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As summer progresses, low and clear water conditions make edgy trout increasingly difficult to catch on dries. The most prolific hatches of the season are mostly over by now, and many fish have seen their fair share of feathers and fur float overhead. For dry fly junkies, the dog days of summer can be the most challenging, yet rewarding times of the season. Today I’ll share some of my favorite late summer dry fly patterns, as well as why I like them and some helpful tips on how to fish them more productively. Hopefully, this article will help you find some willing dry fly eaters during the late summer months.

Amys Ant

The first pattern that comes to mind when I think of late summer dry flies is the Amys Ant. Although this pattern is technically a stonefly imitation, it does a great job of imitating a grasshopper. The Amys Ant has a buggy profile that appears very realistic from underneath with its use of rubber legs and hackle. Use this as a searching pattern in smaller sizes (12-14) in the late summer to find more fish. Giving it an occasional twitch can be a great technique for convincing otherwise lethargic trout.

Rusty Spinner

Fishing with mayfly spinner imitations can be productive all season long, but late summer can be especially exciting. Lower flows in the late summer allow trout to easily suspend and sip spinners mid-current, making them easier to target. Additionally, in areas that have received a good amount of fishing pressure during the early season, a spinner offers a delicate and stealthy option for discriminating fish. When trout are selectively sipping on spinners, fish a Rusty Spinner on a terminal section of 5-6x fluorocarbon tippet for maximum invisibility.

Bionic Ant

When nothing is hatching, a Bionic Ant is a fantastic searching pattern - primarily due to its unique profile. Compared to all the common dry flies trout see in a season, the highly segmented body of a Bionic Ant is distinctive and garners curious intrigue from hungry trout. This extremely buoyant pattern is best fished tight along grassy undercut banks or under overhanging tree limbs. Wherever you could envision an ant falling into the river, cast it there and give it small twitches to imitate the real deal.

Thunder Thighs Hopper

Who doesn’t love watching a big brown trout sip a hopper along a cutbank? The Thunder Thighs Hopper is one of the best grasshopper patterns thanks to its leggy profile and extreme buoyancy. Its synthetic wing makes it easy to see whether you’re dead-drifting it along the bank or twitching it under a willow. Available in a variety of colors, you can match this pattern to the predominant color of the hoppers on your river. It's a deadly pattern in August and September anywhere that has grasshoppers!

Missing Link Caddis

Although the big caddis hatches have come and gone by now, the Missing Link Caddis is an extremely versatile pattern that works all season. Its splayed synthetic wings imitate a spent caddis or a mayfly spinner very well, and in smaller sizes, it can pass for a trico or a midge. For those August days when you see a random mayfly, caddis, or midge but hatches seem sparse and sporadic; the Missing Link Caddis is a fantastic choice.

Purple Haze

A purple Parachute Adams, the Purple Haze is a time-tested late summer pattern that works well anywhere trout swim. It can be fished during a hatch or as a searching pattern and works well in low-light conditions. I’ve had the most success with a Purple Haze on glassy tailouts where fish can clearly see the profile of your fly. Although it seems almost too obvious to include on this list, the Purple Haze’s highly productive track record makes it a must-have for late summer trout fishing.

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