When I have a large trout come up to take my dry fly but refuses it I find that I can often catch him if I change flies to show him smaller and smaller flies that produce a different “Light Pattern” on the surface and a different “Outline”. For example, if he refused my March Brown Dry 12, I might go to a Shenk’s Cricket 14. If he looks but will not take this, I might go to a Flying Beetle 16. If he still gives me a hard time I go down to a Mr. Rapidan 18. Usually by this time I catch him. Note that these not only go small and smaller but the outline and light pattern of all of them are different.
I’ve found that simply going from a March Brown 12 to a Light Cahill 14 to a Sulphur 16 to a Blue Quill 18 seldom fools the trout. The outline of all of these flies are much the same as seen from underwater.
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