Fly fishing ,Wet flies or dry

[great white whaler]

Which works best ? Lake fishing for rainbows using a wet fly as worked great for me in the past , but as of lately nothing seems to work .

[Okotokian]

If fish are rising to feed on the surface use a dry matched to the hatch. If they aren't use a wet to get down to them. That's how I play it.

[gonefishin]

Hard to say which works best... it depends on what the fish are eating.

If they are feeding on top, just look at what they're eating and try to match it. If they're feeding sub-surface (which is 90% of the time), doesn't mean that any wet fly will work. If your usual go-to's aren't working, then try a searching pattern like a Doc Spratley, leech, pheasant tail or prince nymph, just to name a few.... if you catch something, pump its stomach to find out what they are keying in on and you'll have a better idea of what to use.

[TrollGRG]

like a Doc Spratley, leech, pheasant tail or prince nymph, just to name a few.... if you catch something, pump its stomach to find out what they are keying in on and you'll have a better idea of what to use.

That is what I was taught but I don't understand why.

If you are trying to catch a fish and one bites then why would you switch to something else when you know that first one worked?

An honest question - I am not trying to be facetious

[flyguyd]

That is what I was taught but I don't understand why.

If you are trying to catch a fish and one bites then why would you switch to something else when you know that first one worked?

An honest question - I am not trying to be facetious

Its because you caught one opportunistic fish , if you match the hatch you may get many fish:sHa_shakeshout:

[ericlin0122]

fish likes easy meal. For me, subsurface is more productive most time.

[Dust1n]

if there rising dry flies
sipping-midges
splashing-caddis
but if u cant tell a adams dry is a good way to go.

if theres no rises go with a bh pheasent tail nymph. or my favorite a leech
i havent seen a bow yet to pass one up.

[great white whaler]

Thanks

[EP2]

Re:Lake flies

It could be the presentation is not quite matching what they want either. A full sinking line could help.

I do not know what you've tried, and I have not fished lakes in a little bit (usually a spring/fall thing for me) but scuds are generally a good producer most of the year. Fish close to the bottom

[winged1]

if they're not breaking surface, change your line to sinking, tie on a buick 52 or Idaho nymph, shoot out as far as you can, wait until your on or near the bottom, then retrieve in short jerks. Backswimmers should work as well.

[lippy]

fish likes easy meal. For me, subsurface is more productive most time.

x2 I fish a nymph pattern on dry line 90 % of the time..rarely switch to a wet line except when weather/water condition dictate it.