YOUR essential DRIES

Yeah, crapped the bed by forgetting Rusty spinner. Use them often.

Pat,
I've used tan x-caddis for blue quill, Hendrickson, March Brown, Grey Fox, cornuta and several stenos. Match size and good to go. Fish are dumb and can be fooled with a good drift.
 
krayfish2 said:
I've used tan x-caddis for blue quill, Hendrickson, March Brown, Grey Fox, cornuta and several stenos. Match size and good to go. Fish are dumb and can be fooled with a good drift.
Click to expand...

Likewise, I've used mayfly imitations for caddis. Dumb fish is true, but that door swings both ways.
 
#1 - BWO's - smaller ones #18 and #20.
I kick off the season every year matching the hatch with these guys.
And have caught fish on them in just every month of the year.
Essential for every dry fy fisherman IMO.

#2 - Sulphers - mainly size #14
But have used them successfully in sizes from #10 - #20.
After their main spring emergence in May and June, I continue to catch fish on them sporadically right
thru summer and even into early fall

#3 - Beetles - mainly #14, but fish them in sizes from #10 to #20.
First thing I tie on when nothing is hatching, through out summer and early fall

#4 - Tan caddis - #14 and #16
Have caught fish on them from early spring through out fall
And a nice attractor pattern, even when they're not hatching

#5 - Rusty spinner - #14 thru #20
Good match for just about any mayfly spinner through out the season

#6 - Slate Drake - #12 and #14
Great searching pattern from late spring through early fall
 
I just tied 3 parachute BWO in size 16. They should have been a little smaller but.....

I'm gonna check the limestoner in the next few days to see if I can carry on my March hatch matching tradition.

And yeah, rooster tails are the worst. I was never an inline spinner man though and would rather have the acme kastmaster.
 
Tan caddis #16
March Brown #12
Adams #16
Henryville Special #16
Green Bodied Adams #16
Lt. Cahill #14, #16
Sulfur Comparadun #16
Slate Drake #12
Royal Wulff #14
Orange Stimulator #12
Ant #18

12 flies in a 12 compartment box. These cover the main hatches on the streams I fish when surface activity is consistant enough for me to tie on a dry or when trout are active but no hatch occuring.
 
jifigz said:
I just tied 3 parachute BWO in size 16. They should have been a little smaller but.....

I'm gonna check the limestoner in the next few days to see if I can carry on my March hatch matching tradition.

And yeah, rooster tails are the worst. I was never an inline spinner man though and would rather have the acme kastmaster.
Click to expand...
Got a pretty good chance IMO.
I've been fishing BWO's for almost a month now
 
krayfish2 said:
Yeah, crapped the bed by forgetting Rusty spinner. Use them often.

Pat,
I've used tan x-caddis for blue quill, Hendrickson, March Brown, Grey Fox, cornuta and several stenos. Match size and good to go. Fish are dumb and can be fooled with a good drift.
Click to expand...
I had a friend who was very old and he kept a caddis tied on his rod for months. People would offer him match the hatch flies but he stuck with the caddis and always caught fish and often did better than the rest of us regardless of what was hatching. I have done well with a small bivisible at times during a sulfur hatch. Discovered it by accident but it works. I don't know why.
 
Tigereye said:
Tan caddis #16
March Brown #12
Adams #16
Henryville Special #16
Green Bodied Adams #16
Lt. Cahill #14, #16
Sulfur Comparadun #16
Slate Drake #12
Royal Wulff #14
Orange Stimulator #12
Ant #18

12 flies in a 12 compartment box. These cover the main hatches on the streams I fish when surface activity is consistant enough for me to tie on a dry or when trout are active but no hatch occuring.
Click to expand...
Good list. I like the addition of a green Adams.I think an Adams tied in different colors and sizes might cover a lot of hatches. I usually have a tan and yellow Adams.
 
I never leave home without them. Here’s some #16 and 18’s, but some 20’s, and a few different colors wouldn’t hurt.

5C5626F7 43FE 471F 910F 03D1B8D811E3
 
Adams
Spinners, various sizes and colors
Elk hair caddis
BWO’s
Sulphers
Griffiths knat
Ants, black and red, wet/dry

you guys covered my list and more! BTW, I really like this thread jifgz! Nice.
 
coyoterahn said:
Adams
Spinners, various sizes and colors
Elk hair caddis
BWO’s
Sulphers
Griffiths knat
Ants, black and red, wet/dry

you guys covered my list and more! BTW, I really like this thread jifgz! Nice.
Click to expand...
Well, you know, we needed to get some good old-school style discussions going on this forum. I plan to be posting a lot of fishing reports as well to encourage good discussion.

Plus, I plan to fish more dries this year (I think I always plan this and I still end up nymphing and streamer fishing a lot.)
 
caddisflyer said:
I have done well with a small bivisible at times during a sulfur hatch. Discovered it by accident but it works. I don't know why.
Click to expand...
I regularly do well during the sulfur hatch with a Renegade. My guess for both flies is that a light front end and a dark back says to the fish "emerger" or "cripple."

I know the Renegade doesn't work during the spinner fall.
 
pcray1231 said:
I personally do a lot more dry fly fishing with mayflies than caddis, but it depends where you're at.
Click to expand...
When there is no hatch, the caddis can be the #1 fly to choose and may also be the #1 even when there is a mayfly hatch . . .
 
And this is why I start threads like this. I have never heard of a renegade fly pattern so I looked it up. It is an easy tie and one that I may add to my box to try.

Also, my "homewaters" are caddis heavy and seem to just have more caddis than mayflies at all times. That is why the EHC is so indespensible to me as a dry.
 
pcray1231 said:
You are missing rusty spinners. MB's, sulphurs, cahills, etc. etc. etc. So many mayflies, the spinner falls can be handled by the good old rusty spinner in the right size. It's an easy tie too. I always have a selection from 10-18 or so. In hatch season on hatch streams, it is THE fly I am not going to ever leave home without.

For duns and even caddis, I think you could get away with an Adams catskill or thorax type tie. Parachutes work too, but are harder to skitter if the fish are keyed on movement, which sometimes happens. Again, 10-18 or so. And these will work fine for your brookie flies too.

I'd want an ant or beetle pattern in the mix for summertime terrestrial fishing.

And I dunno, but I like having emergers on me. Again, I don't think color matters as much as size.

If you fancy some midge/trico fishing. Tie a trico spinner. Cut the tails off and fluff up the poly wings a bit, and it becomes a midge. You're welcome.
Click to expand...
Yeah I almost put a rusty spinner in there too.
 
I carry caddis dry imitations, but it's honestly probably been 3 or 4 years since I tied one one.

I do occasionally swing wets, which is mostly caddis wet flies.
 
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