Favorite dry fly pattern?

[Groundhogger]

Hey guys-looking at the snow outside gets me thinking about an upcoming fishing trip, and the flies I want to have ready for it. Got me wondering about what I consider to be the "best" flies under the widest number of circumstances. Our trout here need a good reason to look up, so most fly anglers after bigger fish are usually fishing nymphs and streamers. I have far more input on nymphs than dries, but after many years at it...I have to say this might be one of the deadliest dry fly patterns I've ever used;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjwh4peD32A

Ontario/Alberta...I've used them with great success in BC too. (Elk river watershed)

Shane makes this look very easy, most people (myself included) can watch that video and think to themselves "no problem". Indeed, not a complicated pattern but the smallest of details matter if you want to tie them well.

If it's a pattern you decide to take on, the two areas of concern are;

biot length=it can seem like you don't have enough to achieve the abdomen, so watch how much you use tying it in, how much the wraps overlap, and how he ties it off very close to the end.

CDC-fine line between not enough/too much, but setting the angle right matters for how it looks on the water. I've found it's easy to run out of room on the front end trying to get them set right.

Even when waterlogged, it fishes low like an emerger. I've even swung them at the end of a drift, they go under, BAM!

Favorite color of biot-olive, or a pale-brown/coffee color. I've bough pale yellow and used it for PMDs/sulphurs etc.

You guys have any patterns you have great confidence in? First to tie on prospecting?

[spurly]

Adams, blue quill, mosquito, and PMD are usually good to me for drys.

[spurly]

For nymphs
Gold ribbed hares ear
Copper John, in different colours
SJW
or sometimes a hopper dropper.

[FinnDawg]

#1 confidence dry fly is elkhair caddis. Usually have a box of just caddis with different sizes/colours.

[WinFwt]

Unless I get indicators I should be using something else, I will typically tie on a size 16 medium to light olive Comparadun or Sparkle Dun the vast majority of the time regardless of whether I am prospecting or targeting a specific fish. I've had excellent success with this fly and have quite often fished it or it's replacement (think fly magnets like Stauffer Creek willows) the entire trip. I have a lot of confidence in this pattern.

I tie the Comparadun in sizes 20 to 10, and a variety of colours to imitate tiny olive mayflies up to large green drakes and size 16 or 18 PMD's. I've found that the sparkle version will sometimes out fish the standard version. Tied with a quality coastal deer hair with very small tips and a thin, tightly dubbed body, the fly will withstand lots of abuse and presents like the natural right on top of the film.

My biggest rainbow (26"+) was caught with an olive Comparadun size 16 on the Bow in about 12" of water right against a grass bank.

[densa44]

Elk hair caddis and an elk hair grasshopper. As time has passed both flys look much the same but the trout don't seem to care.

[Duramaximos]

Originally Posted by FinnDawg

#1 confidence dry fly is elkhair caddis. Usually have a box of just caddis with different sizes/colours.

X2

[walker1]

Different waters, different species, different seasons so many offerings .
One dry fly only.
Golden yellow stimmy for me. Versatile for many imitations and changing the size. I have size 2- 14 for these .
Close second would be Adams, foam yellow humpy, royal wolf

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by spurly

Adams, blue quill, mosquito, and PMD are usually good to me for drys.

I 2nd these along with the caddis Finn Dawg brought up. I probably use Mosquito and Adams the most of all the choices.

[Parker Hale]

Parachute Adams and Royal Wulff are my go to flies. Followed by hoppers and black ants.

[spurly]

Parachute purple haze, is another fly that works well for me.

[buckman]

Elk hair humpy.

[eyeflyer]

Originally Posted by buckman

Elk hair humpy.

Mine as well and elk hair caddis.

[spurly]

Stimulator in different colours also works well on its own, or part of a hopper dropper setup.

[Mr Flyguy]

A simple Bivisible works foe me.