TWELVE FAVORITE DRIES
There are many dry flies that are known as standard patterns for the area--patterns like stimulators, Trudes, Wulffs and elk hair caddis--and these are all good patterns that are effective on area waters. However, here at Montana's Master Angler we are often asked about our favorite dry flies for the area and seldom are they standard patterns. Therefore, I have put together a list of a dozen of my favorite dry flies. Now, before I list the patterns I would like to point out that these are not the only dry flies that I use and that there are plenty of other patterns which will be just as effective. The keys to being a successful fly fisher are the ability to observe and then to present the imitation to the trout in the proper manner. Regardless of how complete your pattern selection may be, if you lack the needed presentation skills you may be in for a frustrating experience. The patterns I have chosen cover both a wide range of area waters and seasons. Now for my favorite dry flies.
1. GRAY PARACHUTE MIDGE
- HOOK: Tiemco 2487
- SIZES: 16-24
- THREAD: Gray 8/0 or 12/0
- BODY EXTENSION: Gray New Dub
- WING POST: Gray New Dub
- THORAX: Sheared natural muskrat fur, dubbed
- HACKLE: Grizzly, tied parachute style
This pattern may be tied in several different color combinations and has proven to be both effective and durable. I use this pattern on spring creeks, tail waters and still waters in the Yellowstone Country area.
2. BLACK PARA-ANT
- HOOK: Tiemco 101
- SIZES: 12-24
- THREAD: Black 6/0, 8/0 or 12/0
- ABDOMEN: Dubbed, Scintilla #02 Coal Black
- WAIST: Black thread
- WINGPOST: White Antron body wool
- THORAX: Dubbed, Scintilla #02 Coal Black
- HACKLE: Black, tied parachute style
This pattern may also be tied in cinnamon, red or red and black. Ants are effective patterns on many area waters during the warm weather months.
3. FLUTTERING BLUE DAMSEL ADULT
- HOOK: Tiemco 101
- SIZES: 10-14
- THREAD: Black 8/0
- BODY EXTENSION: 1mm Blue (teal) nylon rattail ribbon, banded with a black marker. The tip is sealed by burning (melting) it.
- WING: Natural light elk hair
- THORAX: Dubbed, Scintilla #85 Blue Damsel
- THROAT: Black thread
- LEGS: Four, (two strands per side) of black Super Floss
- EYES: One pair of black mono eyes
- HEAD: Dubbed, Scintilla #85 Blue Damsel
Many of the still waters of Yellowstone Country have excellent hatches of damsel flies. This pattern is effective and a must for anyone fishing the area still waters.
4. PARACHUTE PALE MORNING DUN
- HOOK: Tiemco 101
- SIZES: 16-22
- THREAD: Olive Dun 6/0 or 8/0
- TAILS: Light Dun hackle fibers
- WINGPOST: Light Dun turkey flats
- ABDOMEN: Dubbed, Scintilla #15 Pale Yellowy Olive
- HACKLE: Light Dun, tied parachute style
- THORAX: Dubbed same as the abdomen
From mid-June to mid-August somewhere in Yellowstone Country there are viable hatches of Pale Morning Duns. This pattern has been effective for me both as a guide and during my personal fishing. Sometimes I tie a shuck of rolled dubbing (Scintilla #65 Medium Olive Brown) in place of a hackle fiber tail. I call this variation a para-sparkle dun. Parachute mayfly duns may be tied in many different color variations to match the naturals in the water being fished.
Many times during the warm weather months we find ourselves fishing a stream when there is no hatch in progress. Often during time periods like this the dry fly angler will use an
attractor pattern. However I would like to suggest that next time you try a beetle imitation in place of, or in conjunction with, your attractor pattern. Consider this, there are approximately 750 species of mayflies and 2200 species of caddisflies in North America, however there are around 24,000 species of beetles. It would be reasonable to assume that the trout get to see and eat just a few beetles during the warm weather months. Fly fishers often forget about beetles as we don't see a major beetle "hatch" on the water, but they are there and the trout seldom loose an opportunity to eat a juicy beetle!
5. BLACK FOAM BEETLE
- HOOK: Tiemco 101
- SIZES: 8-18
- THREAD: Black 8/0
- SHELLBACK: Scintilla Black fly buoy dry cell foam
- RIB: Two strands of Black Krystal flash
- UNDERBODY: Two sections of heavy mono tied on either side of the hook shank
- BODY: Dubbed, SRI Brite Blend Black
- BULLETHEAD: Strip of Black dry cell fly foam
- HEAD: Dubbed same as the body
- LEGS: Two strands of Brown super floss, tied in Madam X style, one on either side of the fly
Note: A bright spot section of yarn may be added to the top of the head for increased visibility. My favorite method of fishing this pattern is in conjunction with another dry. Try using your favorite attractor dry and the beetle. You might be surprised by how many trout will eat the beetle.
6. BRIGHT-WING PARACHUTE ADAMS
- HOOK: Tiemco 101
- SIZES: 10-24
- THREAD: Gray 6/0 or 8/0
- TAILS: Three to eight moose body hairs with the tips even
- WINGPOST: Orange Antron Body wool fibers
- ABDOMEN: Dubbed, Sheared natural muskrat fur
- HACKLE: Two, 1 Brown and 1 grizzly, tied parachute style
- THORAX: Dubbed same as the abdomen
This is nothing more than an easy-to-see parachute Adams. This versatile pattern is often used on the Yellowstone, Gallatin and Madison Rivers during Baetis hatches and often is employed as an attractor.
7. ADULT SALMON FLY
- HOOK: Mustad 94840
- SIZES: 2-6
- THREAD: Black
- BODY EXTENSION: Orange Poly Pro yarn 2 ply and 1 ply of brown poly pro yarn, twisted and folded
- ANTENNAE: Two brown hackle stems, tied in a V
- EYES: 1 pair of Black mono
- WING: Fox Squirrel tail hairs
- WING TOPPING: Natural light Elk hair
- HACKLE: Three or four, brown
- HEAD: Dubbed, Scintilla #02 Coal Black
This imitation can be fished dry. You can clip the hackle flush on the bottom and fish the imitation flush in the film. I also fish the pattern wet! Using this style you can construct imitations for all the larger stoneflies. Just match the colors.
8. OLIVE FOAM SKITTERING CADDIS
- HOOK: Tiemco 101
- SIZES: 8-24
- THREAD: Olive 6/0 or 8/0
- SHUCK: Rolled dubbing fibers, Scintilla #65 Medium Olive Brown
- RIB: Two strands of Olive Krystal flash, twisted and spiraled
- BODY: Dubbed, Scintilla #74 Rich Olive
- WING: Natural deer hair
- FOAM HEAD: Strip of Gray dry cell fly foam
- HEAD: Dubbed, same as the body
From April to October the fly fisher can find caddis hatches in Yellowstone Country. This pattern may be tied in many different color combinations to match the naturals. This pattern style is highly effective and can be fished both dead-drift and with movement.
9. INDICATOR FOAM HOPPER
- HOOK: Tiemco 2302
- SIZES: 6-12
- THREAD: Yellow
- TAILS: Red deer hair, tied short
- RIB: 2 strands of Root Beer Krystal flash, twisted and wrapped
- UNDERBODY: Yellow dry cell fly foam, wrapped
- BODY: Yellow dry cell fly foam, folded around the hook shank
- UNDERWING: Brown deer hair, sparse
- WING: Folded and cut, mottled wing
- OVERWING: Yellow deer hair, sparse
- HALF BULLET HEAD: Yellow/Olive Deer hair
- HEAD: Yellow dry cell foam, wrapped
- LEGS: 2 strands, 1 per side, Round yellow rubber, tied X style
This is our favorite hopper and it is used all over Yellowstone Country during the proper time periods.
10. YELLOW MONTANA MADAM X
- HOOK: Tiemco 2302
- SIZES: 8-14
- THREAD: Yellow 6/0
- TAILS: Bleached deer hair
- HALF BULLETHEAD & WING: Bleached deer hair
- BODY: Yellow dry fly foam
- LEGS: 2 strands, 1 per side, White round rubber or super floss
This may currently be one of the most popular attractor patterns used in Yellowstone Country. We also tie this in Black and Olive. I will often fish a bead head imitation behind this pattern on a dropper. The length of the dropper will depend on the depth of the water being fished.
11. EXTENDED-BODY GRAY PARA-DRAKE
- HOOK: Tiemco 101
- SIZES: 10-14
- THREAD: Gray 6/0 or 8/0
- BODY EXTENSION: .017 or .020 Maxima monofilament
- TAILS: Three moose body hairs, splayed
- RIB: Two strands of black Krystal Flash
- ABDOMEN: Dubbed, Scintilla #10 Transparent Gray
- WINGPOST: Gray Antron Body Wool
- THORAX: Dubbed, Scintilla #61 Siphlonurus Gray
- HACKLE: Grizzly, tied parachute style
This pattern is very effective on Slough Creek, the Lamar and Upper Yellowstone Rivers. This style is also used for Green Drake, Western Yellow Drakes, Brown Drakes and The Giant Western Red Quill. This pattern takes some time to construct, however the pattern is very durable.
12. CALLIBAETIS SPINNER
- HOOK: Tiemco 101
- SIZES: 14-20
- THREAD: Gray 8/0
- BUTT: Dubbed, Scintilla #10 ransparent Gray
- TAILS: Two moose body hairs, split
- ABDOMEN: Stripped peacock hurl, with a bead of Super Glue placed along the top of the hook shank prior to wrapping the soaked hurl
- THORAX: REAR HALF: Dubbed, Scintilla #10 Transparent Gray
- WINGS: Grizzly hackle, dry fly, oversized 1-1/2 to 2 times
- THORAX: FRONT HALF: Dubbed, Scintilla #10 Transparent Gray
I use this style to construct all of my spinners for Yellowstone Country, with the exception of the extended-body drake spinner. This spinner pattern is highly successful and is simply the best I have ever used.
I hope that my favorite dry flies work as well for you as they have for me, see you on the water!