Ask ten fly fishermen to show you a wet fly from their multiple boxes of feathered creations and nine will dig out a streamer. In essence a streamer, even a tandem streamer is a pattern fished wet; that is a fly that sinks a few inches below the water surface during the swing with, and retrieval against, the stream current. It is not however a true wet fly.
Even dry fly patterns may be fished wet, and can be very productive sub-surface at certain times of year, but this doesn’t make them a true wet fly either. Unfortunately, original wet fly patterns and this unique and effective style of fishing seems to be fading into obscurity. The same holds true for live minnow fishing local rivers and brooks, a sure method back in the 50s and 60s of hooking large trout on light tackle regardless of weather and water conditions.
It’s been my experience that June is prime wet fly fishing year in and year out, but the first step to success is buying or tying a few proven wet fly patterns. Despite the wide variety of wet flies there are only two basic types; drab colored imitation patterns which impersonate various aquatic insects or minnows, and vividly colored flies that resemble no living creature but steadily draw strikes nonetheless. Don’t get the impression that June is the only month wet flies work, on high, bright summer afternoons when dry flies fail on small brooks and streams, a colorful wet fly will often provide steady action.
The first two vividly-hued attractor patterns I ever used were the age old red and white Parmachene Belle and the gaudy blue red and yellow of a silver doctor. They have worked consistently for well over 100 years and still fool fish. Another favorite with an interesting history is the trout fin. Many years ago fins were cut from a caught trout and attached to a hook as bait, then some enterprising angler finally tied a red, orange and white fly to successfully duplicate the fin and the rest is history.
Other dependable attractor patterns for Aroostook waterways include a grizzly King, Montreal, McGinty, and the professor. Some fly casters theorize these colorful flies trigger an aggressive attack instinct that has nothing to do with hunger, and perhaps that’s why they continue to take fish that otherwise refuse insects, terrestrial and aquatic imitators during hot, humid conditions.
This month however, imitator patterns work just fine and will account for just as many trout as worms and often larger ones as well. A good fly box line-up of subdued-colored wet flies would include a March brown, a hare’s ear, a ginger quill, and a light and dark cahill. One last wet fly that might fit in either category and always seems to draw strikes is a royal coachman. A size 6 would be the largest while a size 12 the smallest wet fly needed for regional waterways, and having a couple of sizes on hand never hurts.
Unlike dry fly casting, which requires a good deal of finesse, precision casting and patience, wet fly fishing is fairly simple. Wading out a few feet from one shoreline or the other the angler strips out a few feet of line, casts crosscurrent at a 45 degree angle and lets the fly swing with the flow. Once the fly has swung directly downstream below the angler’s position, he strips out a couple more feet of line and makes another cast.
Once a comfortable length of line is being cast, it’s just a matter of taking a step downstream to cover fresh water along the pool. Another plus to wet fly fishing is that trout strike the fly as it swings with the current and often hook themselves. On wide waterways it’s possible to wade to midstream and cast left, then right, to cover more water and therefore more fish. Even novice anglers can enjoy regular success using wet flies.
Regional streams that offer dependable wet fly action this month include the Aroostook and Fish Rivers, Prestile, Presque Isle, Meduxnekeag, St. Croix and Little Machias streams and dozens of small brooks throughout the Crown of Maine. Wet fly fishing is a productive simple style of casting that is too often overlooked, and June offers perfect water and weather conditions. The trick won’t be finding and catching brook trout, the difficult part might be locating the right size and patterns of wet flies to cast!
Even dry fly patterns may be fished wet, and can be very productive sub-surface at certain times of year, but this doesn’t make them a true wet fly either. Unfortunately, original wet fly patterns and this unique and effective style of fishing seems to be fading into obscurity. The same holds true for live minnow fishing local rivers and brooks, a sure method back in the 50s and 60s of hooking large trout on light tackle regardless of weather and water conditions.
It’s been my experience that June is prime wet fly fishing year in and year out, but the first step to success is buying or tying a few proven wet fly patterns. Despite the wide variety of wet flies there are only two basic types; drab colored imitation patterns which impersonate various aquatic insects or minnows, and vividly colored flies that resemble no living creature but steadily draw strikes nonetheless. Don’t get the impression that June is the only month wet flies work, on high, bright summer afternoons when dry flies fail on small brooks and streams, a colorful wet fly will often provide steady action.
The first two vividly-hued attractor patterns I ever used were the age old red and white Parmachene Belle and the gaudy blue red and yellow of a silver doctor. They have worked consistently for well over 100 years and still fool fish. Another favorite with an interesting history is the trout fin. Many years ago fins were cut from a caught trout and attached to a hook as bait, then some enterprising angler finally tied a red, orange and white fly to successfully duplicate the fin and the rest is history.
Other dependable attractor patterns for Aroostook waterways include a grizzly King, Montreal, McGinty, and the professor. Some fly casters theorize these colorful flies trigger an aggressive attack instinct that has nothing to do with hunger, and perhaps that’s why they continue to take fish that otherwise refuse insects, terrestrial and aquatic imitators during hot, humid conditions.
This month however, imitator patterns work just fine and will account for just as many trout as worms and often larger ones as well. A good fly box line-up of subdued-colored wet flies would include a March brown, a hare’s ear, a ginger quill, and a light and dark cahill. One last wet fly that might fit in either category and always seems to draw strikes is a royal coachman. A size 6 would be the largest while a size 12 the smallest wet fly needed for regional waterways, and having a couple of sizes on hand never hurts.
Unlike dry fly casting, which requires a good deal of finesse, precision casting and patience, wet fly fishing is fairly simple. Wading out a few feet from one shoreline or the other the angler strips out a few feet of line, casts crosscurrent at a 45 degree angle and lets the fly swing with the flow. Once the fly has swung directly downstream below the angler’s position, he strips out a couple more feet of line and makes another cast.
Once a comfortable length of line is being cast, it’s just a matter of taking a step downstream to cover fresh water along the pool. Another plus to wet fly fishing is that trout strike the fly as it swings with the current and often hook themselves. On wide waterways it’s possible to wade to midstream and cast left, then right, to cover more water and therefore more fish. Even novice anglers can enjoy regular success using wet flies.
Regional streams that offer dependable wet fly action this month include the Aroostook and Fish Rivers, Prestile, Presque Isle, Meduxnekeag, St. Croix and Little Machias streams and dozens of small brooks throughout the Crown of Maine. Wet fly fishing is a productive simple style of casting that is too often overlooked, and June offers perfect water and weather conditions. The trick won’t be finding and catching brook trout, the difficult part might be locating the right size and patterns of wet flies to cast!
