3 Flies for the Week: March 25, 2025
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Time to read 3 min
It’s been a while, but we’re back! Although we had a relatively mild winter this year, it is nice to know that spring is here and warmer weather is around the corner. A great sign for anglers that spring is coming are the ever increasing BWO hatches. The dry fly fishing during the spring BWO hatches are arguably the best our state has to offer. These hatches aren’t getting crazy thick as of yet, but soon they will be at phenomenal levels. But for now, these hatches are strong enough to warrant pulling another fly out of your box other than a midge.
Fishing around the state has been hot just about anywhere and everywhere! Freestones, tailwaters, local creeks, and even large reservoirs have had great reports from our guides and customers alike. However, one fishery has been receiving mixed reviews lately. Our local drink, Clear Creek, has had an outstandingly large number of bad reports, including from our guides. We’ve been trying to figure out what could be the cause of the poor fishing, and our best bet has been the new trail construction that is pouring loads of sediment into the creek. Not all is lost though, we have had some good reviews in the past few days! We’re not trying to be pessimistic about Clear Creek, but we want to be forward with our recent experiences.
With all that being said, let’s get to this week’s flies!
#1: Juan’s Splitback Shady - BWO sz18
If you don’t know already, we’re huge fans of this fly. There are many realistic patterns on the market, but few do such a great job of combining realism and flash into one fly. Tied with a slim body profile, this fly in the water looks dang near identical to the real thing. Realism can make it difficult for fish to find your fly in the heat of a BWO hatch, so having the flash on this fly’s back helps grab the attention of the fish. This is not a standard flashback profile, however, as this flash is meant to resemble a near-emerging nymph. This is a nymph form that few anglers utilize, yet it can often turn a good day into a great one! Give this fly a try in a sz18 or 20 to resemble the spring BWO’s that are on average two to three sizes larger than their fall counterparts.
#2: Silverman’s Caddis Larva - sz16
This might seem like an odd fly to add to this week’s list, and I’d agree. Caddis are not hatching yet, at least not hatching in fishable numbers. That said, the water is warming with the spring air and caddis are waking up from their winter slumber. Additionally, some species will begin to hatch in a few weeks so their activity will be greatly increased as well. Moving bugs means fish will opportunistically be feeding on the few caddis they have drifted by them. Fish will rarely pass up a big meal, and in comparison to midge and BWO’s, the caddis are a welcomed “large” meal. Currently, we’re utilizing caddis larva as a lead fly on a nymph rig that’s running in tandem with midges and/or BWO patterns. Most would think this fly would only be recommended for the Arkansas, but we’re using them everywhere.
#3: Hi-Vis Parachute Midge - sz20
This fly is essentially a Griffith’s gnat tied with a parachute and hi-vis post, which is perfectly alright with us because the Griffith’s gnat is a more than proven fly for picky midge eaters. On cloudy days, thick hatches, or fishing in fast water, the hi-vis variation can be highly effective for picking up fish. Like mentioned above, the BWO hatches still aren’t super thick yet, so we’d expect on an average day that most dry fly fishing opportunities will come during the midge hatch. The flies might be tiny, but who doesn’t love throwing dry flies?
Xavier Puls
Best of luck on the water this week and we hope these flies catch a fish or two for ya. All three flies are available on our website and in the shop. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to Xavier on email at xavier@goldenflyshop.com, or call the shop at 303-330-1292. Thank you!