Dry FlybeginnerRocky Mountain West
Stimulator
$3.50
Available Sizes#8 - #16
Color Variations
OrangeYellowRoyalOlive
The Stimulator does not imitate any particular insect so much as it suggests the general concept of 'food, but exciting.' Elk hair wing, palmered hackle, and a silhouette that reads as stonefly, caddis, or hopper depending on how generous the trout is feeling. It is the Swiss Army knife of dry flies, and it works in every freestone river west of the hundredth meridian.
Quick Facts
TypeDry Fly
Difficultybeginner
SeasonsSummer, Fall
Target SpeciesRainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout
Sizes#8 - #16
Best LocationsMadison River, MT; Yellowstone River, MT; Snake River, WY
Where to Fish It
Madison River
MT · Freestone River
Yellowstone River
MT · Freestone River
Snake River
WY · Freestone River
Map unavailable. Locations for Stimulator: Madison River, MT; Yellowstone River, MT; Snake River, WY
Related Reading
seasonal playbook
The Summer Guide: Long Days and Willing Fish
Summer is fly fishing's season of abundance. Sixteen-hour days, prolific hatches, aggressive fish, and the full spectrum from mountain trout to saltwater flats. This is your playbook for making the most of the warmest, longest, most generous months of the fishing year.
hatch guide
Caddis: The Underrated Hatch
Caddisflies outnumber mayflies on most trout streams, yet they receive a fraction of the attention. From the explosive Mother's Day caddis hatch to the giant October caddis of the Pacific Northwest, understanding Trichoptera transforms your fishing from spring through fall.
hatch guide
Stoneflies: When Big Bugs Bring Big Fish
Stonefly hatches produce the most explosive dry-fly fishing of the season. From the legendary salmonfly emergence on western rivers to golden stones across the Pacific Northwest, these big bugs bring the biggest trout to the surface. Consider this your field guide to fishing Plecoptera — the clean-water giants that make twenty-inch trout eat flies the size of your thumb.
hatch guide
Terrestrial Fishing: Hoppers, Ants, and Beetles
Terrestrial insects — hoppers, ants, beetles, and crickets — are not aquatic hatches, but they drive some of the most exciting and productive dry-fly fishing of the year. From midsummer hopper banks to fall ant flights, this is your guide to fishing the land-based food sources that trout cannot resist.
You Might Also Like
Dry FlybeginnerParachute Adams
$2.95Rocky Mountain West
#12 - #22
Tied by Andy Carlson
The universal dry fly. Grizzly hackle, white post, dubbed body. If you cannot identify the hatch, tie on an Adams.
Standard GrayFemale (yellow egg sac)
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Cutthroat Trout · Brook Trout · Mountain Whitefish
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
Dry FlybeginnerElk Hair Caddis
$2.95Rocky Mountain West
#12 - #18
Tied by Chris Krueger
Al Troth's iconic caddis imitation. Elk hair wing, palmered hackle. Floats like a cork in fast water.
TanOliveBlack
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Cutthroat Trout · Brook Trout
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
Dry FlybeginnerRoyal Wulff
$3.50Rocky Mountain West
#10 - #16
Lee Wulff's high-floating attractor with a peacock herl body, red floss band, and white calf tail wing. Visible in any water.
Standard (peacock/red/white)
Rainbow Trout · Cutthroat Trout · Brook Trout
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
Dry FlyintermediateSparkle Dun
$3.50Rocky Mountain West
#14 - #22
Craig Mathews' flush-floating mayfly emerger. Deer hair wing, trailing Z-lon shuck. Sits in the film like a natural.
OliveTanGrayRusty
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Cutthroat Trout
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
Dry FlyintermediateComparadun
$3.50Rocky Mountain West
#12 - #22
Al Caucci and Bob Nastasi's no-hackle mayfly. Deer hair wing fans 180 degrees over a dubbed body. Deadly on flat water.
OliveTanCreamGray
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Cutthroat Trout
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
Dry FlyintermediateBlue Wing Olive (BWO)
$2.95Rocky Mountain West
#16 - #22
Mayfly imitation for Baetis hatches. Olive body, dark dun wings. The cold-weather dry fly that saves slow days.
OliveDark OliveGray-Olive
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Cutthroat Trout
SprSumFallWin
View Details →