Dry Flys

[arbor1]

Hello All, I'm just staring out in fly fishing and was wondering if you need to attach a small split shot to the leader when using a dry fly or do you only use split shots when using nymphs? Little help, thanks!

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

If you want to sink a dry fly, attach a shot to it. If you want it to float, don't add a shot. You can fish it either way.

 

[pcray1231]

Yeah, generally the answer is no, you attach no weight. A dry fly floats, thats its definition. You want no weight!

That said, sight-nymph is correct, it isn't a totally uncommon technique to use dry fly patterns and sink them to represent emergers or drowned adults. And in this case you would use shot.

 

[Fishidiot]

Arbor,
Welcome to PaFlyFish and welcome to fly fishing (FFing). This Beginner's Forum exists to provide a place where new FFers can ask questions. So feel free to ask away....
Anyway, as the others have pointed out, you don't use split shot weight with dry flies. If you do put a split shot on your line, then your fly will sink and it would no longer be considered a "dry" fly. Flies that are designed to be fished under the surface include not only nymphs but streamer flies and "wet" flies. Most of the time, you will use split shot with these types of subsurface flies in order to ensure that they sink down deep enough. Flies fished so that they float on the surface are known generically as "dry" flies and are never fished with any kind of weight.

 

[arbor1]

Thanks for all the feedback! I figured that a dry fly was a dry fly, but I wasn't sure if there was any sort of tricks you could use by adding a split shot.