Dry fly
Little Black Stonefly
Tiny flush-riding stonefly
Trout · GraylingSurface
Tiny black early-season stonefly adult; fish small and flush in the surface.
Fish this when
On cold, clear early-season days when only the smallest black stoneflies are moving, fished dead-drift and flush in slow, sheltered water.
Why it works
Riding flush rather than perched high mimics a weak-flying adult trapped in the film, the low-key trigger fish expect from the only insect available on an otherwise bare early-season river.
Naturals it imitates
little black stonefly adult
Typical zone & fishable range
usually
Surface
Film
Subsurface
Deep
Setup sensitivity: medium
Quick facts
Tying difficulty
Beginner-friendly