Fishing Large Dry Flies

[tctrout]

In my newest YouTube tutorial, I discuss some ways that I prefer to fish larger dry flies (such as dry dropper and tandem style with two dry flies). It seems that magazines continue to prod us to fish smaller flies, though utilizing a larger one can be nearly as effective, or more so when paired with a smaller pattern.

Enjoy,

TC

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rm8mvsJxCI[/youtube]

 

[krayfish2]

Agreed. I'll fish the biggest dry fly I can get away with.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Agreed as well. I don't do the "small" stuff really.

 

[BrookieChaser]

x3

 

[krayfish2]

In the summer (up on the D) when caddis and sulphurs are small .... I'll fish a #10, 2xl. Still takes fish and easier for failing eyes to see.

Andy,
You'll love this one...fishin tricos on Tully a few years back. Every one is fishing #24-#28. I rarely go below #20. My buddy is above me and he's catching fish every 3-4 casts for about an hour. I walked up to see what in the hell he was using. #12 march brown emerger. He said "they weren't taking the small fly so I tried this one". So much for fish being smart and selective.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Yeah I remember you telling that story before...and it has had its influence on me!

I have found myself in that same situation many times. Sometimes I think, if a fish is going to spend so much energy eating these freaking crumbs, why won't they come up and eat a whole dang potato chip?

My ability to see small flies also influences my dry selection haha!

 

[AFB2989]

Great video and thanks for sharing. I personally haven't found the need for anything over size 14 besides drakes and the occasional stone. Anything over size 12 feels like a baloon for me.

 

[geebee]

an emerger is not really a dry fly, but i get your point.

something in the film is food.

size is irrelevant. if they are looking up, they are looking up.

 

[fisherboy3]

Lol I guess none of you fish for rising trout to psuedos......

 

[dryflyguy]

fisherboy3 wrote:
Lol I guess none of you fish for rising trout to psuedos......

....or tricos.

I've heard from several people about those picky Delaware river trout taking a large dry when they're on something much smaller.
I kinda have my doubts about that though.
Krayfish - if we ever hook up on the delaware river again, you'll have to demonstrate that for me

 

[Longbow]

I was using a fairly large BWO (16) on the Breeches this week and caught quite a few on top even though there was not much bug activity going on that I could see.

 

[krayfish2]

Pseudo hatch....giant Iso. Shane, PhilC, DaveS, NickR have all seen it done or have had success doing it. Bart formerly of DRC referred to them as 'cheeseburger flies'. You might get more looks at a #22 last chance cripple but you'll also get a ton of refusals. If they see the cheeseburger, they'll come 6' to blow it up. Also nice to use 4x for quick fight.

 

[GenCon]

I like to fish large drys as well. A size 14 adams can be killer during a trico hatch. When Iso's are in the air. I like to use a huge iso comaradun on fast water and a large variant on slower. But I like fishing drys on fast water. The takes are usually explosive.

GenCon

 

[tctrout]

Thanks for the comments, everybody, and I'm glad the video has been well-received.

TC

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Something a little different, I have found that using bigger soft hackles work well for midges. Kray, another Tully story. I was there in November with some midge action going on, but I wasn't getting anything on the tiny stuff. Not on the surface, not in the film. Tied on a size 14 PT soft hackle and started nailing them.

 

[fisherboy3]

Oh theres no doubt that during the psuedo hatch that a trout on the
Big D will eat an iso... I threw iso's during the day and they still come up and smash it. During the psuedo hatch at dusk i was using a 22 rusty spinner and got 2, the guy across the river from me had 5 in 15 min. His magic fly? A size 12 rusty spinner, or iso spinner.

 

[krayfish2]

Stuff like that works a majority of the time but when the fish key in on the little stuff, you gotta match it or you get the skunk. That goes for just about any stream.

 

[FiveWeight]

Have caught some amazingly large fish on amazingly tiny, tiny flies.... Have caught some amazingly large fish on amazingly huge flies also. Its a whatever works thing. Although, the older I get I do seem to enjoy throwing something the size of a Starling or there abouts.... It sure makes it easier on the eyes to follow. Preferably something that's day-glo fluorescent orange and has a small strobe on the top of it.

 

[redietz]

I pretty much agree with everything in the video.

 

[mikesl]

OK, so would it be fair to say that putting a larger offering in the part of the water column the trout are feeding from can be more effective than matching what they are eating if it is tiny, because either the trout will move further or take more risk for the big meal or it's easier to make a realistic impression with a larger fly, or all of the above?
I could certainly buy that, and seems to be a theme in Bob Wyatt's book as well.