Does the fly matter?

[redietz]

There are plenty of times where I will sit on the bank and just relax rather than tie on a nymph. Never would have done that when I was younger. Doesn't mean I won't nymph, but I would much rather fish a dry. Streamers are a little different, if I'm floating and there's nothing happening on top, I won't hesitate to throw them.

I'm the same way, except that I prefer wet flies. I don't even carry nymphs any more, except for a few zebra midges and the like that I'll put under a dry if the really small stuff is needed. If the fish are all deep, I'll put on a sinking leader and fish streamers.

I do a lot of sitting on the bank and relaxing,in part because I'm old and no longer care to spend eight solid hours or so standing up, and in part because I can learn a lot by just watching the river. I almost never fail to catch fish.

 

[redietz]

If you have the correct size and you put a drag free drift over the fish, they either inspect it or eat it.

A drag free drift isn't always the best presentation. As often as not, a skittered or twitched dry, or ascending wet or nymph will catch more fish than drag free.

Of, course, sometimes drag free is the answer. The fish will let you know.

 

[Thunderpole]

I hate nymphing. Now that iv learned how effective tight line is , bobbers and sinkers are out the window. I'd much rather fish drys or streamers when conditions are right. But as others said I'll do whatever works. My local stream in town I only swing buggers that's it . It always works. There's never hatches and the waters to crummy to nymph imo. High water I'm tossing big streamers looking for the meat eaters. If there rising I can't change fast enough.

 

[GANGGREEN]

I don't think fly choice on top is this critical as some make it out to be. If you have the correct size and you put a drag free drift over the fish, they either inspect it or eat it. As I've said before, I'll fish the same pattern in the spring during the blue quill, Hendrickson, grey fox hatch. Size and profile are the most important in my opinion but I haven't gone fishing since September so what do I know 😂

I agree with this entirely. When beginners ask what fly to use, my response is typically that they need to concentrate on not spooking the trout before they can cast to them and also in getting a good presentation and a drag free drift. If you do those two things with a fly that's a decent representation, then the trout will often eat it.

 

[Canoetripper]

I did a little bit of experimenting this past weekend with mop flies and squirmy wormies/silly worms for stocked trout. Nothing on the mop flies, but the worms got results.

I was more interested in getting better at casting so this was more like wet fly swinging flies and no stripping streamers.

My casting was pretty good with floating fly line but not so good with a sinking tip fly line. In fact, I was terrible casting sinking tip fly lines.

I am basically a whatever the trout want kind of fly fisherman. I would rather catch trout on dry flies, but if that is not working than I will try something else. I can live with being "skunked." I know that I will always be "skunked" if I don't have a fly either on or in the water.

 

[dc410]

Does the fly matter?

Honestly, only to the target fish.

 

[Tigereye]

Whatever works. I prefer to catch fish on dries, but that doesn't happen consistently until mid to late may. Until then it is nymphing as it is most productive.

I am beginning to believe that when euronymphing, fly selection does not matter so much. Its all about depth and presentation. Hit them in the face and the will take it.

Every so often nostalgia takes over and there is nothing like taking a good trout when swinging a classic, colorful winged wet fly on a bamboo rod on a late spring evening.

 

[jifigz]

I let the fish determine what fly/fly characteristics they are in the mood for that day. It my job to figure out which one they want. I'll fish all of my patterns and any style of fly until I find that one. Of course, I have those few "confidence patterns" that I have a lot of faith in, though.