Top Dry Fly - 2025

 There were three dry flies that I used this year to claim my Grand Slam of Trout prize. I tied a #16 Orange Stimulator to my tippet back in April and caught a lot of Gila Trout for two straight days, including one that stretched out to 18 inches...my personal best for a Gila Trout. A couple of weeks later, I brought a Brown Trout to my net using a #14 Black Caddis fly. And, a #12 Black Caddis took my first Rainbow Trout during the month of May. I then had three trout species toward my trout slam here in New Mexico. And then, finally in July, I  fooled a beautiful Brook Trout and Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout up on a high altitude lake with a #12 Black Flying Ant. Yup, I had my slam for all five trout species that swim in our New Mexico waters.

A lot of trout, mostly browns, hit the bottom of my net through the course of 2025, and the Black Caddis dry fly fooled more trout than any other dry fly I used this year. Yup, I would say the Black Elk Hair Caddis is once again my Top Dry Fly of the year.