[Guest]

I have been flyishing for about three years. In that time, I have fished all of my local waters which are lakes, and a few of the more notable flyfishing only destinations. I can count on my two hands the number of times I have used dry flies succesfully. I have qlways fished intermediates and full sink lines. Now that I intend to spend more time in eastern washington, I'd like to catch some fish on dry flies. What Five or so patterns are the basis for a beginner dry fly fisherman? Obviously I could spend a thousand dollars on different variations. What do you recommend as the basics? :CONFUSED

 

[pwrbatrhatr]

Ah, a question I can answer!

Elk Hair Caddis, Humpy, and any simple hackle fly that suits your fancy. If it's really hot and you're looking for big browns in the moonlight, a double humpy is easier on the eyes and seems just as juicy to the fish.

When I say "simple" hackle fly, I mean SIMPLE! One year we caught hundreds of fish on a #12 or #14 brown hackle fly with yellow floss body and the tip of a hackle feather for a tail. As long as it would float the drift, the trout would nail it. You can use an Adams, a mosquito, or a dry Renegade.

I try to keep several flies in the 12 to 16 range and a couple larger Humpy patterns... just in case I forget to go home when the sun goes down. I'd say a #12 is the most common choice because it's small enough to look like a bug, but not so small you go cross-eyed staring at a riffle.

:THUMBSUP

 

[fishnfella]

Fish till ya drop.
Then suck it up
and fish the evening hatch.

Well, You're right, the dry fly fishing around most of our lakes sucks. As to flies, I recommend these 5 as necessary:
1. a size 16-18 Mosquito or Adams
2. a quality adult Damsel pattern
3. a size 14-16 Calabaetis spinner
4. a size 14-16 Calabaetis Dunn pattern
5. a good hopper pattern w/grey body
If you hit enuff success with those, you may want to add an ant and beetle pattern. ROFESSOR

 

[Guest]

I like to dry fly fish alot. In fact I can hardly wait for the weather to warm up. I find in my years of fly fishing that certain places take certain flies. Some places fish will hammer a Elk hair caddis and some place they won't. But I would rather fish a river that a lake. Just don't like sitting in a boat. I like to move around. But I guess that I will give a few lakes a shot this summer. Jim S. :BIGSMILE

 

[ray helaers]

For lakes, try these for starters:

Two kinds of midge emergers (in all sizes: 14-24), some kind of "suspender" pupa pattern, and a "tailed" surface emerger like a Lasha racoon. Each type will work best at different phases of the hatch.

some cluster midges (ala griffiths gnat).

An adult calibaetis pattern, either a parachute Adams or a specific callibaetis imitation, sizes 14, 16, and 18.

Some kind of calibaetis emerger (I like cdc patterns).

An adult damsel pattern (get a few in grey or tan as well as the standard blue).

some kind of sparse, realistic caddis patterns can't hurt but will likely stay in the box.

A Tom Thumb or other traveling-sedge match if you're going to the northern tier of the state and get lucky enough to see these massive lake caddis.

Good Luck

 

[hikepat]

I have had good luck using dry flys in the early part to the middle part of the summer on this side of the mountains fishing lakes like Lake Walker and other lakes around Deep Lake. So far though deep lake has never it self produced on a dry fly but every other lake in the area has including Lake 12. I use Either an Elk Hair Caddis or a red bottom Humpy pattern and will catch 15-20 fish average in a few hour period. Most of the fish are in the 8-13 inch range but it make for lots of enjoyment. So far the only pattern on deep lake that seems to work is a streamer or stone fly in yellow trolled slow. Durring the right time of year a floating fly works well in the lakes around here so you do not always have to go to Eastern Washington to get dry fly action. I feel that once the water is warm enough the dry fly action heats up. The water here just takes longer to warm up.

 

[Guest]

Angler,
I'm probably about as experienced as you are, been doing this for three years as well. For stillwaters I recommend the following few flies.
-Racoon and/or Lady McConnell
-Ant and/or flying ant
-Adult damsel
-Parachute Adams
-Callibaetis Cripple
As mentioned in previous posts the racoon is highly effective during the chironomid hatch especcially during the evening rise. The Lady McConnell is a close second.
Ant patterns have saved the day for me a couple of times. I plan on using them more this season.
The fish were really keying in on the adult damsels last spring/summer at Chopaka and elsewhere.
-Callibaetis dries have probably been the least used flies in my box but I have yet to witness a big hatch. I suspect that fish feed on the spinners more than we realize, I plan on looking into that this season.
Good luck.

 

[Fly rod]

I ain't familiar with all them fancy names of flies. My limited experience has shown me that the following work.
1. Black ant size 16 or18
2. Adams " 14 to 18
3 elk hair caddis size 8 to16
( 8's10's & 12's look like hoppers )
4. All brown Dry 14 to 18
5. black dry 14 to 18
Best of luck
Al the fly rod from Jersey :THUMBSUP

 

[Guest]

I like your discription of trout flies all "brown dry" and "black dry". I think I've used those kind. I don't go into names either. To me a fly is a fly. When I attempt to tie them,it's just me and feathers. When I get done I know what I tied.

 

[Fly rod]

Hay cantcatch
Them ther brown and black ones catch fish too
Al the fly rod from N.J. :THUMBSUP

 

[Rob Blomquist]

I rank my number one favorite fly for lakes as the Gulper Special, which is basically a parachute Adams without the brown hackle. It is an excellent pattern for Callibaetis, mosquitos and midges in sizes 14-20. I have fished it on dead calm evenings during Callibaetis hatches to have it struck time and time again.

Another fine fly is the Griffith's Gnat. Another I would not leave home without.

For those wild summer evenings up in Canada, I would have a box full of sedge patterns, including humpies and the Mikulak Sedge in #4, #6, and #8 but that's a special fishery...

Trust me, I will never be without a few sedges in my box on summer nights, but the Gulper is my favorite lake dry in Washington.

Rob :THUMBSUP

 

[Guest]

I've got a few in them colors and also a few in red and a few in white. In fact I think that I carry tooo many flies. I carry two boxes in dries.one in nymphs,one for big flies like leeches and wooly buggers, and one that the extra ones don't fit in. I'd like to narrow it down a little, but I think that I'd be lost with out them. You never know what you're going to need. Jim S :BIGSMILE