best flys for trout

[wormwigglr]

does anyone know the best flies or nymphs for trout during this time of year? i know it matters what area you are in and i'm in western new york. i usually use bead head nymphs and inch worms in the summer and usually use live bait in the spring.

[bigredfishing]

 

i'm in western new york.

well speaking just from the perspective of spring in WNY;
in the east coy, tonawanda and the catt (arcade area) i have had some great days in april for trout with large silvery streamers, just holding them in the current above where i expect the fish to hold.

a decent holdover for the east coy

[PGKris]

I'm going to assume you guys get similar mayfly hatches and such over there as we do here. 3 patterns I never leave home without:
1) Hare's Ear Nymph
2) Pheasant Tail Nymph
3) Bead Head Prince Nymph
You would probably also be well served to have halfbacks, chironomids and leeches along too.
KRIS

[Kodiak Commando]

The three flies i never leave without are

Wooly Bugger
Hares ear
Pheasant tail

[archbishop]

i dont flyfish much wigglr but anthony has always had great success with the wolly bugger around this area

[TroutFishingBear]

I know this sounds wierd, but it is true and happened nearly two weeks ago. Normally, fly fisherman on the colorado river do very poor. It's a tough river to fly fish. There was this one guy that I was watching though, and he was using an adult stonefly and a stonefly nymph he told me. I thought to myself, what a moron, there have been nice hatches of march browns and I'd try that. I told him about the march browns but he insisted on the stonefly. And I guess he knew what he was talking about! In twenty minutes, while I had only caught one 16" brown, I saw him land two rainbows, a two pounder, and a five pounder. I got to talking with him and he said the most productive fly on the colorado river any time of year, even if they are out of season, is an adult stonefly and a stonefly nymph dropper. Wierd, huh? But that is definitely the best I've ever seen a flyfisherman do on this river.
If it was me, I'd probably use a olive colored wooly bugger or a pheasant tail nymph.

[Kodiak Commando]

I know this sounds wierd, but it is true and happened nearly two weeks ago. Normally, fly fisherman on the colorado river do very poor. It's a tough river to fly fish. There was this one guy that I was watching though, and he was using an adult stonefly and a stonefly nymph he told me. I thought to myself, what a moron, there have been nice hatches of march browns and I'd try that. I told him about the march browns but he insisted on the stonefly. And I guess he knew what he was talking about! In twenty minutes, while I had only caught one 16" brown, I saw him land two rainbows, a two pounder, and a five pounder. I got to talking with him and he said the most productive fly on the colorado river any time of year, even if they are out of season, is an adult stonefly and a stonefly nymph dropper. Wierd, huh? But that is definitely the best I've ever seen a flyfisherman do on this river.
If it was me, I'd probably use a olive colored wooly bugger or a pheasant tail nymph.

The only thing i can think of TFB is it's a big visible morsile. I also have had luck with stonefly nymphs when stonelflies are not hatching and i think because stoneflies are so big trout can't resist a big hunk of protein. I would like to to try flyfishing the colorado even though it's hard to fish. I have a technique i use on a part of the kenai called the canyon. It's 30 to 40 feet deep and as fast as anywhere are the colorado and i do well with a fly rod with big bows. If you want to know the technique come and fish with me because some things should be kept secret.

[Pasquatch]

I know this sounds wierd, but it is true and happened nearly two weeks ago. Normally, fly fisherman on the colorado river do very poor. It's a tough river to fly fish. There was this one guy that I was watching though, and he was using an adult stonefly and a stonefly nymph he told me. I thought to myself, what a moron, there have been nice hatches of march browns and I'd try that. I told him about the march browns but he insisted on the stonefly. And I guess he knew what he was talking about! In twenty minutes, while I had only caught one 16" brown, I saw him land two rainbows, a two pounder, and a five pounder. I got to talking with him and he said the most productive fly on the colorado river any time of year, even if they are out of season, is an adult stonefly and a stonefly nymph dropper. Wierd, huh? But that is definitely the best I've ever seen a flyfisherman do on this river.
If it was me, I'd probably use a olive colored wooly bugger or a pheasant tail nymph.

The only thing i can think of TFB is it's a big visible morsile. I also have had luck with stonefly nymphs when stonelflies are not hatching and i think because stoneflies are so big trout can't resist a big hunk of protein.

I agree. I think that your fish get so big from eating lots of big meaty baits. They aren't going to get huge off of mayflies only, eating large things like stoneflies and minnows and crayfish allow them to pack on the weight much much faster. A big stonefly is a tempting foodstuff for big trout.

[PGKris]

I agree. I think that your fish get so big from eating lots of big meaty baits. They aren't going to get huge off of mayflies only, eating large things like stoneflies and minnows and crayfish allow them to pack on the weight much much faster. A big stonefly is a tempting foodstuff for big trout.

That's always been my logic! Ten pound rainbows don't get to 10 pounds by eating size 16 chronomids all their lives!
The thing with stoneflies is that they're always hatching......always.....I've used stoneflies in august in the middle of a caddis blizzard and had good success. I usually stick with adult patterns like the Stimulator 

[PGKris]

While we're on the topic...sort of .............What's you're guys' favourite dries?? Mine:
1) Parachute Adams
2) Extended Body Drake
3) Elk Hair Caddis
4) Humpy
5) Chernobyl Ant

[Mackdaddy21]

A Worm. 

Well if it had to be a fly, I would say for rivers any smaller nymph that approximates the size and color of the insect the trout are eating at that time of year.

Still, give me good ol' Mr. Wiggly anyday.

Tyler

[Kodiak Commando]

A Worm.       

Well if it had to be a fly, I would say for rivers any smaller nymph that approximates the size and color of the insect the trout are eating at that time of year.

Still, give me good ol' Mr. Wiggly anyday.

Yeah worms are great but i can think of plenty of times when flies work better. I have outfished plenty of worm fisherman with flies especially in lakes but also rivers. Sometimes in lakes it's better to cover water with a fly pattern than throw out worms and i fished a few rivers where everyone was using worms and the fish were wisen up to all the worms but not to my flies . Plus lots of rivers don't allow worms and fly fishing is a lot more fun and challenging for me. Much more rewarding to fool a big trout with size 14 elk hair caddis than a hunk of flesh.

[PGKris]

I'm a gear fisherman only when I've tried every fly in my box Fly fishin is so much better Don't get me worng I grew up with a spinning rod but flies are just on a whole different level

[Mackdaddy21]

Oh I've seen flies outfish bait before. Generally that happens on a small mountain lake during a good hatch or sometimes a river and a good boiling hatch. I saw tons of smaller trout busting bugs in the gunnison river below the canyon last year in the wide, shallow section. Funny thing was in the canyon where the better fishing was, no trout were rising. But they would smash panther martins. In this section of the river, dries and a dropper brought strikes every few casts.

Tyler

[PGKris]

Never used a dropper before. I know how they work but I don't know anyone who uses them round here.
The trout river I usually fish is best just above this one bridge before it funnels down into a deep pool. The whitefish hold in the slot just before the pool and the rainbows hold in the back eddy beside the pool. A lot of the bigger whitefish hold above the bridge though. Great spot
KRIS