May 27, 2011. Paul Hixon
credit: tibchrisFor the avid fly fisherman, choosing the right fly for the right situation is vital to catching the most fish possible, and filling up their fly fishing creel with trophy trout. Nothing is more exhilarating to experience than seeing a trout rise to your dry fly offering. But it is important to know that trout spend the majority of their time feeding under the surface of the water. Nymphs and wet flies make up about 90% of a trout’s diet, so casting a dry fly at the surface when there isn’t a hatch or rising fish is useless.
While nymphs and wet flies are convenient for trout to eat most of the time, they are usually very small and offer little nutrition to a large fish. Trout are all about efficiency. They spend the least amount of energy for the most amount of food. They won’t likely swim long distances to take your size 18 prince nymph, even if they can see it. That is where streamers come in.
Streamers are large, flashy flies that imitate minnows, leaches, frogs, and even mice. They are made of a mixture of different materials, from feathers and yarn to buck tail hairs and flashy ribbon. They are meant to fished like a lure, with an active retrieval. They are not meant to be drifted through a hole like a wet fly, but stripped in to imitate the movement of the specific pattern. A large meal like a minnow might entice a large fish to make a move.
When looking for cheap fly fishing streamers, you will want to look for an opportunity to buy in bulk. There are a lot of patterns that are popular and effective that you will want a lot of, like wooly buggers. Buying them in bulk will get you the best prices.
Published May 27, 2011. Paul Hixon
