Difference Between Wet and Dry Flies

Wet flies sit under the water. They can be emergers, nymphs, streamers and imitate hatching flies or other types of larger bait. Dry flies sit on top of the water. They can resemble full-grown flies, rodents, insects, etc.

1. How do you tell if a fly is wet or dry?
2. What does a wet fly look like?
3. Are nymphs wet or dry flies?
4. What are wet flies?
5. Do dry flies sink?
6. How do I get rid of dry flies?
7. What are wet flies used for?
8. What are dry flies used for?
9. What is the difference between a dry fly hook and a wet fly hook?
10. Do nymph flies sink?

How do you tell if a fly is wet or dry?

The biggest difference between wet and dry flies is the size of the flies. Wet flies normally run from a size 10 and larger. Dry flies typically run from a 12 and smaller. The dry flies are designed to float or be buoyant or land softly on the surface of the water.

What does a wet fly look like?

Wet flies resemble insects that grow and live below the water surface before hatching and floating to the surface. They can also imitate larger creatures such as crawfish, leeches, and smaller fish that are found in streams and rivers. Dry flies represent insects that fish feed on that land on top of the water.

Are nymphs wet or dry flies?

Wet Flies/Nymphs – these flies represent insects in the nymph stage of their life cycle that live under the water. It is estimated that nearly 80% of a trout's diet consists of feeding under the water, so wet fly fishing can be extremely productive.

What are wet flies?

A wet fly is designed to be fished below the water's surface. ... Some up-winged flies swim or crawl beneath the surface as adult spinners in order to lay egg. Often duns & spinners are swamped by the current and forced under the water surface.

Do dry flies sink?

A dry fly sinks when it is saturated with water. To keep it floating, you need to dry it out with a desiccant and apply a floatant gel, such as Gink. It is best to apply floatant to a completely dry fly. ... There is a lot more that goes into making a fly stay on top of the water.

How do I get rid of dry flies?

For most dry flies, a silicone gel such as Gink will do the trick. Just squeeze out a tiny smear and rub it onto your dry fly, it should stay afloat for several casts but will need replenishing every so often and the fly may need replacing with a dry one if you catch a fish.

What are wet flies used for?

Wet flies are versatile patterns and make excellent dropper flies on a dry-dropper setup or traditional nymph rig. They're ideal for anglers who enjoy swinging wet flies on large rivers and small streams for picky trout; add them to your fly box and be ready to match the hatch.

What are dry flies used for?

A dry fly is designed to land softly on the surface of the water without breaking it and becoming wetted. It need not be inherently buoyant. They are often oiled or treated with another water repellent. Dry flies are generally considered to be freshwater flies.

What is the difference between a dry fly hook and a wet fly hook?

A hook with standard wire and a standard shank length would be about right for a wet fly that you wanted to sink a few inches. Dry flies are more often tied on standard-length hooks made with light wire, nymphs on heavy-wire hooks. Streamers are tied on hooks with standard or heavy wire but extra-long shanks.

Do nymph flies sink?

Depth Control

For shallow (less than 2 feet) or slow-moving water, traditional weightless and indicator-less nymph rigs are often adequate to sink flies to the bottom as long as enough runway is given. ... Fishing water over 6 feet deep is when substantially more weight is needed to get your nymphs to the bottom.