Today’s blog is from Pat Torrey. Pat is a long time Farmington River guide and he knows trout & what catches them. Pat is a retired school teacher, so he is an effective educator who knows how to impart knowledge to his students, and he truly enjoys doing so. We hope this is the first of many contributions from Pat.
-FVTU Editorial Board
Dear Friends:
This article is written for the beginning angler, and especially for young people. I’m going to offer a few ideas on wet fly fishing in the hope it will get you out of the house and into a healthy and enjoyable day on the stream. Wet fly fishing does not require some of the more advanced skills associated with our sport—accuracy, for one, or the ability to precisely put the fly where you want it. With wet fly fishing you do not have to put the fly into a teacup at 30 feet. Accuracy is a fine goal, but not critical in the beginning. Just roll cast your line out as comfortably as you can across the stream.
Another skill talked about by anglers is the ability to know where the trout are in the water at any given time. With the wet fly you only need to cast as far as you can, do a mend in the line and let the drifting fly find the fish for you. Just cast where you can and see if you can find one. Don’t worry how you will know when a fish takes your line. With wet flies it’s pretty simple—they will whack it and hook themselves.
Finally, you don’t need a lot of equipment to get started. Any fly rod will do, outfitted with any reel and line coupled with a 7 ½ foot leader. Assemble a few patterns in one box and give it a go. At this time of year I recommend flies that are dark in color such as the Dark Cahill, a Lead Wing Coachman, and a Dark Hendrickson in sizes 12 and 14. If all else fails, try a good old Wooly Bugger in size 8 and 10.
Spring is a great time of year to fish because the water temperature becomes ideal for the insects to start hatching and the trout to become hungry and active. While this article is not inclusive of all wet fly techniques, I hope it encourages you to give it a try.
Pat Torrey