28 - Hot weather heroes: 7 of the best flies for summer fishing

Hot weather heroes: 7 of the best flies for summer fishing 

Out fishing this month? July and August can provide memorable days on the water. But while we all love the warm weather and long evenings, this time of year is not always incredibly easy. Whether we encounter blazing hot sun or low water levels, those months of high summer can be a challenge that requires some careful fly selection. Here are seven of the very best fly patterns for summer fishing and hot weather in general. 

1. Red Holo Diawl Bach 
   

Nymph fishing can be an absolute joy on summer stillwaters, but a recurring problem on many is dodgy clarity. Any long spell of bright, dry weather can cause this, with algae turning once clear water a deeper shade of green or brown. Don’t give up just yet though, because a brighter coloured fly can still score. Reds and holographics such as this favourite are especially useful.  

2. Two-Tone Black and Orange Blob
   
   Less subtle but also a real fish puller in hot conditions, the blob is a great fly to cut through iffy water clarity. Black and orange are two of the best colours to show up in stained water, while this is also a fly that works equally well on point, or as a dropper to attract the fish to your other patterns. 

2. Black Gold Head Woolly Bugger 

No matter whether you fish still or running water, with clear or poor clarity, this classic lure remains such a fantastic “get out of jail” fly for hard fishing. Highly versatile, it can be fished low and slow or really ripped in; there’s just something about the bold silhouette and lively presence it possesses. Another underrated tactic is to try one at night for big trout! 

4.  CDC Black Gnat 

When conditions are bright and the water is running low, big dry flies can look a bit painfully obvious at the best of times. This is when smaller, subtler dry flies really come into their own. Intended for dace and roach, this fly is also fantastic for trout and grayling, with just the right size and profile to trick fussy fish picking off small dark flies such as midges. 

5. Sedgehog, Black 

A fly that deserves a place in any fly box for wild stillwaters, simply because it’s such incredible fun to fish! The ideal fly for breezy days, fish this one well-treated with floatant and retrieve with vigour. Find the right conditions and you can expect brutal takes and thrilling action!  

6. Hi Vis Parachute Adam
   

Such good all round flies on the rivers, it’s difficult not to include at least one of the “Adams Family”! This one is easy to see and just as easy to fish. It works even when there’s nothing hatching, while it’s also a good fly to suspend a small nymph underneath. 

7. GP Black Shadow Hopper

Resembling nothing in particular but looking oh-so-edible, hoppers are fantastic all round dry flies to have in your box for most of the summer. Designed by top fly tyer and former England international angler Gary Pearson, this one is a little bit special, throwing a tempting footprint on the water without going OTT. The buoyant wing helps it sit perfectly on the water.