Dry FlybeginnerSoutheast & Carolinas
Stimulator
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Regional source directory
Murray's Fly Shop
Matched on Southeast & Carolinas, dry flies, trout. Appalachian trout and smallmouth source with long-running regional fly catalog depth.
Davidson River Outfitters
Matched on Southeast & Carolinas, dry flies, trout. Southern Appalachian trout shop lead tied to the Davidson River and regional freestones.
Fly Fish Food
Matched on dry flies, trout, caddis. Strong technical tying and trout catalog coverage, especially nymphs, dries, and stillwater flies.
Fulling Mill Flies
Matched on dry flies, trout, nymph. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.
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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
Where to Fish It
Chattooga River
SC · Mountain Freestone
Watauga River
TN · Mountain Freestone
Cranberry River
WV · Mountain Freestone
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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.
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