If you like the idea of big dry flies, flashy nymphs, and hard takes, you are going to love attractor flies. In fact, they should be a staple in any avid angler’s fly box. But, if you’re new to fly fishing, and aren’t familiar with the concept, let me first answer the question, what is an attractor fly?
An attractor fly is any pattern designed to grab the attention of nearby fish. In most cases, angler’s use this term when referring to large, highly-visible dry flies. Though, any fly featuring bright, or flashy characteristics — including nymphs and streamers — is technically an attractor.
Ok, now that you know what an attractor fly is, so let’s get to the good stuff.
For the rest of this article, I’m going to count down my top 10 favorite attractor flies.
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#10. Amy’s Ant
There’s something about an Amy’s Ant that makes finicky fish lose their freaking minds.
It is the strangest thing.
One moment, you are casting a perfectly-presented, size 24 midge on nearly invisible 7X tippet to fish that won’t be fooled. Then, you throw on an Amy’s Ant — which, if I’m being honest, looks like a floating mattress — and they don’t know what to do with themselves.
If you put on an Amy’s Ant, be prepared for a strike the moment that thing hits the water. And I’m not talking about a little ‘sip-the-surface’ kind of strike. I’m talking about a thrash-the-water, angry strike. It’s an awesome thing to experience.
I don’t know what makes this fly so enticing to fish. But I’m not going to sit here and question it.
If you are looking for a good attractor fly, it’s hard to beat the Amy’s Ant.
#9. Yellow Humpy
The Yellow Humpy has been there for me through thick and thin. Even the name just puts a smile on my face.
The Yellow Humpy is my go-to fly for pocket water. It imitates a number of large mayflies, and has a way of pulling even the most cautious of fish out of hiding.
Additionally, this fly floats like a cork, which is why it makes such a useful attractor fly. You can drop a bead head nymph off the back of this thing, and it will still sit nice and high on the surface. So, even if the fish are committed to subsurface feeding, the Yellow Humpy can act as a phenomenal strike indicator.
#8. Wooly Bugger
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, attractors don’t have to be dry flies. They can be nymphs — or in the case of the Wooly Bugger — streamers.
Now, the Wooly Bugger can come with or without a bead head. But, in my experience, I have much better luck with the bead head. I’m not sure if it’s the additional weight, or the flash it provides, but fish just seem to like it better.
If you plan to do any streamer fishing, you should keep at least a couple different variations of Wooly Buggers in your fly box at any one time. The colors I recommend are: Black, Olive and Yellow.
These three colors should get you by.
#7. Flash-back Pheasant Tail
If you are going to do any fly fishing in the Rocky Mountains, you should stay well-stocked on Flash-back Pheasant Tails. I personally try to have between fifteen and twenty of these (of varying sizes) on-hand at any one time.
These come with or without a beadhead, but both work great.
Like the name suggests, this fly pattern includes a strip of epoxy-covered flashabou on its back, which is what makes it such a good attractor fly.
The beadhead version of this fly works great trailing behind a dry fly (i.e. a Yellow Humpy) or ahead of a slightly less noticeable fly like an RS2.
#6. Beadhead Prince Nymph
The Beadhead Prince Nymph is a great attractor fly. The combination of its flashy bead and bright white biots, makes this fly almost irresistible for trout.
This nymph holds a special place in my heart, because it was the first fly pattern to ever trigger a hot streak for me as a fly fisherman. I remember it like it was yesterday.
I was standing on the side of a small mountain lake just beside the inlet. I was 10 years old, and fishing with one of my best friends. My dad was a few-hundred yards away, fishing the tributary that fed the lake, when I threw on a beadhead prince nymph. I’m not even sure I knew the name of the fly at that point in time. Truthfully, as a ten year old, it was one of about three flies I actually had in my fly box. But, suddenly I had a nice sized trout on my line.
So, my buddy tagged a prince nymph onto the end of his line, and before we knew it, we were in the middle of a feeding frenzy.
For the next two hours, we took turns fishing the mouth of the inlet, each netting 11 fish. It was glorious.
The moral of the story is that the Beadhead Prince Nymphs is a great attractor fly, and you should stock up on them.
#5. Copper John
The Copper John is what I would refer to as the old-faithful of nymphs. And if you’ve ever fished with one, you probably know why. It just plain catches fish.
And with the wide array of color options, this thing is a great attractor. That’s right, the Copper John isn’t always copper.
Similar to the Beadhead Flashback Pheasant Tail I mentioned earlier, the Copper John also has a bead head and an epoxy-covered flashabou back, but it also has the added bonus of a bright wire wrapping.
All these flashy characteristics make this fly a great attractor. So, if you like nymphing, you need to keep a bunch of these on-hand. The colors I recommend are: copper, red, and chartreuse.
#4. Stimulator
When you put on a Stimulator, you better pay attention to every cast, because fish go nuts for this thing. I mean, the name says it all.
This pattern comes in multiple colors, but I prefer yellow-bodied and orange-bodied Stimulators. These are two of the most common colors, so they won’t be hard to find. In fact, just about every fly shop in America carries Stimulators.
Stimulators are meant to imitate a large mayfly, so they are easy to see, and — like a Yellow Humpy — can act as a great strike indicator when fishing a dropper rig.
#3. Rainbow Warrior
The Rainbow Warrior embodies the concept of an attractor fly.
This pattern has it all: a glass bead, flashabou for a body, and rainbow dubbing (hence the name). Talk about attention-getting!
I have tried this fly on almost every river I have ever fished, and had phenomenal success.
If you like the idea of catching trout, and lots of them, you should buy a handful of Rainbow Warriors.
#2. Parachute Adams
I have caught more fish on a Parachute Adams than any other dry fly, hands down. Though, unlike most other attractor flies, this pattern is neither bright or flashy. Rather, they just look so good that fish can’t help but give them a little attention.
Adams are typically made up of a grey body, with reddish-brown hackle. Though, I have found, on occasion, fish will lose their minds over a big Purple Adams.
So, if you are looking for a good attractor fly, don’t forget the Parachute Adams.
#1. Caddis
Caddis are pretty much everywhere, and fish love to eat them. So, if you only have one choice for an attractor fly, go with a Caddis.
Also, they float nice and perky, which makes them a great strike indicator for a dry-dropper rig. And, you don’t really need to worry about hook size. In my experience, fish don’t seem to care. In fact, I recommend buying at least a few caddis for every size between 10 and 16. Plus, you should buy them in multiple different body colors (i.e. olive, grey, orange and yellow).
Final Thoughts
Attractors are a staple for every serious angler. So, before the next time you hit the water, be sure to pick up a few. There’s nothing like fly fishing with bright, big, flashy flies to bring a smile to your face, and a whole bunch of fish to your net.
What are your favorite attractor flies? Be sure to comment below. We love hearing from our readers.
