Q.Freshwater Trout & Hatches
What is the difference between a dry fly and a nymph?
A.
A dry fly imitates an adult insect on the water surface; a nymph imitates the underwater larval stage of the same insect. Dry flies are visual and dramatic but only work during active surface feeding. Nymphs catch fish nearly all the time because trout feed on subsurface insects throughout the day, regardless of hatching activity.
For volume fishing, nymphs win. For dramatic visual fishing during a hatch, dries win. Hatch calendar pages cover what life stage is most active at your timing.