Trout fly - how to use.

[DaveH]

This titchy fly is the Pale Watery - Baetis fuscatus - common in parts of Wales, the south of England, and up as far as Yorkshire (according to Goddard). You can identify it by it being tiny and white. I became interested in this fly when I observed them diving into the river from a height of 3 or 4 feet, presumably to break through the surface film. They don't float on the surface, they purposely dive under the surface - hence, I've tied it as a wet fly. Goddard mentions that they are thought to lay their eggs sub-surface, but he hadn't seem them actually diving. On the Upper Wye the wild trout won't look at another fly if the Pale Watery is flying around. Over here they can occur in May, June, and July on warm evenings. The tying is very simple. Size 16 hook, yellow tying silk body, small Badger thorax, and a few fibres of heron feather cut long for the wing. Most of my flies incorporate feathers I have found, so a fair bit of Red Kite, Heron, and Corvid

Fish my Pale Watery sub-surface to rising fish. And none of this "cast upstream dry fly" nonsense. I fish this fly downstream on a 2lb tippet. Spot your fish - they WILL be showing if Pale Watery's are on the water, and cast a little above it so the current brings the fly to the trout. Killer fly over here, and probably on many Welsh rivers mid-summer.

Pale Watery on a wine cork, showing dimensions.

(Goddard J. Waterside Guide. Pub: CollinsWillow).

 

[JLD]

Good post.

 

[DaveH]

Good post.

Cheers.

 

[Thrasher]

Very similar to the Clyde style flies.

 

[Dutchman]

If i use a fly or even bait 99% cast downstream, probably only if in deepish slow moving that i cast up stream.

 

[DaveH]

Very similar to the Clyde style flies.

Yes - sparsely dressed. W C Stewart (The Practical Angler - 1857) first described this type of dressing in print. In those days the successful anglers in Scotland fished to supply fish, rather than for pleasure. He also pushed the idea of fishing flies upstream.

 

[fishbone]

Bookmarked. Looks great.

 

[Beach]

Looks similar to an ant fly I used around Sussex and the Teifi river in West Wales.