Herman’s Articulated Baby Rainbow

Get this fly to the fish’s level. When was the last time you saw a trout sitting on the surface? Exactly, so use a sink tip line and get this fly to the depth these fish are usually at. Predatory fish don’t have to come up in the water column to eat wounded baitfish, so don’t expect them to with your fly. Get it to the right depth and fish it with short quick strips to imitate a wounded rainbow.

When casting a wounded baitfish pattern you need to cast upstream and retrieve the fly to you. Either run the fly down the bank or structure but do it from downstream. Again, think critically about this, wounded baitfish don’t swim upriver.

Big fish are prone to hit a fly twice. The first time they hit a big fly might just be to stun it to make it easier to eat. The second strike will be to eat the wounded baitfish. Keep that in mind while stripping the fly. If you feel a bump keep your head down and keep stripping. Don’t try to set the hook until you are sure there is a fish on the hook.