YOUR essential DRIES

[mt_flyfisher]

This fly can be fished wet or dry.

Rick Wollum ties some some beautiful flies (I’ve seen a fly box or 2 of his personal flies where he works at Anglers West Fly Shop in Emigrant, MT) and not only can you see how he ties this fly, but you can also get some of his tying tips In this video.

 

[caddisflyer]

This fly can be fished wet or dry.

Rick Wollum ties some some beautiful flies (I’ve seen a fly box or 2 of his personal flies where he works at Anglers West Fly Shop in Emigrant, MT) and not only can you see how he ties this fly, but you can also get some of his tying tips In this video.

I have some soft hackles in my arsenal. My main one being a peacock body with partridge and no tail. I fish it damp or in the film and sometimes it does the trick on fussy fish. It can also be fished as a dropper behind a dry caddis and that works too.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

I have some soft hackles in my arsenal. My main one being a peacock body with partridge and no tail. I fish it damp or in the film and sometimes it does the trick on fussy fish. It can also be fished as a dropper behind a dry caddis and that works too.

While this thread was aimed at dry flies, a well equipped dry fly fisherman will also have some wet flies that can be fished effectively both wet or dry.

I have a wet fly that is very similar to your peacock and partridge, but I tie the body with peacock colored SLF Prism fibers (in a dubbing loop) instead of with real peacock. I think the loose trailing SLF fibers add a bit more life and translucency to the fly.

I am a big fan of SLF Prism fiber dubbing in a multitude of colors, and tie some other flies using only a Prism fiber body and Hungarian partridge collar, using a body color to match the hatch, some of which can be almost embarrassingly effective. (Well almost, but not embarrassing enough to stop using them.)

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I didn't include soft hackles/wet flies because of the threat title.

 

[JerryC]

Sticking with the dry flies. I keep it simple. Most of the dries in my trout box are caddis and midges.
CDC and Elk(deer hair). Tied on the TMC 2488 size 10 to 18. Vary body and wing color to match what might be coming off the water
Midges- I use one of my own patterns, CDC body and CDC wing.
I've fished streams in NY, PA, Vermont and Southern Ontario and there may not be mayflies hatching but there have always been caddis and midges.
The Usual. Nice easy tie. I've been tying them with a wrapped CDC body. Makes it easier to match body colors if any mayflies are hatching.
Stimulator- Various sizes and colors. It will cover stonefly and mayfly hatches and also grass hoppers
Emerger- I tie one loosely based on the Quigley Cripple. I tie them TMC 2488, size 10 to 14.
Foam beetles in season

 

[lars]

That’s a nice tie. Most effective colors for me when blind casting.

thanks. it's a big fish fly. they can't seem to resist a properly drifted one. sometimes on
windy days skating them is effective too.
I'd prefer Cree feathers if i could get em. Hard to find big stiff hackles to tie these things
with. Metz used to have nice spade hackle on the edge of their necks but like all the others
they've bred them out.

Art Flick used to tie them up to 2" diameter but i've never found
hackle that big. Robert Traver called the ones Flick tied feather dusters.

 

[redietz]

I didn't include soft hackles/wet flies because of the threat title.

Same here, although I will floatant on wet flies and fish them dry. For example, I didn't include a Rusty Spinner as an essential dry because a Partridge and Orange does a better job in the same circumstances.

 

[ROVERT]

Hacklestackers in BWO, Hendrickson, Adams, Sulphur, Cahill, and Rusty.

Catskills for MB's and drake's.

EHC in tan and black

If it's a mayfly size 12 or smaller, I'm likely fishing a hacklestacker. They are easy to tie, float well, have good visibility, and fish like a parachute. I've also been trying some caddis tied in the same manner. I just run the hackle the full length of the hook.

 

[Tigereye]

No arguement with above. Seems you like to vary style based on insect.

Give comparadun style a try. Esp with slate drake and sulfurs.

 

[BradFromPotter]

No arguement with above. Seems you like to vary style based on insect.

Give comparadun style a try. Esp with slate drake and sulfurs.

use cdc for a trailing shuck on the comparadun!

 

[Sylvaneous]

It's a good idea to figure out what you want to use for what and when. Otherwise, there isn't a 'reason' (damning quotes for the looseness of that word) for you to use one fly over the other. This sport can be befuddling enough without compounding it with a 'spaghetti against the way' approach to fly selection.
For me, and my input would be: Show shoe hare's foot Comparadun duns and emergers (same, just tied on scud hook with trailing shuck) for sz. 16 and up. CDC for sz. 18 and less. Paraspinners mostly but polywing spinners as well when that stage comes into play. All my caddis are all the same: variances to a basic CDC wing caddis.

 

[Bendog412]

I am asking what YOUR essential DRIES are. Why am I asking this? Because I am in the organizing, fly tying mood and gearing up for the upcoming season AND we are a fly fishing board, let's talk dry flies. I don't fish flies I don't tie and I am getting ready to tie to get me ready for spring. Something else you ought to know about me and my fly fishing style is I like to keep it light. I don't like to be bogged down with TOO many fly patterns. I like flies I have faith in flies I can fish often in a vareity of situations to catch fish.

However, the dries I tend to keep on hand at all times are as follows: some forms of Elk Hair Caddis, some BWO parachutes, parachute ants, Royal Wulff, some big, bushy style wulff versions of a green drake/coffinfly, some grey wulffs, some kind of sulphur pattern (parachute or wullf) and some Griffith's gnats.

I know my essential dries, but enlighten me to yours and why you like them. Maybe I will tie and add some more before the hatches start. I am expecting BWO's on small local limestoner that I fish every March any time now. It is a tradition for me to hit this with dry flies and where I cut my fly fishing teeth.

Parachute Adams
Griffth's Gnat
Patriot
Mr. Rapidan
Ausable Wulff
But really, I love throwing hoppers and ants in the summertime
Bottom line, I'm most often fishing wild brook trout in small streams, and they typically don't inspect a pattern too closely as it cruises into their feeding lane....