Jerry's Dry Flies

Dry flies are flies meant to float on the water's surface, imitating all sorts of adult aquatic or terrestrial insects that fall into the water. Some fly fishermen refuse to use anything but dry flies. But when trout are willing to rise for dry flies, nothing beats the excitement of watching a large brown trout rocket up from the depths to attack a dry fly on the surface.

When trout are feeding off the surface, there's little guesswork to selecting the right dry fly. We can see what they're eating simply by observing what floats past our waders. We don't need any Latin to choose an imitation; we know that a general approximation is usually close enough when using a dry fly.

FISHING STREAMERS IN SPRING FLOOD CONDITIONS

There are two things that work in the fly fisher’s favor when fishing streams and rivers in flood in the spring. The first is that because there is so much fast moving water around the fish are not spooked by wading fly fishers. The second is that the fish are on the feed again after winter. In the early part of the season you have to select a fly which will make a trout think it is worth spending the energy to attack it. It is still very cold. Try to work out where the trout are holding up. Trout turn to eating small minnows when the water is in flood as it is hard for them to detect insects to eat. If the water is discolored tie on a dark colored streamer to lure the trout to an attack. There are a number of streamers you could try ranging from black zonkers, woolly buggers, matukas to black ghosts. Try sheltered area of the river first. Look for pockets of water that are not moving as fast as the main body of water. That is the best place to go hunting fish.

Normally I try the traditional down and across presentation when fishing with streamer lures. In flood conditions I like to try and imitate the minnow swimming upwards, pausing and going to the bottom again. I do this by using the tip of my fly rod and lifting the fly up about one meter (one yard) and then down on a streamer lure cast up stream. It looks like an easy meal to the hungry full size trout.

When you get a strike you know about it and instantly get a set hook as the fish is biting on a rising hook on a tight line. In larger rivers I wade downstream slowly and fish down and across. I use a slow six inch retrieves on a fly line with a moderately fast sinking tip with a rate of about three to four inches a second. Remember always take care fishing water in flood. Wear proper wading boots and a life vest. There are too many fatalities each year. Don’t become the next statistic.

Petoskey, Northern Michigan, Bear River Salmon. I love Jerry's Olive Stone Flies and a long list of others to include his creative lures - he makes available! Thanks Jerry, Teena

Comment about each season:
Spring - Spring is a time of heavy insect hatches. This activity and warming water temperatures result in active feeding. There is excellent fishing with Jerry's Dry Flies that match dominant hatches. Consider the follow in Jan. - Feb. : Olive Midge, Dark Caddis., Dark Stone, Blue Dun, Blue Wing Olive, Male Adam, Adam Caddis, Parachute Adam Deer Hair, Buck Tail Caddis, Royal Wulff during the Middle of the day as waters start to warm. During March: Quill Golden, Blue Wing Olive, Blue Dun, Dark Stone, Dark Caddis, Hendrickson, Red Quill, March Brown, Male Adam, Gray Hackle, Royal Wulff. During April: Black Caddis, March Brown, Hendrickson, Blue Dun, Blue Wing Olive, Quill Gordon, Dark Stone, Red Quill, Male Adam, Royal Wulff, Yellow Palmer, Parchute Adam.



Summer - Despite ideal conditions during summer, it can be a period of low numbers of inscect hatching. This is one reason why terrestrials become such a big part of the fishes diet. These patterns can be very productive. Consider the following for May: Light Caddis, Little Yellow Stone, Light Cahill, Sulpher Dunn, Gloden Stone, Yellow Mayfly, Gray Fox, Yellow Palmer, Yellow Humpy, Beaver Tan During June: Little Yellow Stone, Little Green Stone, Light Cahill, Light Caddis, Yelow May Fly, Sulper Dun, Yellow Palmer, Female Adam, Beaver Tan, Adam Variant Gray Fox During July: Little Yellow Stone, Little Green Stone, Creame Midge, Light Caddis, Light Cahill, Yellow Mayfly, Black Quill, Blue Wing Olive, Gray Fox, Feamale Adam, Adam Caddis, Green Palmer Grasshopper, Elk Hair Caddis During August: Little Yellow Stone, Little Green Stone, Trico- Black / White, Creme Midge, Blue Wing Olive, Peacock Caddis, Adam Caddis, Stimulator, Female Adam, Fore & After, Black Gnat, Griffith Gnat, Grasshopper, Elk Hair Caddis

Fall - Fall is a time of increasing fish activity. Part of this id due to increasing numbers of small nymphs and water temperatures starting to cool down. This means fish have plenty to eat and smaller patterns may be more effective. Sometimes the size of the pattern is just as important as the pattern itself. Consider the following for September: Trico - Black/ White, Blue Wing Olive, Creme Midge, White Mayfly, Elk Hair Caddis, Peacock Caddis, Adam Caddis, Willow Fly, Grasshopper, Beaver Tan,Orange Palmer, Buck Tail Caddis, Stimulator During October: Blue Wing Olive, Trico Black/White, Creme Midge, Beaver Tan, Royal Wulff, Royal Coachman, Orange Palmer, Red Humpy, Grasshopper, Stimulator.

Winter - Fish feeding continues all winter but at a slower rate. Because there are fewer insect hatches most feeding is on nymphs. Winter is an excellent time for nymphy fishing with a variety of mayfly, stonefly and caddis fly patterns. A slower presentation may be more effective. Due to cold water temperatures fish reaction times are slowed down some what. Consider the following for November / December: Blue Wing Olive, Trico Black / White, Gray Midge, Royal Wulff, Royal Coachman, Parachute Adam, Male Adam, Yellow Palmer, Elk Hair Caddis.

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Several of the dry flies come in different sizes of hooks