How to see small dry flies?

[bdhoover77]

I have not had time to do much fishing this summer. But with my wife and kids out of town for the week, I was able to get out to a small tailwater relatively close to home. Most of the fishing was with a dry-dropper. I tried using beetle and ant patterns, but because I wanted to go small, my biggest problem was how to see the fly. I had to switch to a high-viz mayfly or elk hair caddis pattern to be able to see the dry fly. But the issue, of course, is that we are not really in mayfly season at this point.

So my question — when fishing a dry fly like a small ant or beetle or even a griffith’s gnat, what do folks use to see the fly? Does anyone use a yarn indicator with a dry fly?

 

[JerryC]

My favorite small pattern is a size 20 midge. It has a white CDC wing, so it's somewhat visible. A lot of times I'll fish it as dropper behind a size 12 CDC and Elk. The dropper fly is about 18 inches behind the lead fly. I just keep an eye on the lead fly and the area behind it. About half the time its the CDC and Elk that gets taken. There always seems to be caddis on the local streams I fish.

 

[Bamboozle]

I fish a lot of tiny dry flies so the important thing for me is to see where my fly LANDS and to study the rate of flow of the water by watching junk floating along.

If I lose sight of my fly, I keep following the spot where I think it is and if I see a rise anywhere in that vicinity, I set the hook.

I've been fishing this way forever, especially at night and venture to guess I don't see 50% of the dry flies I'm fishing when I set the hook.

 

[HopBack]

Anything less than a size 14 dry fly is not going to be ideal for that setup. I would lose the dropper if you want to fish with something that small. If fish are keyed on on ants or midges they are not going to be taking your dropper anyway.

As far as using a high vis fly like an elk hair caddis…. Only we are bound the names we give them. Trout are going to look at size/profile and presentation more than anything else. Your elk hair caddis could double for some sort of brown drake or a grasshopper or cricket. It’s, a very generic pattern. If you get small enough, say size 18 it could look like a BWO.

 

[coyoterahn]

As noted above by Bamboozle, watch where you fly lands, watch the flow and if a fish rises in the vicinity, set the hook. Easy peasy.

 

[PennKev]

So my question — when fishing a dry fly like a small ant or beetle or even a griffith’s gnat, what do folks use to see the fly? Does anyone use a yarn indicator with a dry fly?

A tiny dab of strike indicator putty has been my go-to for this. I usually just put it on one of the tippet knots. When you see a rise near the speck of putty, hesitate a moment and set the hook. It pays to practice a restrained hook set as you will sometimes see rises that are not on your fly and a light hook set will avoid spooking many fish and allow for a second opportunity.

With all the different hi-vis sighter mono materials available now, you could also easily incorporate a small piece into your leader near enough to the fly to accomplish the same thing. This would make for a more permanent, fuss free set up, but would lack the adjustable nature of the putty.

 

[whheff]

I too use bio strike about 12 inches from my fly. Fishing size 24 and 26 Tricos is easier because you watch the bio strike.

 

[JimKennedy]

don't get old.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I've been fishing this way forever, especially at night and venture to guess I don't see 50% of the dry flies I'm fishing when I set the hook.

I also use this method. However, when I blind set, I find that I'm able to see the dry fly in overhead vegetation almost 100% of the time. 😆

 

[albatross]

I will often fish a more visible dry as an indicator with the smaller fly trailing behind in a two dry setup.

 

[MBWCC]

I nail knot a short length (6") of 20 or 25# (0.018 or 0.021" diameter), fluorescent orange or green, Amnesia on the terminal end of my fly line and then tie a perfection knot in the terminal end of the Amnesia. The Amnesia is very visible even in low light. If the Amnesia twitches set the hook.

 

[Acristickid]

Neon/bright colored post on tiny flies. Hot pink post on size 20 bwo work for me.

 

[PennKev]

I nail knot a short length (6") of 20 or 25# (0.018 or 0.021" diameter), fluorescent orange or green, Amnesia on the terminal end of my fly line and then tie a perfection knot in the terminal end of the Amnesia. The Amnesia is very visible even in low light. If the Amnesia twitches set the hook.

So the fish has to move all the slack out of a 7+ foot leader before you see the twitch?

I think I'll stick to placing a sighting material/device as close to the fly as possible without hindering presentation.

 

[JeremyW]

I have not had time to do much fishing this summer. But with my wife and kids out of town for the week, I was able to get out to a small tailwater relatively close to home. Most of the fishing was with a dry-dropper. I tried using beetle and ant patterns, but because I wanted to go small, my biggest problem was how to see the fly. I had to switch to a high-viz mayfly or elk hair caddis pattern to be able to see the dry fly. But the issue, of course, is that we are not really in mayfly season at this point.

So my question — when fishing a dry fly like a small ant or beetle or even a griffith’s gnat, what do folks use to see the fly? Does anyone use a yarn indicator with a dry fly?

I usually tie them with neon pink posts, makes seeing them easier. I'd echo the others in just setting the hook if you see a disturbance in the water.

Generally, I try not to fish smaller than 14, occasionally I'll fish 18/20, but most of the fish I catch are on attractors. They being said, I don't fish many tail waters with tiny fly hatches....

 

[JeremyW]

A tiny dab of strike indicator putty has been my go-to for this. I usually just put it on one of the tippet knots. When you see a rise near the speck of putty, hesitate a moment and set the hook. It pays to practice a restrained hook set as you will sometimes see rises that are not on your fly and a light hook set will avoid spooking many fish and allow for a second opportunity.

With all the different hi-vis sighter mono materials available now, you could also easily incorporate a small piece into your leader near enough to the fly to accomplish the same thing. This would make for a more permanent, fuss free set up, but would lack the adjustable nature of the putty.

that's not a bad idea....

 

[lestrout]

So the fish has to move all the slack out of a 7+ foot leader before you see the twitch?

I think I'll stick to placing a sighting material/device as close to the fly as possible without hindering presentation.

Yo Pen - I grease my leader all the way to the fly. That way, if the fly's motion is disturbed, the impulse is transmitted by the leader via surface tension and there is no need for the leader itself to have to straighten out. In slick water, I can spot the twitch in the floating tippet.

 

[PennKev]

Yo Pen - I grease my leader all the way to the fly. That way, if the fly's motion is disturbed, the impulse is transmitted by the leader via surface tension and there is no need for the leader itself to have to straighten out. In slick water, I can spot the twitch in the floating tippet.

That is totally different from relying on effectively the end if your fly line to register a strike. If you can see the tippet move, you're ahead of the game.

 

[ryc72]

I will often fish a more visible dry as an indicator with the smaller fly trailing behind in a two dry setup.

Best way to do it. Any rise/eat that’s near the larger fly just set and there’s a pretty good chance that you got a fish hooked on the unseen fly. Para adams, ehc, stimi, all act as a good indi fly and catch plenty of fish themselves.

 

[bdhoover77]

Best way to do it. Any rise/eat that’s near the larger fly just set and there’s a pretty good chance that you got a fish hooked on the unseen fly. Para adams, ehc, stimi, all act as a good indi fly and catch plenty of fish themselves.

This is the best way to do it…if you are fishing only dry flies. If you want to use a dry-dropper and live in a state that does not allow more than two flies on your leader, not so much.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

I tie in a larger bushier dry, say a caddis 12/14 or a fly with a tall brightly colored post, as an indicator fly and then run the smaller dry off of shank of the hook. I will space the smaller dry about 4-6 feet behind the indicator dry fly. Cast it out and if you see the larger indicator twitch you have a fish. I mainly use this rig to spot the larger fly and use that to see where my smaller dry will be. If I see any rise around where I perceive my smaller fly to be I set, and by set I mean launch the rig out of the water and fire it back out. I can dry my flies while doing this and inspect my rig to see if the dropper is still attached and that the hook isn't straightened out. Grease/add floatant as you see fit. Can't even recall the time I tossed this rig or even fished a dry for a trout so...