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What is the best method and fly for fishing trout with a fly rod?

Im going fly fishing in two weeks and want to know which fly will work best for catching trout

Public Comments

1. put the pole in the water and pray for a fishyyyy to come near nah mean.
2. The best method in my opinion would be nymphing. I've caught most of my trout nymphing. Just read this website, it can explain it better than I can. http://www.flyfishingjournal.com/archives/fa199809.htm The best overall fly in the would is without a doubt in my opinion and most other fly fishers the woolly bugger, Where I come from olive in size 8 or 10 is the most popular. As far as selecting which nymphs to use and which sizes to use, I can't really tell you that because I've probably never fished the river you'll be fishing so try to look it up on the Internet or talk to someone who knows.
3. Jake, If we knew what type of trout and where and what kind of water you will be fishing, it would be easier to answer your question. But, there are some standard flies and methods you can bank on. If you are fishing dry flies you need to match the hatch as much as possible or go with an attractor pattern or a suggestive pattern. Find out which flies are hatching where you are going. Mayflies or stoneflies or caddis or midges? Is it a lake or a stream? Try to match the size as much as possible when matching the hatch. When it comes to attractor patterns, like a Stimulator, then you are not matching the hatch, but offering the fish something big and juicy, they may want to check it out. A suggestive pattern, like an Adams or a Griffiths Gnat does not really resemble a particular fly but it makes the trout curious and they will often check it out, thinking it may be a group of midges or something else that is edible. This time of year the Terrestrials are getting active, like grasshoppers and ants. Those are good patterns when fished right up against the bank in a river, or right below overhanging branches or right in the reeds or on the outer edge of reeds or lily pads in a lake. If you are fishing sub-surface, then nymphs are a good choice. Nymphs like a Prince Nymph, or a Hare's Ear, or a Copper John or a Pheasant Tail. In a river, you fish nymphs one of two ways. One is right down on the bottom, where the nymphs live. The other way is as a dropper, 12 inches to 18 inches below a dry fly. Then it acts like an emerging fly. Streamers are always a good way to go, especially the Woolly Bugger. You can fish them in a lake up near the surface or down deep. In a river, mostly down deep or tossed right at the bank and stripped in fairly fast. Most of your fishing can be done with a floating line, unless you need to go really deep with a streamer. You can fish the upper 4 to 5 feet of water with a floating line and a weighted fly or add some split shot to get it down. A strike indicator is a good item to use when nymph fishing in a river or even sometimes when fishing lakes. You may want to use an intermediate line if you have one, or if you really need to get deep, then a sink tip line. It all depends on where and how you are going to fish. When fishing dry flies, or nymph fishing down deep, always try to keep the drift drag free. If your fly is dragging in the water, it will not look natural and you greatly decrease your chance of hooking up with a fish. Hope this gives you some ideas on how you want to fish. Good luck. Larry
4. Jake, This is one that even the most experienced fly fishers wish they knew the answer to. The quest for a "universal" fly or even a universal trout fly has driven many a fisherman mad; get out while you still can! Seriously though, I agree with the others' comments. I have heard that trout feed subsurface up to 90% of the time. Therefore nymphing and streamer fishing may be your best bet. A couple people mentioned the wooly bugger. I agree, it's about as close to a universal fly as there is, and also hard to fish incorrectly. So much attention is given to dry fly fishing because the action can be fast & furious when a major hatch is underway, and because sight casting to rising fish is just a whole lot of fun. I don't know where you're fishing, but I believe most major hatches are over by late spring/early summer. Regardless of what type of fly you use, bear in mind that it must be presented so as to look natural to the trout, meaning it shouldn't look like it's attached to a leader. Good luck!