How do you pick a fly?

[a23fish]

My last few times out with my new fly rod, I've primarily been using black or olive Wooly Buggers (probably #8), black stonefly (#8) or smaller purplish stonefly (#10), since those have resulted in the most hook ups and got the most attention from the fish I didn't hook but could see. My questions and issues with making hooksets are in a separate post, so won't be discussed here.

I'm using a 9' 5 wt rod, with a mono & flourocarbon leader/tippet, and basically using a Tenkara-style cast due to a) my inexperience, b) the tight quarters where I'm fishing, and c) the fact that the water is pretty darn cold and my summertime waders not so warm.

Anyway, the last few times out I've noticed that while some of the trout that I can see pay attention to the above flies, I also begin to see trout hitting something on the surface about mid-afternoon. I can't see what they're eating but clearly they are. So, how would you go about picking a fly to tempt those surface feeding trout? Are they eating a dry fly? A subsurface nymph that is nearly to the top (is that an emerger?)?

How would you pick what to try next? I have a very modest assortment of nymphs and dry flies in smaller sizes based on advice from local fly shops and, forgive me, Internet articles, but I'm still so new to this I don't have a clue beyond trying something in a different style, color or size. Pretty much a shotgun approach. So, what would you try when you see those telltale rings?

 

[dryflyguy]

Those surface feeders are likely midging. These are tiny, #26 - #28, aquatic insects that can hatch all year.
They could be taking them subsurface, or on the top.

If the rises are splashy, they could be taking stoneflies.
They hatch in late winter, and are a larger, #16 - #18

 

[afishinado]

dryflyguy wrote:
Those surface feeders are likely midging. These are tiny, #26 - #28, aquatic insects that can hatch all year.
They could be taking them subsurface, or on the top.

If the rises are splashy, they could be taking stoneflies.
They hatch in late winter, and are a larger, #16 - #18

^ Yup

In mid-winter there are not a lot of insects likely to be on the surface.

Blue-winged Olive mayflies can hatch at this time in some streams, but chances are you will see them looking like tiny sailboats on the surface if they are hatching.

As DFG wrote above, stoneflies may be on the water. They hatch on the bank and on rocks but may end up on the surface when laying eggs. There is a stonefly called (by anglers) the "tiny winter black" which can often be seen crawling on the bank and even in the snow. In my experience, the TWB stoneflies excite the fisherman more than the fish, but it's worth checking out.

The third insect as mentioned by DFG are midges. They are most likely the insect that are causing the trout to rise. They are small insects and tough to fish dry. Look closely on and near the surface to confirm. You can even rig up a seine with your landing net to skim the surface. I recently posted a video showing how to do this here. You can try a midge pattern. A zebra midge without a bead drifted in the film has also worked for me.

Good luck.

 

[jifigz]

PM me your address and I'll send you some small midge flies. You don't tie, right? I believe I remember you saying you didn't (and didn't plan to) in another thread.

When I see trout feeding like that I've often had good luck tossing an Al's Rat at them. I tie it weightless. It isn't a dry but it sinks very slowly. Cast it to where the fish are rising and wait to feel the tug or watch for a quick jump of the leader. It is often very effective.

Also, if you ever plan to begin tying, it doesn't get much easier than thing an Al's Rat.

 

[a23fish]

Thanks for your responses folks. If it wasn't 30 degrees with 20+ MPH winds today, I might have gone back to see (maybe) what I missed yesterday. Like I said, I couldn't see any "bugs" yesterday but perhaps that is because I wasn't looking for the right thing. The surface feeding was fairly quiet, i.e., distinct rings but no splashes. I could see some of the trout glide up to the surface and slurp whatever it was, then slip back down.

 

[dryflyguy]

Quiet sipping certainly points to midges.
You would have to look pretty hard to see them

If you can't get any midge flies to try on them, you can buy what's called a griffiths gnat.
Get it in the smallest size that you can

 

[blitzinstripes]

If you are nymphing and there isn't a visible hatch occuring or you are unsure the current hatch timing, etc., it pays to just fish whatever you have the most confidence in. Your confidence will have a positive impact on your fishing efforts more than anything else. And unless the fish are keying on a specific hatch, its more about a good presentation and drift more than anything else. The fish probably care much less if it's a PT or a GRHE, as they do about proper presentation. So fish what you have confidence in, and you will likely perform YOUR best. I have a favorite attractor pattern that is a ridiculously unnatural and gawdy version of a prince nymph, but I have had tremendous success with it, so I naturally fish it with a lot of confidence. That, more than anything, is probably why I continue to catch as many fish on it.

 

[turkey]

Trout rising to midges can be pretty frustrating. I'd second the notion of trying a small Griffith's Gnat. In fact, I'd keep some with me all of the time, year round. Another tactic that I like, especially in winter, is fishing a midge pupa-type pattern or midge emerger in the surface film right through the rises. There is a great book on the matter called "Midge Magic" by Don Holbrook and Ed Koch. It contains more info on midges than anyone could want to know, including some great patterns. I think it's worth checking it out.

 

[pcray1231]

As a higher level answer to how to pick a fly.

It's knowledge, which is where a message board like this can help. Identifying insects you see. Different rise forms can tell you what life stage. If you don't see the prey, what is expected to be on that stream at that time of day and year? Is it a riffle or pool and which bugs hatch there?

For instance here. The advice is good. How in the heck do these people suspect its midges? It's mid afternoon, mid winter, fish are rising, and you can't see the bug. Midges is a very good bet.

Note, fluoro tippets are often a negative for dry fly fishing, especially with tiny flies like midges. It's stiffer and doesn't float as well as mono, both lead to more drag. The visibility advantage is lost on the surface, and the abrasion resistance isn't needed either. Just my 2 cents.

 

[larkmark]

I use the fluoro tippet in 6.5x and 6x Trouthunter and fish dries with it. It seems to work well for me. I love fishing tiny flies and Griffiths Gnat in 22 is a good one. Also tiny flies tied as a spinner (flat wing style) are sometimes the ticket. They float in the film and you cannot see them sometimes but just have to sort of guess when a fish takes them or watch tippet. I make a lot of generic grey and olive very simple CDC flies that work as olives and also midges. Just a tiny dubbed body and a bit of CDC tied upright. I have seen Olives hatch in late winter even while it is snowing and it can be a lot of fun. Midges hatch year round in places.

 

[JimKennedy]

I can never catch those sippers because everyone who walks by throws everything in the box at them. Stick to your tenkara technique, but put on a heavy nymph and drag it slightly faster than the current over the bottom. No one is bothering those fish because the sippers are distracting the anglers.

 

[chumbucket]

when you're fishing these tiny midges or griff gnat on the surface, are you actually able to see the fly land and throughout the drift or are you just waiting for a splash/hit? I can never see these things land and don't even know know long they stay on the surface

 

[ryansheehan]

You will just be guessing but if there is any doubt set. One of my favorite midge patterns is called the icsi(I can see it) midge. If you're just starting to fish midges it's a good pattern to learn with. Once you get comfortable you can go with smaller patterns you won't see.

 

[jifigz]

chumbucket wrote:
when you're fishing these tiny midges or griff gnat on the surface, are you actually able to see the fly land and throughout the drift or are you just waiting for a splash/hit? I can never see these things land and don't even know know long they stay on the surface

Tie tiny parachute style dries for midges and fish em close. Size 24 or so. Works for me.