I wrote a post entitled Fly Fishing with Beetles almost two years ago touting how effective fly fishing can be with a beetle on the end of your line. I’m still a believer. I fish a fly I call Beetle Bailey. I shake my head in disbelief and smile at how effective Beetle Bailey catches fish!
Beetle Bailey is responsible for catching some of my biggest trout.
If you’re a regular reader of RiverKeeper Flies, you know I enjoy fishing dry flies. I spend a lot of time observing the river watching for noses to break the surface. And this time of year, I hope to see a Green Drake or PMD floating downstream with fish rising to them.
But what happens when the bugs don’t hatch and I can’t find any rising fish?
That means it’s time to tie a terrestrial onto my tippet and blind-cast to a few likely looking locations.
It happened yesterday. I was blind-casting with a spinner pattern and the fish weren’t rising. I decided to try a Beetle Bailey and on the first cast a fish rose. Then I moved another fish. Finally hooked one and lost it. Hooked another and landed it.
If I wouldn’t have tried the Beetle Bailey, my fishing day wouldn’t have been nearly as exciting as it was!
I can’t get over how effective Beetle Bailey is. The fly is fairly simple to tie.
You better tie some up or shoot me a line and I’ll tie them for you!
Me? I know Beetle Bailey catches fish. I’ve got some in my box…I’m headed to the river!
Enjoy…go fish!
