Top 5 Flies for Fall Fishing

Fall will be here before we know it.  Those of you who are just "Spring trout fishermen" need to step up your game and see what fishing in the Fall is all about.  From beautiful scenery when the leaves are changing to spawning colored brook trout, there's tons of reasons to break out the fly rod in the Fall. You also can't forget about the salmon and steelhead runs.  Without the absence of many of the popular hatches that we see in the Spring, your fly selection can be a little different.

Top Five Flies

1.  Articulated Streamers -  Butt Monkey, Dungeon, Game Changer, 

The old adage of go big or go home definitely applies here and streamer junkies unite on this season.  Many fish of all species are putting on the feed bag to get ready for the cold winter.  With the absence of many bugs, other fish become a huge item on the menu.  There are times you can't go too big so don't be afraid to throw the biggest streamer you have in your box.  We've all seen pictures and videos of huge brown trout that have a 12"+ fish in its throat.  So do yourself a favor and pick up a couple big streamers for Fall fishing.

2.  Egg Patterns - Glo Bug, Sucker Spawn, Crystal Meth, Eggstacy  

Eggs are for breakfast and Fall fishing.  Many fish are spawning in the Fall and fish are gorging themselves on eggs in the waters near you.  Fish take eggs for protein to bulk up for the Winter and the supply can be endless in some locations.  Places like the Great lakes, and other locations you see anadromous fish like salmon and steelhead that are headed to spawning grounds are prime for egg flies.

3. Stonefly Nymphs - Wire Body Stonefly, Stonefly Nymph, Tungsten Jig Stonefly, Pats Rubber Legs, Smethhurst Stone

 Many stonefly species have a 2 year lifespan and due to this can get quite large.  Same as the other flies before this, these fish want to bulk up for the winter and a big juicy stonefly can definitely be what's for dinner.  They are big strong nymphs and can be very active during the Fall and winter months with a few species even hatching during that time frame.

4. Caddis Dries - October Caddis, Elk hair Caddis, Elk and CDC, Sedgehammer

There are a few mayfly species that hatch in the Fall, but it seems the caddis really have an opportunity to bring the fish to the surface.  The October caddis is appropriately named as it comes out in the Fall.  It's also a great hatch as it's a little larger of a bug as well.  Check your local hatch charts and I bet you'll see some caddis listed this Fall.  The Elk hair or CDC and Elk float high in the water which is great for seeing in the lower light of the Fall days.

5. Junk - Squirmy Worm, Mop Fly, Wooly Bugger

First, don't get mad I put a Wooly Bugger in the Junk flies category.  It is and isn't but just fits the mold for this article.  The mold is that these fish are hungry in the Fall and need some big meals.  A big meal that includes worms, larvae, grubs, and whatever a wooly bugger imitates like a crayfish, baitfish, stonefly nymph or anything else.  These flies are also really productive after some very common Fall rainstorms.  Throw a big juicy meal in front of a fish after a ton of things have been washed down the stream and you'll likely get some eats.

Add some of these or any other great flies to your boxes to find success on the water this Fall season.

Don't forget other essentials like a new rod, reel or fly line