Our Summer Setup

Summer means shedding waders for shorts and sandals and indicators for a dry-dropper setup.

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1. Dry Fly

A size 12 or larger dry fly is ideal for the top of your dry-dropper setup. These larger flies mimic terrestrial insects like grasshoppers or more substantial aquatic insects like stoneflies.

Fish are often looking up for these larger bugs as they get blown off the banks but they also serve dual purpose as an indicator for the dropper fly.

The Chimera, a do-it-all mashup of several classic dry flies, is our go-to top fly throughout the summer.

3. Tippet

Sub-surface, you'll want to size down your tippet to 5-6x. Flourocarbon is more abrasion resistant, sinks faster, and is less visible in the water but nylon tippet works as well.

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4. Point Fly

For a traditional dry-dropper setup one weighted nymph is suspended below a dry fly. A size 16 Green Machine works as a pheasant tail attractor pattern but can also fool fish as a caddis emerger or a green drake nymph.

A tungsten bead helps it sink fast and the jig hook causes the hook to ride upside down, resulting in fewer hang ups.

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4. Bottom Fly

Adding a second dropper can help you get closer to the bottom in deeper water and increase your odds of hooking up.

Try weighted and unweighted flies, depending on the depth of the water you’re fishing and the type of insect activity you're seeing.

Here a size 18 QB Butano adds some weight and a different look for the fish than the Green Machine above.

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2. Leader + Floatant

Typically you'll be fishing a 4-6x leader to your dry fly, depending on the clarity of the water and the size of fish you're targeting.

Don't forget to treat your dry fly with a liquid floatant right after you tie it on and to dress it occasionally with dry floatant to keep it riding high.

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