Fly Patterns for the Fall Trout Fishing

Fall fly fishing is probably one of the best times to fish our area rivers like the St. Joe, North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene, Clark Fork and others. The rivers are less crowded, the water is low and clear, and the fish go on feeding binges like a fat kid in a candy store.

During the dog days of the summer we see less insect hatches but as September progresses we see the typical fall hatches start to pop. Mahogany Duns, BWO's, and October Caddis are the primary insects and if you are headed out you definitely need to be prepared with patterns that represent those.

Here is the run down on hatches and patterns to use to mimic them:

Mahogany Dun Mayfly

• Description: Brownish colored with slate gray colored wings (upright wings)
• Sizes: 14-18
• Patterns: Sparkle Duns*, Challenges*, Para Adams, Red Quill Parachutes, Cripples*, Purple Haze Parachute and/or cripples, CDC Comparadun*
• * Note all of these patterns come in a Mahogany Dun version which we are referencing.

October Caddis

• Description: A very large rusty orange colored caddis (tent shaped wings)
• Sizes: 8-10
• Patterns: Stimulators (orange), PMX (orange), Norm Wood Special, Chubby Chernobyl (Norm Wood Color), Hyatt's Orange Goodard, Idyls Chernobyl Ant (brown/gold)

Blue Winged Olive Mayfly (BWO)

• Description: Dark olive mayfly body with slate gray wings (upright wings)
• Sizes: 16-18
• Patterns: Sparkle Duns*, Challenges*, Cripples*, Para Adams, Hatch Matchers*, Thorax Duns*, Hackle Stackers*, Captive Dun*, Almost Dun*
• * Note all of these patterns come in a BWO specific color which we are referencing.

Look for most of your hatches to start mid day as temperatures cool down!

Good luck!