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It’s time for the big-meal dry fly platform: hoppers and stoneflies.
When we open our fly boxes, we’re looking for a solution. If trout are sipping tiny olives in a soft tailout, we probably reach for the low-riding, vulnerable look of a Comparadun or a Parachute. And if we see trout slashing at hovering, skittering Grannoms in a riffle, we probably choose an Elk Hair Caddis or similar.
But what do we pick when the trout food is bigger — when trout are eating hoppers, stoneflies, cicadas or other big bugs on the surface that are twenty times the size of a Blue Winged Olive? Those trout aren’t looking for snacks. They’re hunting for dinner — for the main course. And we need a platform or a style to match the moment.
The hoppers and stoneflies platform is a major departure from the delicate mayfly imitations we’ve covered in this series. This platform isn’t about perfectly matching the wing of a Hendrickson or the subtle flutter of an October Caddis. It’s about presenting a substantial, high-calorie meal that gets attention. Whether it’s a Golden stonefly clipping across the hoppy water of a bouldered run, or an unlucky grasshopper blown onto the surface from a grassy bank, these are not subtle bugs. They make a splash. They struggle. And in the best moments, they draw explosive strikes.
With this platform, we substitute subtlety for buoyancy. Hackle is traded in for rubber legs, and dubbing is often replaced by closed-cell foam. In this episode, we break down this big-meal platform. We’ll look at a parts list, cover some pros and cons about material choices, and look at the particulars of the platform itself.
My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me for a detailed look at another of our favorite dry fly platforms.
Resources
PODCAST: Troutbitten | Fly Tying – Essential Tools and More (S17 Ep9)
READ: Troutbitten | Pattern vs Presentation
PODCAST: Troutbitten | Fishing Dry Flies – Dry Fly Skills Series (S12)
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Season Eighteen concludes next week. So look for it in your Troutbitten podcast feed.
Fish hard, friends.
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Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com
BEETLES! This “platform” is based on foam bodies and in many cases, rubber legs.
Big (#8) foam beetles (with rubber legs) are the most important terrestrial in my fly box. And they are my best big fish daytime floating fly by a wide margin.
Science note: Flies with positive buoyancy must be less dense than water. Most are not, instead they are held on the surface by surface tension along with hydrophobic floatants.
And what about MOUSE flies? Mr. Hanky and the Master Splinter to name just a few. Same foam platform as the others.
They are not exclusive to night fishing either.