Dry Flies

[Travis C.]

If you guys could only fish one dry fly, what would it be?


I am getting into dry's and wondered where to start. Hopefully there is a dry that can imitate or be mistaken for more that just one bug so I can have more time to add to my dry box later.

[David L. Darnell]

where do you intend to float this fly? Will have lots to do with my answer.

[Travis C.]

I have poppers/bettles for panfish.

So, I am looking at dry flies for Smokies and freestones up there (rarely get to go)

but...

I fish a lot on the Obey and Caney.

There may not be a wonder bug to start out with but was thinking about starting a box of them and needed to decide where to start.

[David L. Darnell]

March Brown

[MikeA]

I fish a lot on the Obey and Caney.

Griffins Knat

[TWiles]

If you're fishing mtn streams, I wouldn't evern go if I didn't have an assortment of Adams dry flies (16,12, 10) and Elk Hair Caddis (size 12) Pale yellow to match the Yellow Sallies.
You can get more technical if you're trying to chase the Green Drakes, early Black stones, PMDs or BWOs, but those two flies will bring a lot of trout to the surface for you.

Travis

[grumpy]

In the mountains, i have more luck with a Wulff or Stimulator, if i had to pick between the 2, it would be the Stimulator, i'd rather have both though

Grumpy

[MikeA]

Also on the Caney I’d have some Hoppers, EHC in brown, black, tan, some Stimulators for early in the morning before the fog rises. I also keep several colors of Sparkle Duns (my favorite) in green olive yellow white and dark brown keep all of the above in several sizes.

Then I have a box with all the usual flies that I almost never use….


FWIW No more then you'll use them I think your better off to just buy your dry flies. If your new to tying the store flies will look a lot better...   
 

[gaspergou]

You might want to try variant of EHC on the Caney (or any slow-water situation); the E/C Caddis essentially uses the tie-in point for the wing as an arbor to wrap the hackle around, parachute style, and the body isn't palmered. End result is a fly that sits lower in the surface film (exposing the abdomen like real caddis) but still floats like a champ. I've had fish refuse an EHC (fished by me), cruise past and slurp an E/C (fished by a buddy). Lesson learned there... 

Google it and try a couple out -- pattern was developed by Ralph Cutter.

[toddro]

I love fishing Stimulators cuz the fish don't seem to care about the way they drift.  Often times they will smack them as you strip them in for a new cast.  Waking them across the water or swinging them on the surface can create some vicious strikes, and you don't have to worry so much about mending, line speed, water speed, etc. to get a perfect drift.