I was reading Art Flick’s chapter in The Masters on the Dry Fly. I was surprised to learn that he always fishes dry flies in pocket water.
I always believed that nymphs are the way to go.
What do you folks think and why?
Randy
I fish drys with my Tenkara rod in pocket water. It’s easy to control the fly with out any drag.
Randy,
For me, when I fish pocket waters it is on a very small mountain stream. Short casts into really small areas with very short drifts. Often the water is bubbly and being able to see under the water is obscured by the foam and bubbles. Nymphs are often eaten by rock fish or stick fish in those conditions. I prefer to use dries, a nice Parachute Adams is my favorite, when fishing pocket waters. Short cast, short drift, pick up and cast again slowly working my way up the hillside.
Larry —sagefisher—
Pocket water…I fish dry attractors or something that will pull up fish in short order.
Satsop Stone
Yellow or white Humpy
Blonde Wulff
EHC
Dries; either bushy, foamy or a combination of both (visibility is important, too):
Plus CDC & Elk 'cause they work just about anywhere:
Regards,
Scott
ps - got to admit the biggest cutt I ever hooked was on a bead head pheasant tail in the Lamar canyon; it was early in the morning, cold, and nothing was happening on top. Once it warmed up I got back to some proper fishing (lol).
Pocket water is the perfect condition to fish both. Dry on top, nymph dropper.
Y had fantastic success fishing pocket waters (pretty fast and with diverse size rocks, boulders and stones) just with a #12 Royal Wulff. Four hours of fishing just with that pattern and the browns jumping like rockets to catch it on the current. Not nymphs necessary and lot of visual fun.
Depends on the water depth and speed. If the water is less and 3 ft deep and of a speed that a fish will come up through that depth for a dry, I’ll fish a dry dropper combo. Sometimes the fish will come up for the dry and take the dropper.
Any deeper and faster, the fish will not come up UNLESS there is a hatch, then look for rises and fish the dry or emerger.
… on the situation.
During the winter, when there is no way a fish will come up for a dry, I fish weighted stonefly nymphs almost exclusively, including pocket water situations.
During the spring through fall, I fish dry flies almost exclusively, including pocket water situations where a fish would as likely take a nymph as a dry.
Scott makes a good point on early morning fishing after a cold night, even in mid summer - a nymph may well be the only way to catch a fish whether pocket water or other.
John
Thats how I would go and the dry fly is a better indicator as well!
All the best.
Mike
Streamers. 
Thanks so much. Very helpful advice.
Randy
There’s nothing in my book like watching a Native Westslope Cutthroat rising to a dry Royal Coachman. It’s my go-to dry fly.
I second that!
I think it all depends on the stream you are fishing. There are 2 streams I fish that you are very seldom able coax fish to the top any time of the year. There’s another that all I fish are a size 14 or 16 Tan Elk Hair Caddis and that’s all you need from May through September.
Few things thrill me as much as a pocket water “take” on a dry fly. But, I have been known to throw a nymph every now and then and enjoy the “tug” with almost equal glee.
Mark
Question is too general. What time of year? What is the water temp/ depth/current speed? What types of insect life are present? All these would factor into the decision.
I fish both, depending on situation. Sometimes I just fish both at the same time. They both work.
…then there is another little trick that works pretty well for me in pocket water, that I discovered by accident. Using an X-Caddis I’ll start out fishing it like a dry fly but when it starts to drag, I’ll pull it under water and strip it aggressively. (It pulls air down with it making bubbles). I call it motor boating the fly. It sounds wierd but it brings up a lot of aggressive fish and I get some wild strikes that way. It’s FUN too.
Thats what I use and it works for me most of the time 