Trout Fly Fishing Lures

Many people make the mistake of using a surface fly when fishing for trout, there are some exceptions but 90% of the time trout will feed from the bottom of the river. Trout anglers should always be prepared with the right lures to match any circumstances. To know what lure to use when fly fishing for trout you need to know what the trout in the river you are fishing are feeding on.

Here are some of the more common insects that trout feed on, there are numerous flies available for each of these species, both in nymph and adult form:

Mayfly

Mayfly & an extended body mayfly dry fly

Mayflies are a short lived (few minutes to a few days) aquatic insects found in freshwater systems. They lay eggs on the surface of lakes and streams which then sink to the bottom forming into nymphs. These nymphs live for up to one year below the surface feeding on algae and decaying vegetation. Mayflies are one of the favorite insects modeled into flies by trout fishermen.

Caddisfly (Trichoptera)

Caddisfly & caddisfly fly fishing lure

Caddisflies are small moth like insects with two pairs of hairy membranous wings. The larvae of caddisflies enter a pupa stage lasting anywhere from a few weeks to months, the caddisflies then emerge when water temperatures cool during Fall. Water were caddisflies are located is generally seen as being of a high quality.

Stonefly (Plecoptera)

Stonefly nymph & golden stonefly nymph fly

Found in both the southern and northern hemispheres stoneflies are intolerant to water pollution so their appearance is generally a sign of good water quality. Female stoneflies lay eggs in the water hatching into nymphs after a few months, these nymphs closely resemble the fully grown stonefly and remain in their nymph state from anywhere between 12 months up to 4 years. Adults survive for only a few weeks and are only prevalent during certain times of the year.

Midges

Midge & midge dry fly

Midges comprise of many different type of small two-winged insects sometimes resembling mosquitoes, many of which also bite humans.

Dragonfly

Dragonfly & orange dragonfly lure

Dragonflies can be charaterized by their large multifaceted eyes and two pairs of transparent wings. Dragonflies can usually be found near waterways as they lay their eggs the in water. Dragonflies can range in size from 1 to 4 inches making them a good sized meal for a trout.

Damselfly

Damselfly & brown damselfly lure

Damselflies are similar to dragonflies but can be differentiated by their wings which run parallel to the body when resting. Damselflies are also usually smaller than dragonflies with their eyes located more prominently on the side of their head. Like dragonflies they lay their eggs in the water where the nymphs then develop.