When trout aren’t keying in on any one bug, attractor dry flies often shine. These high-riding, easy-to-see, and sometimes flashy patterns aren’t always “match-the-hatch” imitations—but that’s the point. Instead, they’re designed to trigger curiosity or aggression from fish, or imitate a wide range of forage. Whether you’re prospecting new water, unsure about what to start fishing, or running dry-dropper rigs, attractor dries are must-haves in any trout angler’s fly box.
What Are Attractor Dry Flies?
Attractor dry flies are less about matching a specific hatch, and more about standing out. They might imitate the general shape of a terrestrial or aquatic insect, but their exaggerated features such as bright colors, large profiles, rubber legs, or flashy wings make them stand out. These flies appeal to a trout’s curiosity, and are super effective when trout are opportunistically feeding off the surface. Come late spring and summertime, your box should feature a healthy number of attractor dries.
When to Fish Attractor Dries
Attractor dries excel when:
- There’s no obvious hatch happening or you would like a fly to imitate a number of insects
- You’re covering lots of water looking for willing fish
- You are fishing new water and are unsure where to start
- You need a visible, buoyant fly for dry-dropper rigs and/or would prefer not to fish with a traditional indicator
- Fishing fast-moving or pocket water where trout have less time to inspect a fly
- Targeting opportunistic trout in alpine lakes or small streams
Keep in mind that during hatch-heavy seasons, attractor flies can outperform naturals simply by standing out amongst the abundance of bugs. This is especially true when hatches begin to wane and fish become more opportunistic, though there are destinations such as Patagonia where anglers can reliably fish attractor dry flies all season long.
Top Attractor Dry Fly Patterns
Purple Haze
A modern classic that started in Montana, the Purple Haze is a twist on the Adams parachute, substituting a purple body for increased visibility and flash. It performs well in a variety of hatches and conditions, and is a reliable dry fly practically anywhere trout eat flies. The purple hue seems to trigger aggressive takes. It works as a general attractor or as a subtle mayfly imitation.
Hippie Stomper
Created by Andrew Grillos, the Hippie Stomper is a compact foam-bodied fly that checks all the boxes: it floats well, is easy to see, and catches fish nearly anywhere. Its flashy underbody, rubber legs, and wing silhouette make it an ideal attractor or lead fly in dry-dropper rigs. The Hippie Stomper is so effective because it imitates nothing and everything at once—beetle, ant, small hopper, caddis, big mayfly, you name it.
Chubby Chernobyl
The modern gold standard in attractor dries, the Chubby Chernobyl is an evolution of the original Chernobyl Ant developed on Utah’s Green River in the late 1980s. The Chubby, with its double foam body, synthetic wing, and rubber legs, offers near-unsinkable performance. The Chubby floats like a cork, rides high even with a heavy nymph below it, and presents a hopper-like profile that trout crush in summer. It's also a guide favorite for its visibility and versatility, especially for novice anglers unaccustomed to tracking flies.
Stimulator
Introduced to the world of fly fishing by Randall Kaufmann in the 1980s, the Stimulator has roots that go back many decades and is one of the most versatile attractor dries around. It imitates stoneflies, caddis, and even grasshoppers depending on size and color, but is simply too buggy to resist. The combination of a bushy elk hair wing and tail, along with a hackled body and head make the stimulator a high-floating, high-performance attractor and a longtime Western favorite.
Royal PMX (Parachute Madam X)
A spinoff of Doug Swisher’s original Madam X pattern, the Royal PMX adds a parachute post and a royal body for extra visibility and flash. It has a nice blend of old tying techniques and modern flair, combining to make a deadly attractor pattern. The Royal PMX is super light and easy to track while also casting big buggy silhouette. We like the Royal PMX for stoneflies, terrestrials, but it is also simply one of those flies that gets their attention.
Humpy
A high-floating classic that dates back to the 1940s, the Humpy originated in California but quickly spread throughout the greater U.S. West. The Humpy combines deer or elk hair along with a healthy helping of hackle to ensure it can float high in turbulent or fast-moving water. The original is not the easiest pattern to tie by any stretch, and one anglers might prefer to grab from their local shop!
Fat Albert
The Fat Albert hails from South America, popularized by anglers fishing in Chile and Argentina. Designed as a hopper-terrestrial hybrid with foam, rubber legs, and a blocky profile, it quickly found a home in Western trout streams too. We like the Fat Albert because it is big, visible, and capable of floating even the heaviest nymphs underneath. It’s a trout attention-getter, especially in late summer.
Amy’s Ant
Jack Dennis introduced Amy’s Ant in the 1990s as a hybrid between a large ant, beetle, and grasshopper. The result is one of the most well-liked attractor patterns across all walks of fisheries, and a reliable fly come summertime when all of the above can be in play.
Royal Wulff
Created by Lee Wulff in the 1930s, the Royal Wulff is arguably the original attractor dry. Its peacock body, trademark red band, and upright white wings are as iconic as they are effective. The Purple Para Wulff is a must-have alternative to this classic -- a true attractor dry fly if we've ever seen one.
Don't believe us? Give them a try. When nothing is hatching—or even when something is—attractor dries are staple patterns every dry fly box should feature. They’re bold, float all day, and double as great dry-dropper anchors for anyone looking to abandon the bobber!
Related Articles:
