Ants. They are like candy to trout. From spring to fall, fishing an ant either on the surface or sunken is one of the top ways to catch trout. Be aware of overhanging trees and other vegetation, these are ant hot spots.
note: some people got different styles of ants (hi-vis etc) from what is shown here. Fear not, any ant pattern with some segmentation and legginess works very well!
Another caddis dry that has a different profile than what we are used to. The sparkly, thicker abdomen on this fly works as an adult, hatching or dead pupae, and even an egg layer. Sometimes a different impression on the water is all it takes to fool trout.
A different profile that sits low in the surface film making it look oh so tempting to trout. Added messiness of CDC in the wing bring out even more life in this pattern. In various sizes and colors you can match everything the Driftless throws at you!
Looking for the dry fly to solve a frustrating hatch? Or are you in need of a solid early winter season midge pattern. This is the fly you need! A low riding, flashy bug that doesn’t exactly imitate anything, but seems to work for everything.
Due to the success of our purple drank guide fly, we expanded into a couple different colors this past season on an experimental basis. Look for this fly, the olive drank, to be another all season long fly!
It is so new, we don’t even have a photo of it yet!
The front end loader in tan is our GO TO caddis pattern in the springtime. It also doubles as a terrestrial and a small, subtle fly to tie emerger or light beads heads below.
Shiny, leggy, hot spot scud. Scuds are the most important food source for trout in the Driftless. Never leave home without them!
Useful year round. Fish it swung in the riffles, as a dropper below a grasshopper, even behind a heavy bead head rolling along the bottom. The movement of the soft hackle collar makes this fly irresistible to trout.
A must have for any Driftless fly box.
Craneflies can be one of the most important hatches from spring through fall in the Driftless. Our craneflies are tiny, 16-18 and hatch sporadically all throughout the day regardless of weather conditions.
When fishing craneflies, remember to move, twitch, skitter them constantly. Fish pick up on the moving fly much more than a dead drift!
One of the most effective leech patterns since the shop opened, it is the perfect imitation to fish all year long. Leeches in smaller sizes can be especially deadly in the winter time here in the Driftless.
While black is the most popular color, the wine color in the calendar is a guide favorite!
