Sometimes to catch fish on top you have to go big or go home when choosing your dry fly pattern. If you’re fishing high water and you’re wanting a better shot at tempting a trophy trout into rising up from the dark depths to munch on your dry fly, you better go big. Trout are just as lazy as we are by nature, and more times than not they aren’t willing to fight heavy current to come up and eat unless the food offering is worth their while. Large foam fly patterns with stacked deer hair give incentive for trout to brave the elements, and come out and play in high water conditions. They’re also going to float high on just about any turbulent water you encounter, and you won’t have to waste time drying off and reapplying fly floatant all day long. I suggest packing some big attractor dry flies in case you find yourself fishing high water on your next fly fishing trip. Especially if you’re timing a big salmonfly hatch or terrestrial bite.

King Kong Dry Fly - Photo By: Louis Cahill

If you prefer to buy your fly patterns over tying them up yourself, I highly recommend purchasing a half dozen or so King Kong dry flies. This pattern hit the scene a few years ago and it rocks. It’s durable as hell, comes in a few different color options, and you can damn near float it threw a class three rapid without it sinking.

Keep it Reel,