Man, it seems like forever since I have seen the fish rising. I know they rise in the Winter, but it seems that since it's gotten so cold that I never see them rising. However, the fishing has been fantastic...You just have to go deeper than a dry fly. For you DRY OR DIE kind of people, I know you didn't want to hear the last sentence. I LOVE DRY FLY FISHING! Period! However, if it means catching 1-2-or nothing, I'll take the emerger and nymph route to catch more fish.
To help facilitate the smile when they are rising in Arkansas, there is nothing more important than my favorite Dry Fly...The Blue Wing Olive. Don't let it fool you...Oh, there is nothing BLUE about this fly - It's generally spun olive...Neither are you blue from not catching fish when trout are rising and the hatch is on. If you see many of these in the picture above, you need to put on one of these dry flies, emergers, or nymph. I have attached the Orvis Eastern and Mid-Western pictures - Notice the SMALL sizes (18-20). Remember they are hatching, so they are small young bugs. The Spinner can be a little bigger depending on the temperature and the hunger of the trout. I like my BWOs to have small wings and the hackle in front of and behind the wings versus the parachute. Think of it as an in between the Dun and Spinner phase - See video below.
Anyway, I'm not a guy that likes the Tri-Color (Trico), or rainbow color, flies. I prefer a more buggy looking fly, and these don't look like them. So, I would rely on the Antron Yard (cream or white; shiny with possibly glittery reflections) or the Poly Yarn (white; no reflective properties) to make the parachute like the one in the picture. I also find that the chartreuse to olive colors seem to have more action with the trout than the other colors. The darker colors work a bit better when it's overcast or murky water. Don't ask me why...I 'm not a trout.
When to use each (Dry, emerger, and nymph)? Well, if the fish are making a popping noise when surfacing or flat out clearing the water (sometimes this is escaping a larger fish), then you should tie on a dry fly without a strike indicator - Just look for the fish mouth pop on the fly. If they are surfacing like a shark and only showing a little fin (OK guys...Lets not let our minds wander), then tie on an emerger. If you can see the fish looking and leaving, put a little motion on the fly. How much? If you pull it and the fish leaves...That was too much. It's subtle. SO, see where the hatch is in the day before you just tie on a dry. Sometimes an emerger or nymph can be more effective.
When they are hatching, the smaller the better on the Dry Fly. When they are dying, the spinners are a bit larger. The Mayfly video I have, the fly looks really white - It's before I knew what they liked in this state. Here are some videos to help you tie a few.
If you really want a lifelike fly, the Spinner replacement of a spent adult with a Wally Wing is a very beautiful thing, and it is really simple to tie. Just use patience when splitting them in two like the video below.
Also, don't forget the Nymph (Pheasant Tail, The Pearl, Greg's Emerger, Small Mayfly, and Frenchie), and SPINNER (Angel Wing Spinner). All can be found on my YouTube Channel:
RobF
Arkansas Fly Fishing
