Dry fly fishing is what most people picture when they imagine fly fishing, and for good reason. It is visual, it is elegant, and when a trout rises to take a fly off the surface, you see the whole thing happen. It is not always the most productive method, trout do most of their feeding underwater, see nymphing, but when fish are rising, nothing is more fun.
Match the hatch
Trout rising to the surface are eating a specific insect, and your job is to match it in size, shape and color. Watch the water: are fish taking mayflies drifting downstream, caddis skittering across it, or tiny midges? Turn over a streamside rock or watch what is in the air, then pick a fly that imitates it. Getting the size right matters most; color matters least.
The drag-free drift
This is the whole game. A real insect drifts on the current with no tension; a fly dragging unnaturally across the surface gets refused. To get a drag-free drift:
- Cast up and across so the fly drifts back toward you naturally.
- Mend your line, flip the belly of the line upstream, to keep the current from pulling the fly.
- Aim for a natural float through the fish's window, then pick up and cast again before drag sets in.
Tip Do not set the hook the instant you see the take, especially on bigger fish. Let the trout close its mouth and turn down with the fly, a simple pause of saying 'God save the Queen' before you lift, then a gentle set. Yank too soon and you pull it away.
Reading rises
Rises tell you what fish are doing. A splashy rise often means fish chasing caddis; a quiet sip usually means mayflies or spent bugs on the surface; a bulge just under the film means they are taking emergers. Read the rise, match the stage, and put a drag-free drift over the fish.
Gear
A 5-weight fly setup with a floating line, a tapered leader and a fine tippet is the classic dry-fly outfit and covers the vast majority of trout dry-fly fishing in the Northeast.