How to Make Flies for Trout Fishing in the Smokies

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is located on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. Many anglers who visit the park, fly fish for brown, rainbow and brook trout. The flies used when angling for trout are imitations of insects found along the many streams scattered throughout the Smokey Mountain National Park. Many fly anglers prefer to tie their own dry fly imitations that have been proved effective in many streams in the Smokies.

Things You'll Need

  • Fly-tying vise
  • Dry fly hook
  • Fly-tying bobbin
  • Fly-tying thread
  • Hackles and animal hairs
  • Scissors
  • Head cement
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a dry fly hook in the jaws of a fly-tying vise. Position the hook so that it is held securely in place by the bend with the shank on top and the barb and point on the bottom.

    • 2

      Select a pattern for the fly that imitates an insect found along the streams of the Smokey Mountains. Patterns including the elk hair caddis, blue wing olive, Parachute Adams and Light Cahill can all be effective patterns in various sizes and at different times of the year.

    • 3

      Wrap fly-tying thread around the shank of the hook beginning at the eye of the dry fly hook. Wrap the shank of the hook down to the bend and back up to the eye. Repeat the wrapping process two to three times to provide a good base for attaching other materials.

    • 4

      Place hackles or animal hairs on the shank of the hook so that they stand out at an angle. Tie them in place with more fly-tying thread.

    • 5

      Place a small bunch of animal hairs on the thread wraps along the shank of the hook. The hairs can form the body of the fly as well as wings and tail of the naturally occurring insect. Tie the hairs and hackle in place with fly tying thread. Make several wraps of thread just below the eye to finish the pattern, Cut the thread free from the bobbin with scissors and apply a thin coat of head cement to the thread wraps.