[chuck145]

I just left the blueflycafe.com fly shop and I am overwhelmed with the chocie of flies. How do I tell which flies float and which flies sink? So many of them look good, how do I know which one to start with? I am use to buying baits that give some indication of how they act and the best way to fish them. With flies I dont see any helpful hints. Give me some help in what to buy etc.

[BigCliff]

In general dry flies float and wet flies sink. Wet flies include wets, soft hackles, nymphs, streamers, most midges, and some emergers.

Beyond that it gets complicated. "dry flies" are generally intended to imitate the adult form of an aquatic insect that trout eat. These float, though sometimes need some help doing so. Terrestrials imitate land-living insects that often end up in the water. These generally float and include grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, inchworms, leaf-hoppers, junebugs, spiders, and ants. Poppers, divers, sliders, and gurglers float, and work great for bass and for panfish in small sizes. Some emergers float, although only just barely. Sometimes you'll want to dress them up with floatant to keep them on top, sometimes not.

For trout, get some Gold-ribbed hare's ear nymphs and some pheasant tail nymphs in a size 16 (beadhead version if the current will be quick) and fish them under a indibobber set at 1.5x the depth of the water you're fishing. If you want to fish on top, get some Adams (or Parachute Adams if water is calm) and treat them with floatant before fishing them, also sz 16.

[dougm]

Cliff's suggestions are right-on but to make it really simple is to think basic black: Get a few Muddler Minnows, a couple of black Woolly Buggers, a wet Black Gnat or two and, for a change in colors, a Grey Ghost.

By the way, the reason there are so many flies is for one of two reasons: (1) to make a personal statement by leaving to history the greatest fly ever made, or (2) to make money. My fly is called, Doug's Dirty Dumb-Dumb; unfortunately, it will not catch fish!

Doug

[freeze69]

if you follow this post it will give you some insight into what flies you might like to have for your area as to where your at. http://www.midwesttroutflies.com/ha...diana-chart.htm

although it says indiana it has other states as well. that site was recommended by salmonella.

[Piscator]

Here are a couple of post that may help you find some suggestions.
Thanks,
Terry

Type of Fly & Rod for Trout

Entomology - Flies - Pictures???

Prefer to fish Mayflies, Caddis, or other?