronze-olive color and the rayon floss turns dark brown. Now we have a brownish fly with narrow waste something like an ant. Maybe the success of this attractor is attributed to the standout-effect a brightly colored fly such as this would have on fish. Possibly the fish’s reaction to the fly is more of reflex and less a learned behavior response. What ever it is, this will continue to be a great fly world wide.

ELK-HAIR CADDIS
There are about 1,200 different species of caddis flies in the United States alone. A caddis hatch can get so heavy that it effects visibility. They hatch all summer throughout North America Because of the variation in the size and color of the caddis, both deer and elk hair are used. You should carry several shades from cream to light tan to dark gray. A fluorescent yellow butt echoes the female caddis’s egg cluster characteristic of ovidepositing females when they appear on the water.

BUCKTAIL CADDIS
This famous Northwestern U.S. pattern is dressed to imitate the many Caddis and Stonefly hatches of the region. Tied mainly in large sizes (#6 to 10) this highly visible surface bobbing dry fly can attract very large Trout. It is also used to imitate large ovidepositing caddis by skimming along the top of the water. An orange or yellow body with brown hackle is popular but, gray or cream hackle may be necessary depending on the particular hatch.

BLACK GNAT
Thin small midge (the term “midge” is a derivative of “midget”) is usually tied in sizes #16 to 28 and can imitate a number of flies such as dark midges. 
 
Their importance becomes obvious when we are reminded that the midge family inhabits all fresh water all the time. This fly is especially important in late winter and spring as well as an excellent spring-creek pattern. 
 
In the east, midge flies are important ties for low water conditions of summer. You can winter-fish this fly on spring creeks almost any day the weather is tolerable. Midge fishing can provide morning action before a mayfly hatch begins and evening fishing after it is over.

DAVE’S HOPPER
When strong winds are blowing and the air is filled with Hoppers or when absolutely nothing is happening; these are the times to use the Hopper. One Hopper; being a lot of protein for the fish, will often attract bigger fish from the depths that would otherwise ignore smaller dry flies. As Hoppers float, their legs protrude through the water-use a Hopper pattern that has legs and fish it 2 to 3 feet from the bank. This makes it easier for the fish to see. If you get too close to the bank placing your fly between the fish and the bank you will probably be less successful.