Every one has a favorite fly for trout. It is usually the first fly that you used successfully. In my case, it was the Elk Hair Caddis. It is a very good dry fly and one of the best all around flies for searching and it floats extremely well.
Good flies are successful because they have certain “triggering” characteristics. They may or may not look like a familiar insect. Even if they are abstract and don’t look like any insect that you have ever seen, there is usually one or more attributes that are attractive to the fish. That may be the legs, wings or just the overall profile of the fly.
There are several classes of flies: dry flies, emergers, wet flies, nymphs, streamers and terrestrials. Each one imitates certain insects at a certain stage of their life cycle.
Most of the insects that flies imitate are aquatic insects. These include: may flies, caddis flies and stone flies. At times the fly fisherman will be successful with dragonfly, cranefly or damselflies.
In late summer and fall, terrestrials such as grasshoppers, beetles, ants and inchworms are more abundant and are good selections to imitate. After a rain, many terrestrials was into the stream and it is a good time to use a fly in that class. Likewise, San Juan worms are a good choice after a rain and sometimes even when it’s dry. Some worms are aquatic and therefore may be a good choice any time.
A good selection of flies for the beginning fly fisherman could include the following flies.
Dry flies – Elk Hair Caddis, Adams, Royal Wulff and Stimulator (sizes 12 to 20).
Emergers – This class of fly can include any fly that floats low in the surface film. You can modify a dry fly by clipping the bottom hackle so that it floats low and gives a good profile to the fish viewing it from below. Small emergers can be tied with closed cell foam at the head and the body actually suspends below the surface film with the hear floating above the surface (sizes 12 to 20).
Wet flies – Partridge and Orange, Quill Gordon, Renegade and Woolly Worm (sizes 10 to 18).
Nymphs – Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, Pheasant Tail, Prince and Zug Bug (sizes 10 to 18).
Streamers – Mickey Finn, Muddler Minnow and Woolly Bugger (sizes 4 to 12).
Terrestrials – Dave’s Hopper, Joe’s Hopper, assorted ant patterns, foam beetles and inchworm imitations (sizes 8 to 16).
With a selection of these patterns in the recommended sizes and an assortment of colors, you will be armed to catch trout under most any conditions, in any location.