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Category
Trouts Journal

5 Flies to Get You Through the Month of April

Ivan Orsic / Apr 4, 2017

April is here and while we are currently in a cool spell on the weather side, it won’t be that way for long and in all honesty fishing will still be good either way. Flows on our freestones will be up and down this month given the weather, we will see small bumps on the warmer days that will regulate themselves on those cooler April days. With that said there will be plenty of food sources for trout. While midges are still going to be a good option on our tailwaters, they aren’t nearly as vital as the previous few months. Stoneflies, Caddis, BWOs and Streamers are going to be my preferred methods through the month. Here’s my take on 5 flies that will get you through the month of April.

Extended Body BWO: As was the case in March, BWOs are really active throughout April. Whether you’re at Deckers, the Ark or really anywhere else this time of the year, there is always the possibility of catching a great hatch. There are a bunch of useable BWO dry patterns on the market, but this fly really gets the job done, even at some of our toughest tailwaters.

Radiation Baetis: It’s pretty simple. If Shea Gunkel ties it, you should probably fish it. I have had great success on this pattern from the big waters of Wyoming, to Colorado Freestones and our tailwaters. It is also one of my favorite dropper patterns through the current BWO hatches as well as the upcoming Caddis hatch.

Guides Choice Hare’s Ear: This is a really diverse fly and a go to for me not just in April but year round. This time of the year I fish them anywhere from size 12-18. In bigger sizes, it works as a great attractor stonefly pattern and smaller sizes make a great caddis. I have been fishing Hare’s Ears since I was like 8 years old so it could also be a confidence thing, but if you fish them I can almost assure you success.

Nitro Caddis Pupa:This time of the year we really start to see those caddis get active and this is hands down one of my favorite caddis imitations. I really like this pattern in sizes 16-20. Whether you fish the olive or tan they will produce.

Peanut Envy Yellow: I love this streamer in every color but, yellow this time of the year is my go to! With the up and down temps in April, our freestones will have up and down flows. The changing clarity mixed with the warmer temps really fire up fish to chase streamers. That said, it is tough to beat watching fish fly at big bright streamers all day.

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