Attractor dries- choosing the size

[Nymphmeister]

Also from Gary LaFontaine's book "The Dry Fly", he talks about picking the size based upon water type/speed. Whereas the most common sizes fished with attractor dries like Royal Wulffs, Trudes, Humpies, etc. is usually about #12-14, he claims these are some of the LESS useful sizes.

In slow/flat water, he recommends #16-20, and in heavy, fast, broken water he likes #4-10. You have to give the trout a big enough food item to pull them up from the bottom in deep, fast water. And conversely, fish are suspicious of overly large items in flat water. I guess one would use the #12-14 in gentle riffles.

He has an interesting strategy based upon his underwater diving research. There were bigger trout in the pools that virtually never rose during hatches, instead staying deep and feeding only upon nymphs. Some of these trout could be enticed to the surface, however, by blind fishing really big attractor type dries in the heavy water at the pool heads, in the faster water. If trout are rising off the current edges in 2 1/2' of water, then fish farther into the current over 4 feet of water. If they are rising 30 feet down from the pool head, then fish up above them in the extreme head of the pool. Interesting stuff I think.

[Nymphmeister]

What size dries do TPO members use when blind fishing/searching the water? And what are some favorite fly patterns?

[alanb_ct]

I have four suggestions, based on current speed. Not truly "attractors" but great searching flies. Last year, after Euro nymphing the Farmington a lot, I spent one really pleasant afternoon fishing with these suggestions and caught some beautiful holdovers.

For super fast current: a size 10 Hornberg (use with 3X, otherwise may twist your tippet)
For moderate current: a size 14 Sparkle Dun in grayish pink (try the shallow riffles)
For slight current: a size 16 Adams (can represent so many insects)
For no or barely any current: a size 20 rusty spinner (a viable fly probably 9 months of year)

Can substitute an orange or yellow stimulator or Madam X for the Hornberg, especially in the summer, if you see adult stoneflies. Otherwise, I believe the Hornberg doubles as a "streamer" attractor that can float and that adds to its effectiveness.

I tie all my Sparkle Duns with Caucci-Nastasi spectrumized dubbing.

I tie some Adams without wings, or substitute other materials to make them more like a Gray Wulff.

For spinners this year, I really want to tie and fish more biot spinners.

[kyle]

My favorite searching/attractor fly is my own chernobyl beatle, size 6 to 14. I us a peacock hearl underbody with black and white legs. Then I pull black foam over the top of the fly (like a traditional beatle) next I fold the black foam back towards the rear of the fly and tie it down (making a head). For the final touch tie in a small orange foam square for visibility. I love to fish this fly instead of the traditional chernobyl ant which the fish have seen over and over again. I think that the different color legs, and peacock body really help convince the fish to strike. Also by making the head you add a very "buggy" attribute to the fly. It is a great fly for searching big areas of water because almost any fish will atleast take a look at the fly if they don't take it. Personally, I love to fish this fly by twitching it near grassy banks, but it works well in every type of water. That's my 2 cents, but trust me it works.

regards, kyle

ps: alanb has very good suggestions too

[VTflyfishing]

When I'm searching brook trout streams I like to use bushy flies. Stimulators, Humphys and Wulff patterns in sizes 10 to 18. On the bigger rivers in the summer into the fall I like to use terrestrials.
My favorite attractor dry fly is a purple ant in size 16 or 18.

[Flyfisher]

Well i have a few options here that i use.

Small Streams for natives. I use a Elk Hair caddis in size 16 or a Royal Coachman with Poly Wings.

Large Strams or rivers. I use either Grass hoppers later in the year or early one i like to use Stimulators. I usually have a dropper nymph off the back of these flies.

In general I am not much for true attractors I will try to match something that has been hatching recently even if it is not actively hatching at the moment.

[Matt / PA]

On the mainstem of the Upper Delaware, as soon as the heat of the March Browns kicks in, on into the Brown Drakes as trout start looking up at big flies you can actually outfish precise imitations with attractors. Even on flat water.
Hard to believe but true.
A big fat fluffy Ausable Wulff is an extremely deadly fly right in the middle of the day in the shallower runs and riffs and then right though the big fly hatches and spinner falls.
I've pulled tough trout 3 feet out of a feeding lane gulping brown drake spinners to eat an Ausable Wulff.

If you can bring yourself to try it..........you just have to trust me.

[Nymphmeister]

It's so easy to get caught up in the idea that you always have to precisely match the hatch. Not always true, as you point out by example. Also hard to beat a big, White Wulff at dusk in the Northeast, just about anytime from late may thru September.

[kyle]

very true, I've cought some really great fish throwing the oddball pattern, like a #10 chernobyl ant in an olive hatch. Sometimes a new bug that's maybe a bit bigger and slightly off beat will trigger a fish to strike. My dad is a prime example, he'll throw the weirdest flies during a perfectly good olive or caddis hatch and catch as many fish as I do fishing the "correct" matching fly.
Think of it this way, your starving, do you want a steak or popcorn?

-kyle

[jovalle]

I almost exclusively fish humpys or wulff when going after wild trout and I attribute it to the color, which I think you mentioned in the past - red, blue, yellow all seem to trigger something depending on the time of day, etc. When you find the color that works, all you need to do is be stealthy and any decent presentation to a probable lie will net a fish.

On bigger water, I'll use a big wulff with the occasional stimulator throw in if there are caddis around. Similar to your admonition to Kyle about forcing himself to nymph, last summer I switched over to forcing myself to attractor dries and started exploring the fast water of the housy. It is a blast to toss a big dry into fast water and see a brown come up to nail it - really as good as fishing gets. That and hiding behind a boulder and watching a brookie rise up to a 18 wulff a foot or two away from your face - I'd take one of those right now...