3 Tips for Fly Fishing the Yellow Sally Hatch

Photo by Bob Henricks

-Tip #1 Don’t Forget The Yellow Sally!

It’s easy to overlook a 15mm insect when Salmon Flies and Golden Stones are in the air in Montana. But at times, the Yellow Sally is the prevalent insect on the water, despite its smaller size.  The trout see them, and see them very well. When you’re shopping for flies, lose one Salmon Fly and one Golden Stone, and get two Yellow Sallies. You’ll be very glad you did.

-Tip #2 Drop It From The Golden

This small fly is often difficult to see in the early stages of the hatch, due to the high water. It’s easier to see them if they’re dropped off a larger fly, like a Golden Stone. Any strike near the Golden, set the hook. Keep the dropper short, 12-18” long, and make sure it’s at least 1X less than the tippet used to tie on the point fly, so you don’t lose both if you snag the dropper.

-Tip #3  Vary the Size

Again, with the Salmon Flies and Golden Stones out, it’s tough enough to go small. But sometimes you need to go even smaller! Yellow Sallies run from a size 12 to a size 16, and there are times when the 16 is the answer. If you’re seeing refusals to your Yellow Sally, you might think about going smaller.

Additional Yellow Sally Resources