Realistic Stonefly Dry II

Realistic Stonefly Dry II

Realistic Stonefly Dry II is another variation of a stonefly adult pattern, this time coming from Vania Flies. A great-looking, life-like imitation of an adult stonefly. This awesome fly pattern is a foam fly and it has all the characteristics of stoneflies in this phase of their life cycle – long, elongated, transparent, membranous wings, the segmented body, three pairs of flexible legs, the coloring, and the details. The body has been made of foam-like, lightweight, and sturdy material, which gives this pattern great floating capability. The fly is of the perfect weight, so when it hits the water, it emulates the real insect successfully. Carefully designed wings with exceptional details and flexible, segmented legs add to the realistic look of the fly and provide that imperative advantage when fishing this fly pattern. Proven effectiveness, even when fish is super selective, this is the fly to have in your flybox at all times.

Realistic Stonefly Dry II has been created in the five most important stonefly species: European, Salmonfly, Large Golden Stone, Yellow Sally, and Skwala. Each variation has been carefully designed to follow the particular species’ size, shape, proportions, and coloring.

European comes in sizes #6 and #8, Salmonfly in hooks #6 and #8, Skwala in hooks #8 and #10, Golden Stone in sizes #6, #8 and #10, and Yellow Sally in sizes #12 and #14.

Stoneflies

Stonefly is an aquatic insect from the order Plecoptera. These are one of the oldest insect species, with over 3500 different varieties, and can be found around the globe, everywhere except Antarctica. They love clean environments and their presence indicates very high water quality. Throughout their lifetime, stoneflies go through incomplete metamorphosis. They go from egg to nymph and straight to adult, without the pupal or dun stages. The complete stonefly life cycle lasts anywhere from one year (for smaller species – yellow sallies) to three years (larger kinds – salmonflies and large golden stones).

Four major subspecies of stoneflies that are most significant for fly fishing are:

• Salmonfly, family Pteronarcyidae
• Large Golden Stone, family Perlidae
• Yellow Sally, family Perlodidae, subfamily Isoperlinae, genus Isoperla (Stripetail)
• Skwala, family Perlodidae (Springflies)

To learn more details about the stonefly life cycle, different stonefly species, their characteristics, times of hatching, tips on fishing for each species, and other great info – check out our blog post here.

Fly Fishing Stonefly Dry Patterns

There are two instances when adult stoneflies can become food for trout: near the water’s edge, just after they emerge and when they accidentally fall into the water, and secondly, and maybe most significant for a fly fisherman, is the moment of the egg-depositing, taking place on the riffles. When fishing the recently emerged adults along the river’s bank, the best technique would be dead-drifting float, tightly against the banks, beneath the overhanging branches. Should you notice that trout is ignoring your fly, try the occasional twitch – it can entice a strike as it could appear more natural to the trout underneath.

For fishing the riffles, when egg-depositing starts, usually in the evening, dead-drift is again the best presentation to utilize. However, to best imitate the natural behavior of the fly when they deposit eggs, an occasional hop or twitch could make a huge difference. Many stonefly females make a big splash when they hit the water and some continue to flutter while depositing their valuable load. Successfully imitating this behavior can entice the fish and bring you that big strike. Cast the fly hard to make a splash and produce a commotion. Having your fly skate or skitter across the river’s surface might do the trick.