Smokejumper

People often wonder how to fish this fly.  Primarily it’s best fished as a dry fly and will float on top of the water.  It sinks easily because it’s delicate and when it sinks, a small strike indicator or larger fly  that floats helps detect strikes below the water which are common on this pattern.  Using frog’s fanny or some other fly duster for CDC keeps this fly floating high and dry, but requires a little maintenance.  You usually only need 1 or 2 good casts and drifts to hook a fish on this fly when they are feeding so make the casts count.

I usually fish as many drifts as I can before I catch a fish or it sinks then I fish 2-3 drifts with it sinking then I re apply the fly duster and start again.  A renegade or griffiths gnat is a good choice as a first fly that floats well and then this as the point fly in a two fly dry fly set up.  A NZ strike indicator is also great if you only want to throw the smokejumper and the fish seem to take it after it sinks.