It’s mid-April and the blue-winged olives and even some caddis are starting to show up. Now the real fishing begins. Now if that sounds like a snobby dry fly fisherman remark, stay with me. What I’m talking about is how it is for me. I have fun swinging streamers and I do fish nymphs underneath, but if I’m truthful about it, I’m just marking time until I can fish on top again. I know all the stats about how few fish actually feed on top. I know how much more efficient nymphing can be than a dry fly, but I just don’t laugh out loud as much when I’m fishing underneath.  I respect whatever method people use to fish, I just don’t get the joy out of fishing without the visual element. People who have fished with me in January know what lengths I go to in pursing the visual “take.” We’re out there with wool hats, wool buffs, several layers of fleece and gloves on, chipping ice off the guides and I will at some point put on a #18 blue-winged olive sparkle dun. Just because.

I know there is a visual element to each method of fishing, but feeling that twitch while nymphing or seeing the line jump when a fish slams a streamer is just not the same. A day or so ago I had a real world experience that demonstrated to me this preference for dry flies in a spontaneous way.

I was out on what should have been a pretty decent blue-wing day-overcast sky and some on and off drizzle. I got a section of the creek that is historically a great spot for fish feeding on top. But after a bit of time scanning for rises or any bugs coming off and seeing none I tied on a tungsten bead Bird’s nest and started fishing. I caught a number of fish, but it was slow going and they were on the smaller side. I worked my way up to an area with a large old willow tree on the bank with some broken limbs that hang in the water. I dropped the Bird’s nest in along the side and followed it downstream along the length of the limb. A trout hit it right off the end of the branch. I missed the hook-up but so what. Fun! I thought. Immediately after I had retrieved my fly the same fish hit something on top. I immediately clipped off the Bird’s nest and put on a #18 blue-winged olive sparkle dun. Drifted it along the same branch, and he blew up on it. Completely out of the water. I was laughing so hard, it took me a while to reel in the fly. Anyway the point is that these two drifts in the exact same place had the exact same result; the fish fed and I missed the hook-up. But I could have a whole day of that dry fly fishing and I would be a happy camper. (A frustrated camper, but still happy) If it was fishing nymphs or streamers, I’m not sure I would think the day was that successful. Maybe the hits were just a snag, maybe it’s all teeny weeny fish…

I may not be exactly sure of all the reasons I like dry fly fishing best. Maybe it’s the aspect of targeting a fish that is clearly feeding. Maybe it’s the option to observe what is happening around me to determine what fly to tie on. I can see swallows swooping on the water or yellow warblers fluttering on the banks picking up… what? Blue-wings? Caddis? Sulphurs? I can look on the water and see spinners floating by as the sun sets. I can match my best guess and try it out that one fish that I think I can a cast to. It’s all a big mystery to solve.

But for now, I’ll just tie on this #18 blue-wing olive sparkle dun….