Understanding Emergers

[Bob Widmaier]

Thanks Tom for a good article on the details of emergers. For several years I totally missed this stage of aquatic insects as a food source for trout. Then, I tyed a few Klinkhammer patterns and found success with an emerger pattern. I often use emergers as my go to pattern initially when fish are surface feeding and it often works well. I found myself looking at hook design and shape as a key to tying a good emerger pattern as you mentioned. Gee, I feel I am in good company. Thanks again.

Bob W

[DUB]

I really cant say that I appreciate Toms views on emergers as much as you do. You and Tom seem to view emergers with "dry fly" eyes where I view emergers with "nymphing" eyes. Where you and Tom try to catch the fish when the "emerger" is inches from the surface, I try to catch fish on emergers when they are inches from the bottom.
Many times on the Frying Pan, Blue, and Taylor rivers in Colorado I have witnessed large trout keying on emergers just inches from the surface. In each case , when observed a little closer, the trout were taking 3 to 4 bugs with in inches of the bottom to every single bug taken near the surface.
I am not trying to raise contoversy, I am just saying, 90% of a trouts food is still within 1 foot of the bottom of the stream/river.

[Thad S.]

I can honestly say I have never fished an emerger pattern. To help out a person like myself, how do the patterns vary between "surface" emergers and "bottom" emergers?

[LadyFisher]

The patterns don't necessarily change, but you need to put a shot on the leader to get it to the bottom, OR use a leaded fly.

[Donat]

I agree with DUB that 90% of the trout are caught on the bottom. But I like dry fly and surface emerger fishing because I enjoy the top strike. I guess it's how you enjoy fishing.

[appalachian angler]

Being a soft-hackled fly addict, i'll bet you can guess how much i like fishing an emergence? I think flys like klinkhammers represent more of a struggling dun in/or on the film...fished more like a dry. They are lovely tied flys, but I don't believe the majority of trout in a given run during an emergence are really that keyed to one singled out stage of a hatching, or emerging mayfly. I think some folks make trout fishing out too complicated. I guess it all depends on how the individual wishes to present his/her fly to the fish. Personnally, i like catching fish too much to limit myself to the top.

aa

[Greg H]

I can honestly say I have never fished an emerger pattern. To help out a person like myself, how do the patterns vary between "surface" emergers and "bottom" emergers?

For a quick response, which cannot be detailed enough in this space, allow me my opinions. Fish are muggers and take the most vulnerable. Prior to molting to adults, the nymphs become very active, and MAY crawl toward shore or on top of bottom rocks. SOME emerge to adult subsurface, most emerge at the surface or close to it. At any of these stages they are awkward and vulnerable.
So ... at the bottom you could have an active nymph, or one with a bit of wing showing - like a winged wet fly or soft hackle. Nearer the surface you could have - again - a winged wet or soft hackle. At the surface you would do better with a parachute pattern or a Usual/Comparadun for the adult that is trying to break thru the surface. For the surface flies, it is good to use a bent hook so the 'shoulders' out and the butt in the water for the perfect half in/half out imitation. Surface emergers also usually have a nice 'bubble' of trapped air/disturbed surface indicating their presence - and they are NOT immobile, so work on that.
Personally I don't think trout eat many adult flies from the surface, particularly the ones that float sedately (and quietly) down the stream. They are not vulnerable enough to mug.