Dry FlybeginnerSoutheast & Carolinas
Stimulator
$4.50
Available Sizes#8 - #14
Color Variations
OrangeYellowRoyal
Randall Kaufmann designed the Stimulator to imitate stoneflies in Western rivers, but it found a second career in the Southern Appalachians where golden stoneflies and giant caddis make trout look up. This fly floats like a life raft, supports a dropper nymph without complaint, and looks enough like a stonefly to trigger the 'big food, must eat' response in trout that have been conditioned by a lifetime of passing up small mayflies for the occasional caloric bonanza. It is the dry fly for people who believe bigger is better, and in stonefly season, they are correct.
Quick Facts
TypeDry Fly
Difficultybeginner
SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall
Target SpeciesRainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout
Sizes#8 - #14
Best LocationsChattooga River, SC; Watauga River, TN; Cranberry River, WV
Where to Fish It
Chattooga River
SC · Mountain Freestone
Watauga River
TN · Mountain Freestone
Cranberry River
WV · Mountain Freestone
Map unavailable. Locations for Stimulator: Chattooga River, SC; Watauga River, TN; Cranberry River, WV
Related Reading
region guide
Southeast: From Smokies Brookies to Lowcountry Reds
The American Southeast spans an extraordinary gradient — from native brook trout in the cold headwaters of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to sight-casting for tailing redfish in the spartina grass of the Lowcountry. This is the guide to fishing both ends of that spectrum and everything in between.
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
$3.50Southeast & Carolinas
#12 - #20
The universal dry fly. Grizzly hackle around a white post. Matches any small mayfly hatch on Appalachian mountain streams.
Standard GrayFemale (yellow egg sac)
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Brook Trout
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
Dry FlybeginnerElk Hair Caddis
$3.50Southeast & Carolinas
#12 - #18
Al Troth's iconic caddis pattern with buoyant elk hair wing. Floats high through Appalachian pocket water and riffles.
TanOliveBlack
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Brook Trout
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
Dry FlyintermediateYellow Sally
$3.95Southeast & Carolinas
#14 - #16
Small yellow stonefly imitation matching Isoperla hatches. A summer staple on Appalachian freestone streams.
Pale YellowChartreuse Yellow
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Brook Trout
SprSumFallWin
View Details →
Dry FlybeginnerMr. Rapidan
$4.50Southeast & Carolinas
#12 - #16
Harry Murray's classic Virginia attractor dry. Yellow body, grizzly hackle, white calf tail wing. Designed for Shenandoah National Park brook trout.
Yellow/GrizzlyOlive/Grizzly
Brook Trout · Rainbow Trout
SprSumFallWin
View Details →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 →