Hot Flies for High Water

With warmer Spring and early Summer weather comes high water in many rivers and streams. This definitely presents some difficulties but doesn't mean you shouldn't still get out and fish. Here are a few of my favorites and some techniques for fishing them in high water:

Tungsten Bead Hot Wired Prince Nymph - The added weight of wire and bead will help you to get this fly down in swift currents. I like to fish it both as a dropper and under an indicator in slower pockets along shorelines and behind boulders.

Olive and Orange Blossom Specials - This flashy streamer in both colors is a deadly pattern for high water. Fish it with or against the current in slower water where fish congregate to escape the heavy currents of runoff.

Peacock and Royal PMXs - As the high water of runoff begins to stabilize and clear sometimes you can entice a fish to rise. Whether it is because they are seeing occasional stoneflies or just out of curiousity this fly often brings them up. Because of its buoyancy, it is also a perfect dry fly to use with heavy tungsten bead droppers.

Try these patterns the next time you encounter high water on your favorite stream.