10 flies to try out this season

10 FLIES TO TRY OUT THIS YEAR

Posted by Eric Pickhartz

10 hours ago

Which flies for trout have staked their claim as the best of the best?

A list of the “10 best flies for trout fishing” could almost double as a list for “10 best flies” period.

There’s a reason that trout are the target of choice for most fly anglers. Not only are they common in bodies of water all over the country, but they also respond well to a plethora of different fly patterns. We’ve compiled some of the most successful trout flies.

View the photos below and see if you agree with the top 10 choices of flies for trout.

1. Parachute Adams

The Adams is rather widely considered to be the most essential fishing fly, period. That fact counts for double in the trout fishing realm, where the Adams is quite simply indispensible. The fly comes in a variety of different variations and sizes, and if push comes to shove and you can only have one version of the Adams in your tackle box, for trout fishing, the best design is the Parachute Adams. It’s a dry fly that can hook trout on the surface of rivers and streams throughout America during virtually any time of year – even seasons that are not traditionally considered to be hotspots for trout anglers. This is because the Parachute Adams bears a passing resemblance to a lot of different insect types, making it one of the most versatile flies in any trout angler’s arsenal.

2. Woolly Bugger

Despite the Parachute Adams’ status as one of the most versatile and oft-seen flies in all of trout fishing, there are plenty of anglers who would place it at number two on their “top trout flies” list. The beneficiary of that move in most cases would be the Woolly Bugger, a streamer that has the versatility below the surface that the Parachute Adams has above it. From nymphs to leeches and beyond, the Bugger is adept at imitating plenty of underwater prey, and the addition of different colors and beads to the design only adds to its usefulness.

3. Elk Hair Caddis

As a general purpose dry fly, the Elk Hair Caddis is often forced to play second fiddle to the Parachute Adams. There’s a reason: the Adams can be used to catch virtually any type of fish in any type of environment. However, for those whose interest in fly fishing rests almost exclusively in catching trout, the Elk Hair Caddis may just take the gold medal as the most essential dry fly out there. In fact, the Elk Hair Caddis has become arguably the most popular fly in fishing shops simply because trout fall for its distinctive and realistic appearance every time.

4. Bunny Leech

The role that the Elk Hair Caddis plays for the Parachute Adams in the dry fly department is arguably similar to the role that the Bunny Leech fly plays to the Woolly Bugger. While many would swear up and down that the marabou tail and chenille body of the Woolly Bugger is the perfect combination for catching trout below the surface, there are also plenty of anglers who would tell you that rabbit fur is the more effective material simply because it offers more movement and visual flare in the water. Think about it: there are really no flies more visually impressive than rabbit fur flies, and if you think that, you can bet that the fish do as well.

5. Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear

Speaking of wet flies with visual flare, the Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear is yet another classic fly that should have a place in any trout angler’s tackle box. The defining characteristic of the fly – other than its flashy golden sheen – is its sheer versatility. In different sizes, the Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear can be fished as a caddis fly, a scud, a nymph, a mayfly, a stonefly, and who knows how many other species. In short, it will catch trout no matter what type of insect they have a hankering for.

6. Crayfish

Not all trout anglers remember a Crayfish fly when stocking their tackle box with wet flies, but it can actually prove to be a secret weapon for when other flies just aren’t doing the trick. This is because the Crayfish fly adds a completely different type of prey species to your imitative capabilities. In saltwater, everyone knows that crustacean flies are important. In freshwater, that fact is easy to forget, but crayfish are everywhere, and a fly that imitates them is an important thing to have in your box. Strip it along the seafloor to incite particularly predatory reactions in fish.

7. Pheasant Tail Nymph

The Pheasant Tail Nymph fly functions similarly to the Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear, using its sinking nymph distinction to mimic a wide variety of bait species in the eyes of trout. From a visual perspective, it’s not as flashy as the Hare’s Ear. Still, this fly has been proven over the years as an effective and reliable means of catching fish, and that’s ultimately the most important thing.

8. San Juan Worm

Like the Crayfish, the San Juan Worm is a fly pattern that is, for whatever reason, often forgotten by anglers. This could be because anglers get so caught up in patterns that mimic insects and underwater baitfish that they forget about or spurn the original baiting solution: the worm. Or it could be the fly’s exotic roots in New Mexico’s San Juan River. Whatever the reason for this oversight, the San Juan Worm is a nymph fly that deserves to be in your tackle box. Its simplistic red design may not look like much, but it does look like a worm and it will fool trout.

9. Muddler Minnow

Many would place the Clouser Minnow – one of the default flies for any type of angler – on this list simply for its significance in fly fishing as a whole. However, the Muddler Minnow is, by many accounts, a more effective means for landing trout than its clouser cousin. Fish this streamer as a sculpin or a grasshopper in virtually any lake, river, or stream in America. If you don’t see results, then you can consider switching it out for the clouser.

10. Soft Hackle

Slot number 10 could play host to a seemingly infinite number of trout flies. We went with the Soft Hackle, a wet fly that gives the Woolly Bugger a run for its money in the number of species it can successfully imitate. Swing this through a run and you may be surprised at the success.

Catching Bluegills With A Fly Rod - 2017 Prespawn

Fly Fishing Spawning Bluegills

Fly fishing for bass in florida

Central Park Fall Carp Campaign

My second carp campaign for the month was at Loeb Lake in Central Park.  The campaign was daily chumming a specific part of the lake with ground baits like corn, oatmeal and bread crumbs for at least five days.  From my past experience I know that carp like to feed in this area between 1:30pm and 4:00pm.

Early in this campaign I tried fishing 3:00pm and 5:00pm.  My catch rate went down.
The air temperature began to drop and feeding stops regardless of how much chum is put
in the water.  But before 4:00 o'clock, whenever the air temperature is near fifty degrees; keep your line in the water.

I'm thankful that the wind was calm.  I put out a buffet fit for a carp.  The algae has disappeared.    However, there are no signs that fish are in this area at all.  No bubbles, no swirls; not even a turtle or a catfish can be seen this afternoon.   With these conditions, If there is no activity it could mean that something has spooked the fish.

After four days of chumming, a weather front passed and the weather got colder.  I did not resume
chumming until the warmer temperatures returned several days later.  I picked up where I had stopped, bread crumbs, corn, and oatmeal.  The first carp I caught seemed to have deformed mouth.  It was missing the lower lip. That made it difficult to use the fish grip to hold the fish.  I tried about four times and each time the grip would slip off.

Fortunately, I brought my big net and used it.

My pop up rig allows me to loose one out of four carp.  I don't have any idea why but one
out of four carp never lands in my net.  I will make some pop ups using the Middy Las Soo carp
rig.  It maybe that the hair rig I used was too short.  I have used the Middy Las Soo for years with
excellent results.

Knowing how carp behave is essential to catching carp.   Aside from the behavior exhibited when carp spawn in the spring, I know almost nothing about carp in Brooklyn.  That is the reason I have not caught more carp in Prospect Park Lake.

It is just the opposite at Loeb Lake.  When air temperature is fifty degrees or in that area, I know that carp will be active in the afternoon before four o'clock.

I hope there is another warm spell.  I would like to be able to catch carp this winter.

Prospect Park fall carp campaign

Last spring, I caught my first carp in Prospect Park Lake. The "pop ups" in the above picture are not entirely my idea but the result of a series of trials based on my belief that the person who comes up with a way to fish the entire water column will catch more carp.  Using any means necessary to catch carp.

On my way to the lake I saw this hawk.  It was eating a rat.  Mmmm,good!

I first realized this many years ago while fishing for carp in the Passaic River.  I saw that carp
would feed on the surface, the bottom and that special place between the surface and the bottom.
My first attempt at this was swinging a #8 white woolie bugger through the water column to passing carp about a foot beneath the surface.  Carp would take the fly as if it were a struggling minnow.
 Egg patterns also work.

The important thing to remember is that carp eat anything and everything.  They are omnivores.
The presentation of the fly is what is important.  I have caught carp everywhere in the water column on trout flies, soft baits, and now I'm trying "pop ups".

I have been chumming with bird seeds, oat meal, corn and bread crumbs.  Each day, I arrive at the lake and chum near Duck Island.  Duck Island is the largest bird habitat in the lake.  In the summer carp swim around this island. but I'm not certain if they follow this behavior in the fall.  The air temperatures were near fifty degrees Fahrenheit.  I have not seen the large white koi that patrols here, normally during the warmer months.

After more than a week of chumming, I stopped.  Maybe the water temperature was too cold or that I chummed on the wrong-side of Duck Island but aside from a Golden Shiner, I saw nothing.  There was a carp lake in New Jersey, where carp would not begin to feed until after dusk between five o'clock and seven in late fall.  It was cold, very cold but carp were active and feeding.  Even experiencing frost bite is bearable when you catch a few, just before you go home.

Killer Carp On The Fly Take

Beginner grass carp flys

Prospect Park Lake

Back to the boat house today for some more fall fishing at the boat house.  Number 14 size
flies were the ticket for catching fish. I used a zug bug.

Again, fish were under the deck at the boat house.  Nothing seemed to be active off shore.

Loeb Lake in the pink

I returned to fish Loeb Lake.  This time I used a different fake bait.  It was pink to
resemble lunch meat.  You can see it laying on the pectoral fin in the photo above.

v 

Just to show that I am human I tried to walk on water today.  I slipped on a rock and the next thing
I knew I was in the lake, up to my groin area!  Quick foot work and a forward lunge towards a big rock prevented me from falling face first into the lake.  My shoes are made from gore tex so I was not
completely wet.

I have been using Rio LT trout fly line.  The result of using this weight forward line has been impressive.  It allows me to roll cast and use single rod spey casting technique where there is heavy coverage.  I used a 7 wt fiberglass fly rod and one of my Franco Vivarelli semi automatic fly reels.

I don't know what caused this carp to bleed but I was able to return it to the lake as quickly as I could

Almost no wind as the afternoon wore on.

Loeb Lake fishing with "Pop Ups"

After three days of dropping chum ( oatmeal, breadcrumbs and corn) into the lake, I began my fall 2017 carp campaign.  This has been a"go to spot" each fall for me.

I like this spot because it is quiet and there are not too many people.  The air temperature
has stayed in the seventies and the algae has dissipated.

I lost one, long distance and foul hooked another on fake corn.

Here is the chum I used.  It is just corn and oatmeal held together with bread crumbs and lake water

If you look closely you can see the corn "pop up" I used to catch carp.  I even caught a catfish on this set up.

Prospect Park

It was mid afternoon when I picked up my rod and headed to Prospect Park Lake.
In the fall, fish can be very active at this time of day.  Sometimes Golden Shiners,
Yellow Perch come to the party.  Depending on the rig I am fishing ; I can catch two fish at
a time.

Things were different this afternoon.  Fish were not holding in their old spots in front of the boat house.  So i dropped bead head nymphs down, straight down, from the deck.  Fish, even big bass like to hold under the deck at the boat house.

A drop and a very slow elevation of the nymph will get an aggressive take from
whatever is in the area.  This afternoon it was blue gill.  I had my forty dollar fly rod, from ebay
and the Ghost semi automatic fly reel from Spain.   I have had great difficulty dealing with the vendor of this reel.  The reel has an unusual method for setting the drag.  I do not recommend that anyone, unless you live near the shop, buy this reel.  The drag DOES NOT WORK and the vendor only supplies a picture of where the drag is and a tool that does not adjust the drag .  I think a video
might be helpful but there is none.

I finished the afternoon catching several fish and practicing my casting.

Hudson, New york

I went to a spot that I have fished for a number of years.  I caught my first stripper here
on a big flat wing fly at midnight.  This area is a contributory to the Hudson River.  Late at night, after a new moon, Stripe Bass follow prey into the fresh water to eat.  It is eerie fishing because it is pitch black and all I could hear was the sound of my fly rod moving against the wind in the darkness.
Every once and a while a big stripper splashes as it swims past.

But today I was here to chase big carp.  The owner of the boat launch, feeds corn, every morning to a big group of carp the come for breakfast.  A few years ago I managed to hook a monster that snapped my tippet like a tooth pick as it swam into the vegetation.

This day I saw only a group of bass and suckers.  In the past I would fish here in the spring.  At the end of the day I did find two carp lurking in the weeds. 

Mill pond

Wet wading at this time of the year is almost unheard of but with the air temperature
above 70 F; I stepped into the Mill Pond.  This pond is stocked by New York's Department of Environmental Conservation.

There are a variety of fish in the pond.  The pond is covered in vegetation but it can be fished.
A friend had told me that carp were active.  It appears that the pond is less than five feet deep and the bottom was firm more than thirty feet from the shore.

Me, knee deep in Mill Pond.  The water was surprisingly warm for it to be fall

I walked the entire circumference of the pond but saw no fish and it's a big pond.
Streamers, nymphs, nothing was working on this day.  So I dried off, packed my stuff and left.
"I shall return", as the nearby fishing shop states there are a lot of crappie in the water here.