Which trout flies to use

A small midge placed underneath on lighter tippet is a great plan of attack in numerous areas. The Elk Wing Caddis works great in earth tones like tan, gray, and olive. Last, and certainly not least, is the Adams Parachute. This dry fly is a tried-and-true classic that remains relevant in rivers around the globe. It looks highly similar to many aquatic bugs but looks exactly like none.

This general appearance tricks quite a few hungry trout. Fish a larger Adams Parachute first and a nymph second. You can also double dry fish; lead with the larger fly again.

Sizes run The Adams Parachute is available on Orvis. Hands-free lighting is a necessity for all sorts of outdoor activities. Here, we line up the best headlamps of the year. Top Trending on GearJunkie. The Best Headlamps of Hands-free lighting is a necessity for all sorts of outdoor activities. Keep Reading. GearJunkie Latest Deals.

Choose Your interests: News. Epoxy Buzzer The Epoxy Buzzer is a superb freshwater fly pattern and is very versatile in how you can fish it and what you can catch on it… Read More. Stimulator The Stimulator is one of the most diverse and effective dry flies you could use as a fly fisherman on South African waters… Read More.

Adams The Adams, is an American dry fly pattern that is very versatile because it mimics a variety of mayflies. Fritz Bugger The Fritz Bugger is a wet fly streamer that is combined with two of the best wet flies you could use on South African waters, the Fritz and the Woolly Bugger. Look Up Search for:.

Pin It on Pinterest. As with most insects, they transform through various different stages until they reach the end of their life-cycle. The nymph is the stage in which the insects live their lives under the surface of the water, along the stream beds, in the lake bottom, an other such areas. Because of this, they become very abundant for the fish to feed on.

That is precisely why trout feed primarily on these types of insects. With this being a fly that is fished sub-surface, it is necessary to use certain fishing techniques in order to detect the strike of the fish and catch them. Since you cannot see the fly as it floats under the water, detecting when the fish takes the fly is a problem.

That is why many anglers use an item called a strike indicator. This is essentially a small float that is attached up on your leader above the fly and floats along the surface as your fly drifts along.

When a fish takes the fly, the indicator can do a few different things. It will either stop, slow down, move upstream, or even some other slightly different action that is not normal. The downside to fishing with an indicator is the lag time from when the fish takes the fly until you notice the indicator movement. You can still catch many fish this way though, but it does take some practice.

Another option is one of the various European Nymphing techniques that are becoming popular. These techniques do not utilize a strike indicator and are typically very close-quarter fishing techniques. Many times you are no more than a rods length away from the fish you are fishing to. They also can utilize a colored section of leader somewhere in your leader setup to act as a strike indicator but without the drawbacks.

European nymphing is a specialized form of nymph fishing and something that will be discussed later on. Ideally, you'll want to have a few different patterns and colors for more choice. With the right approach, you can imitate everything from an emerging caddis to a midge.

The Parachute Adams is a surprisingly versatile attractor fly. This means that it's not made to imitate a specific insect or creature, but more contain various flies and insects to attract trout. It can replicate many different bugs, but it's best used when there is no hatch present. This helps to attract trout regardless of the current conditions in the water. When trout look up at the surface of the water, a Parachute Adams looks irresistible since it resembles so many different things.

Trout are predatory creatures that will usually go for weak or struggling prey, and the Parachute Adams perfectly imitate this. This fly comes in several different patterns, so we highly suggest including it in your trout fishing fly box. It's a fantastic option for when trout get a little more lively and start heading further up the surface to catch emergers.

The Last Chance Cripple is a mayfly imitator that resembles a partially-emerged nymph. It's a pattern created by Rene Harrop for spring creek fishing situations, but it's a reasonably popular fly that has seen a lot of success in other areas as well. It's a reasonably buoyant fly that provides excellent flotation and makes it simple to spot even when the waters get a little more lively.

They're available in many different sizes and are a perfect choice when heading out to a lake to fly fish for trout. It also makes an excellent fly for low-light conditions. You'll also find them in many different colors, making it a great addition to any versatile fly box. If you've tried a number of other dry flies and emergers that have seen limited success, then we highly recommend giving the Last Chance Cripple fly a try. It tends to work great on selective trout and is a relatively easy fly to get accustomed to.

The Trico Dun mimics a hatching mayfly and is excellent for catching trout in lakes. Trico mayflies are unique because they hatch in extraordinary numbers between July and October. This makes the Trico Dun an effective fly during this season, but it's not without a catch. Because there are so many tricos hatching, trout are spoilt for choice when it comes to feeding, which causes them to be incredibly selective. It can be daunting for beginners to fish during a Trico hatching season because they'll see plenty of fish out in the waters, but nothing seems to want to bite.

If you're having trouble using a Trico Dun during this period, you may want to consider heading out during the early morning when female tricos are just starting to hatch.

This gives you plenty of opportunities to catch a lot of trout. However, as the day progresses and male duns appear, you'll practically have to cast within inches of a trout to get any attention. This fly can be both a blessing and a curse, so it's essential to know the lake's condition before attempting to use it. The main difference is that Hot Wing Caddisflies are a lot more visible thanks to the yarn's color. True to its name, it's essentially just an Elk Hair Caddis with a new coat of paint.

This is a modern twist that can be tricky to use, but you'll at least have no trouble spotting your fly, thanks to its high visibility.

But it's not just visible to you as the angler—it's also visible to all of the trout in the water. This is what attracts many trout to the Hot Wing Caddis and ultimately why it's such a great fly for both beginners and experts alike. We highly recommend including the Hot Wing Caddis and the older Elk Hair Caddis in your fly box if you're heading out to a lake for fly fishing.

This is a great fly to use as part of your lineup.