Wet flies fished on the swing can be among the most effective patterns for trout, particularly in late summer and early fall when migratory fish, like brown trout and brook trout, are aggressive and hungry.
Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions ties a great wet fly pattern in the video above. Although originally tied in England to catch Arctic grayling, Tim’s version of the Red Tag is a wet fly tied to be fished down and across, on the swing.
I’m a sucker for flies that incorporate peacock herl—this translucent material just grabs the attention of fish, and often induces violent strikes. This will be a pattern I tie this fall to fish, albeit in a smaller size, during the fall Blue-winged Olive hatch on the South Fork. On the swing, it could be a serviceable emerger, and, with the red tag, an attention getter.
With a little weight, it’s also a fly that could be dead-drifted through likely runs, Euro-stlye. Check it out and see what you think.