Stillwater Flies
Many anglers enjoy fishing still water lakes and ponds with a fly rod. Lake fishing allows anglers to target larger fish, fly fish with different techniques, and enjoy fishing out of a boat or from the bank. Many different species can be targeted in still water environments including trout, landlocked salmon, bass, and musky. With so many different species to fish for, it’s important to have a wide range of flies to choose from. We have a complete collection of still water flies including streamers, emergers, dry flies, and more.
Some popular northeastern streamer patterns for still water include the Muddler Minnow, Mickey Finn, Horberg, Gray Ghost, and Black Ghost. These flies are often used to target landlocked salmon and trout in a lake setting, but can also be used on larger rivers. These streamers are smelt and baitfish imitations that fool wary fish that are cruising for food. They can also be used to catch smallmouth bass in the early season or largemouth bass year-round. These popular patterns are great for a variety of settings/species.
Other streamers that work well in a still water setting include Chocklett’s Gamechanger, the Zonker Streamer, Wooly Bugger, Slumpbuster Streamer, and more. These flies are more geared toward larger fish like Bass, Pike, and Musky. Chocklett’s Gamechanger, in particular, is a segmented streamer pattern that is ideal for big fish in lakes or larger rivers. This fly has a large profile and features a ton of movement in the water to fool large predatory fish looking for a big meal. The bugger patterns and zonker patterns are great for Bass, trout, salmon and more. These sculpin/baitfish imitations can be used to fool ambush feeders and cruising trout alike.
Streamers are great when targeting predatory fish that are active. In still water settings, however, sometimes trout can be picky. When trout are feeding on smaller flies, streamers aren’t always the best option. We have a great selection of smaller nymphs/emergers for picky still water fish. Chironomids and midges are popular still water nymphs and come in a variety of patterns, colors, and sizes. The Jumbo Juju Chironomid, Jujubee Midge, and Jujubee Midge Flash Fly are great choices for still water nymphing tactics. The Ice Cream Cone Chironomid is also a great pattern for cruising fish eating emergers/nymphs. If you’re looking for a more traditional emerger pattern, the Juju Emerger is a great subsurface offering that fools wary trout feeding just under the surface on emerging insects.
Regardless of your preferred still water technique, we have a vast collection of flies that will help you catch more fish from Maine to Montana and everywhere in between. A lot of these flies can also be used on rivers to fool feeding trout or even larger fish like Pike and Musky. This collection of flies is always being updated as we add more patterns to our inventory so if you don’t see the fly you’re looking for, check back or give us a call and we can add/order Umpqua fly patterns.