What are they Sippin' on?
Summer is in full swing, and so are the bug hatches on most rivers in the West. On any given day on the water, you can likely identify dozens of different hatches. With so many choices for both the fish and you as an angler, we thought we’d narrow down some of the shop's July favorites.
Green Drake
At the top of our list—and for most anglers who have experienced this hatch—is the Green Drake. One of the largest Western mayflies, Green Drakes are typically imitated in size #10 or #12. When you see a Green Drake fly by, they are usually a more greyish dun color but unmistakable due to their size. If you get a closer look at the adults, you’ll see they are magnificent specimens with bands of green and yellow coloration.
Once the hatch starts, the river comes alive in ways you’ll never see otherwise. The way trout eat Green Drakes is typically unmistakable as well—confident, splashy, explosive gulps. When you see it, you’ll say, “That was a Drake eat.”
Some of our favorite Green Drake dry fly patterns include the CDC Dun, Hairwing Dun, and Wulff. If the fish are being a bit picky, then give the Film Critic a shot. Fish have a hard time passing up a crippled meal the size of a hamburger.
PMD's -Pale Morning Dun
We’ll stay in the same family of insects and highlight another amazing mayfly, the Pale Morning Dun or PMD. A bit smaller than the Green Drake, PMDs typically range in size from 14 to 18, with size 16 being a safe choice. Pure yellow in color, PMDs are usually among the first mayflies to hatch during the day at this time of year. Not to say they won’t hatch again throughout the day, but they typically first hatch as water temperatures reach 48-50 degrees, while
a Green Drake is normally closer to the mid-50s.
We have found the PMD to be an effective pattern fished as a secondary fly. Present a larger bug as your first dry fly and a slightly smaller pattern as your secondary. The large pattern upfront will help you spot the smaller bug in the back. Additionally, it will often draw a strike from any fish that are more
particular about what they are eating.
Being a mayfly like the Green Drake, many of the patterns we use are similar with CDC and the Film Critic being strong choices. At the top of the list for PMD adult patterns, the Extended Body PMD is likely the shop staff favorite.
Caddis
The next bug to highlight this time of year, and really any time they are hatching, are Caddis. Caddis are a bit harder to identify in terms of specific species, but when you see a Caddis, you know what it is. As an adult, they have wings that lie down on their body, unlike the upright wings of a mayfly. Another key identifier is their flight pattern. Mayflies tend to fly straight, while Caddis commonly bounce up and down while flying. Once you’ve identified that the bugs hatching are Caddis, the most important thing is to match the size and color. Grey, Brown, and Olive are all common shades and the colors we most associate with Caddis. They can also vary in size from #8-#20, but many of the summer hatches are in the #12-#16 range, with #14 being a good balance size to tie on.
If fishing to a picky, consistently rising fish,
you may choose to use a single fly. More commonly, we fish Caddis patterns as a
secondary fly following a larger fly, much like we discussed with the PMD. Tie on a Green Drake or Giant Stonefly pattern followed by a sneaky Caddis, and you’re ready to go.
Stoneflies- Yellow Sallie
The last group of insects we’re going to highlight here are Stoneflies. From Yellow Sallies to Salmonflies, stoneflies can vary greatly in size and color.
Most of the Salmonflies are tapering off at this point, but many other stoneflies are still molting daily. As you’ll see in the photo here, this stonefly looks almost identical to a Salmonfly, but it is more of a size #10-#12. These bugs have been swarming the freestone rivers in our area, which is why fishing a large dry fly as a lead pattern works so well. Additionally, the smaller cousin, the Yellow Sallies, have been coming off thick.
These insects are bright yellow, and many of them have a small red tip on the end of their abdomen. They are typically a size #14-#18, with #16 as the first choice.
Similarly to above, if you’re fishing a larger stonefly like #10-#12, we typically like to use this as the lead pattern. If you’re tying on a smaller bug like a Yellow Sallie, it is more likely to be used as a secondary fly pattern.
Rigging and Tippet Size Selection
Now that we have discussed some of the plethora of bugs hatching currently, let’s take a moment to talk about rigging. Most of the freestone rivers are running slightly high but are on their way down. Due to these conditions, if you are tying on a #8-#12 as the first fly, consider using a 3x leader or tippet. For the secondary flies that are #12-18, you may want to step your tippet down to a 4x. You’ll often find that as long as you are not on a technical water, 3x and 4x should be good until waters really drop and get clear. If you have refusals on a good drift, you can always consider moving to a 5x, but it will likely be harder to land the fish and you might lose a few more flies.
Summer is here and there is no better time to get out and do some dry fly
fishing. Hopefully, this write-up will inspire you to get out and watch some
noses sipping dries, as well as educate you a bit on how to be successful. For
more information or additional questions, don’t hesitate to stop by or give the
shops a ring.
