# Mad River Fly Help



## duckhound (Apr 10, 2004)

I've been fishing the Mad River frequently this spring with spinning tackle and doing pretty well. A few weeks ago I got a 17-1/2 incher. This last weekend I was again there and I think I witnessed a Mayfly hatch. The insects were mature adults. Some were landing on the water. Some were drowned and others seemed to be trying to get off the water. This had me thinking I should give the fly rod a try again. (I've tried it a few times but have always come up empty handed. So I would end up bass fishing with the fly rod. But I've learned much more about the Mad river over the last year.)
The biggest problem I believe I have is learning what flies to use. Take the Mayfly hatch I witnessed. The Mayflies were about a half inch long and were completely an off-white in color. Are these the Blue-Winged Olives I have been reading about over the last few years? Or are they a different form of Mayfly?
When the Mayflies are on the surface (and in the air) as I had seen, what is the best tactic to use? Do you use a white dry mayfly with a dropper? What fly do you use for the dropper and how far up the leader/tippet do you attach it? If there is no evident hatch going on, what flies are a good choice? Nymphs? What kind?
Not having much confidence with the fly for trout, I would like this next to attempt to be successful. Size and numbers are not important at this time.


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## goatfly (Jun 21, 2013)

What you might have seen is either a cahill or a sulfer. Either way a light yellow dry fly will work, for a dropper use an emerger or a pheasant tail nymph. The pheasant tail nymph or a wooly bugger are good search patterns.


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## duckhound (Apr 10, 2004)

goatfly said:


> What you might have seen is either a cahill or a sulfer. Either way a light yellow dry fly will work, for a dropper use an emerger or a pheasant tail nymph. The pheasant tail nymph or a wooly bugger are good search patterns.


Thanks Goatfly
I tried fly fishing in the smokies a couple of years ago and may have exactly those flies already. They were recommended for the Little River.


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

I usually grab one of the bugs and compare them to whatever i have in my box. Try to get the general color but most of the time you've got to get the size as close as possible. If that doesnt work try something completely different, sometimes you can get a bite just by irritating them.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## duckhound (Apr 10, 2004)

ejsell said:


> I usually grab one of the bugs and compare them to whatever i have in my box. Try to get the general color but most of the time you've got to get the size as close as possible. If that doesnt work try something completely different, sometimes you can get a bite just by irritating them.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


I don't know why it doesn't enter my mind to do something like this when I'm fishing. It seems that it should have been obvious to me. Thanks for placing this tactic in my mind.


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