The truth is that when fly-fishing, fly selection of which trout fishing flies to fish with is nothing more than guess work. So many factors go into what makes a fish eat a fly that it really is just a guessing game. The really good anglers, are just good at guessing. Normally, it is a process of elimination. You try one fly, it doesn’t work, you try another it works better, you adapt!
These are some tips to knowing which trout fishing flies to fish with at the right time. Firstly, do your best to identify the stage of the insect upon which the fish are feeding. The size and color of the insect is vital. Even if you can’t identify the insect do your best to match the color, profile and movement of the insect with the trout fishing flies you choose. In addition, you’ll want to choose the trout fishing flies with the best presentation for the situation. Depending on the flow of the water, the depth and the way the insects arrive in front of the fish, that’s what the trout fishing flies that you want on your tippet.
If you’re new to fly fishing, or never taken the time to really learn the bugs, you’ll be sure to understand that not all trout fishing flies are the same depending on the situation. You may be able to see what they are eating, but you have no idea what they are called, and what that means for the fishing. If you knew that the little green things with wispy tails and squirmy eyes were called blue wing olives and that they are a type of mayfly that hatches mid-morning to late afternoon, often year round, and that a CDC Baetis or a BWO emerger would imitate those bugs, then you would be able to greatly improve your chances to catch fish.
Consider for a moment what happens when you see a hatch, but the fish aren’t rising to those bugs? Ever wonder what is going on? It’s very likely the fish are eating the nymphs or the emergers of that hatched insect. If you can identify it’s a Blue wing olive, then you can easily grab that mercury baetis in your box and tie it on 36 inches below your indicator with no split shot and start hooking up immediately. Without this knowledge, you’re forced to guess from a huge selection of possible flies & that just doesn’t cut it. There are too many options to choose.
To make things simple, turn to a professional fly-tyer, such as Wilson Were, in Kenya to have a complete selection of essential trout fishing flies for every situation! With his website Anglers Diet International, Wilson Were serves the entire fly-fishing community with excellent rainbow trout, brown trout, large and smallmouth bass flies, salmon flies and saltwater flies. Free trout fishing flies samples are also available! Please feel free to request them.
