Fishing the Dry-Fly; Part Two Of Two


The second most important insect to the dry fly angler would be the Caddis flies. Caddis flies look like small moths with long feelers and tent-like folded wings. Between April and June, their various types emerge, flying over the water in erratic meandering swarms. They are none as miller and sedge flies. After hatching and mating, the female miller and sedge flies will crawl down branches or blades of grass into the water to lay their eggs, after which they die. Trout in areas where this takes place will be shallow with their noses near the surface waiting for their meal. The angler should use flies of the miller and sedge type with a heavy hackle to avoid hanging up in the grasses. Here you would cast to the grasses or bank and slowly pull the fly into the water. Caddis flies will also fly over fast water sections of rivers and streams in an erratic way coming near the surface. On these occasions use a fly of similar color and size and skitter it across the water.

The stonefly, is likely the third most important insect to the dry fly angler. Stoneflies will sometimes appear before ice is off of northern lakes. You may see them in shades of gray, black and brown. They average near one inch in length and have two pairs of wings, which fold flat against their body when not in flight. They will dip their abdomens into the water while in flight to lay their eggs; they may also crawl beneath the water to lay their eggs. Some good flies that can be used to imitate stoneflies are Adams, Brown Sedge and Grannom. The black, brown or gray Wooly Worm is alleged to be taken for a stonefly.

It would be quite difficult to say whish dry flies would be best, as it would depend upon your location and many other factors. The best thing you could do, is start with some of the classic flies and build from there. Flies such as the Black Gnat, Blue Dun, Cahill Light, Quill Gordon, Royal Coachman, Spentwing Adams and White Wulff would be some good choices of flies to keep with you while fly-fishing. During the summer -though frowned on as being called dry flies- the grasshopper, small green caterpillar and bumblebee are sometimes good to have. As I said earlier keep some of the classic dry flies and when you travel stop into a local tackle shop and ask what is working at the time in local waters.

The copyright of the article Fishing the Dry-Fly; Part Two Of Two in Fly Fishing is owned by Lee Ennis. Permission to republish Fishing the Dry-Fly; Part Two Of Two in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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