Flies for Vermont trout streams

Dry Flies:

• Adams (12-18)
• Elk Hair Caddis (tan) (14-18)
• Blue-winged Olive (14-20)
• Hendrickson (12-14)
• Sulphur (14-18)
• Light Cahill (12-16)
• Trico spinner (20-26)

Nymphs/Emergers:

• Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear (12-18)
• Pheasant Tail (12-18)
• Muskrat (12-14)
• Caddis pupa (14-18)
• Caddis emerger (14-18)

Terrestrials:

• Hopper (6-12)
• Black Ant (14-18)

Patterns

So, you're fly fishing for trout in Vermont and you want to know what's working? The cynical answer is whatever wasn't working yesterday. The slightly less cynical answer is that it all depends on a lot of things, almost all of which are completely out of your control.

Still, there are a few standbys that no one should be without. Every list like this, including mine, is different from every other list. But it should serve as a rough guide.

Vermont has its share of hatches, but on most streams you shouldn't count on a series of predictable hatches proceeding like clockwork throughout the season. In some ways this is a blessing. You'll notice that my list of flies is rather short. That's because there are only a few hatches that need to be matched precisely (in my experience, most notably the sulphurs), and in most other cases a more general pattern like an Adams (my personal favorite indispensable) or a nymph will serve you best.

Also, on a good day, a hungry Vermont brookie will hit everything from rubber bands to tinfoil to flies that have lost every bit of fur and feather and are nothing but scraps of thread on a hook. Assuming that you're going to run into more discriminating quarry, this is my list, in no particular order. (Ask me again tomorrow and it will probably be different.)

Cream Variant
(10-12)