What is your 'go to' dry fly for small streams?

**PV_Premier** · 08-24-2017, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by gitt

Part of Jack Dennis’ program at a Tracy Fly Fishers club meeting years ago showed out takes of his underwater videos. One particular out take had a series of nymphs in the drift. Occasionally, there was an insect on the surface. The insects sitting on the surface possessed a double or reflected image due to the mirrored effect of water’s surface. What stood out though and actually caught my eye was an insect below or broken through the surface. It did not have that dual image. I had previously experienced pretty consistent success fishing anything that would be considered knock offs or similar but minimalist style of Bob Quigley’s Cripple or the Klinkhammer Special. That vertical positioning both above and below the surface provided that single image for the fish as well as something on the surface to follow its drift. Jack’s video only re-enforced what I had experienced fishing these particular styles. Some might not consider them dries, but they have a special place in my fly box due to their effectiveness.

Outstanding commentary. I find this to be a major issue where fish are more highly pressured. I rarely if ever fish a dry fly pattern that doesn't sit in or below the film on the Yuba or Truckee, for instance.

**BobVP** · 08-28-2017, 09:40 AM

I will have to go with the rest of the folks here that use a Stimulator 12/16 for a "go to" dry. Yellow/orange. It just seems to work best for me when I do not have a lock on what the fish are after.

**wineslob** · 08-28-2017, 09:46 PM

I use a home-brew AP Black, I'll call it. Black Hackle, Peacock body and Moose Hair tail, in size 12-16. Almost never fails.

**kyburz** · 08-30-2017, 09:32 AM

Yellow humpy size 14 & 16. Thats my default dry with EHC following close behind. Limp and long 6x tippet for longer float.

**John Sv** · 08-30-2017, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by wineslob

I use a home-brew AP Black, I'll call it. Black Hackle, Peacock body and Moose Hair tail, in size 12-16. Almost never fails.

This is kinda similar sounding to my go to wet, a size 14 starling and herl...with a tail

**Bill Kiene semi-retired** · 08-30-2017, 07:36 PM

Locally famous fly fisher of the Greatest Generation, Walt Bennett, is gone now but he told us lots of important stories.

He would wade up a stream in the afternoon with a big dry fly, a size 8 black bodied dry with a down white wing (Rio Grande Trude).

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...pse32c7b98.jpg

Big fish would come up and look at it but would not eat it.

He would mentally noted the runs with the big fish and come back later in the evening with a size #14 Adams and get some of them.

__________________________________________________ _

Andy Guibord and I were down at the Rosaschi Ranch on the East Walker in Nevada.

In the day time Andy was running a very big deer hair mouse along the far side.

A Brown trout with big jaws came up and pecked at it but did not eat it.

I believe at sunset it would have.......

**PV_Premier** · 08-31-2017, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by Bill Kiene semi-retired

Andy Guibord and I were down at the Rosaschi Ranch on the East Walker in Nevada.

In the day time Andy was running a very big deer hair mouse along the far side.

A Brown trout with big jaws came up and pecked at it but did not eat it.

I believe at sunset it would have.......

This reminds me that I have a couple of mouse flies in my box that I haven't had a chance to fish yet this summer...maybe there is a window yet this summer with the continued warm weather...

Headed to the McCloud this weekend, maybe a big brown there might be interested...