Dry FliesDrowned Turkey
The Drowned Turkey is a dry fly pattern designed by Russell Stanton. This effective pattern combines traditional materials with proven techniques for consistent results in a variety of water conditions.
Spring, Summer, Fall
Intermediate
Trout
Feb 2026
Overview
Russell Stanton designed this pattern to represent spent mayflies and caddis trapped in the surface film after emergence or egg-laying. The splayed turkey feather wings create an authentic spent-wing silhouette while the low-profile body rides in rather than on the water. The pattern's subdued colors and realistic posture appeal to selective fish during spinner falls. The durable turkey feather construction allows multiple fish on a single fly.
Materials
Hook: Kamasan B175 #14
Thread: Benecchi 12/0, black
Rib: Polar Flash, gold, graduated
Body: Turkey barbs, black
Wing: Turkey slip, black, folded
Veiling: Llama mix, olive - very sparse
Head: Ostrich, black, twisted around tying thread
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: Spent mayflies land flush in the film after mating flights, wings spread flat and bodies exhausted. These dead-drift targets concentrate in foam lines and slicks during spinner falls.
Where Trout Eat It: Fish sip spent spinners from the surface film in calm water, especially in foam lines.
How to Fish It: Dead drift with the wings flush in the film, imitating the low profile of spent insects.
Best Water: Slicks, foam lines, tail-outs, and flat water during evening and morning spinner falls.
Strike Type: Confident sips as fish key on the easy-target profile of spent, motionless spinners.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Use a 9-12 foot leader tapering to 5X tippet for delicate presentations. Apply floatant to the body and hackle.
Seasonal Timing: Most effective during peak feeding periods at dawn and dusk. Water temperatures between 45-65°F typically produce best results.
Pro Tips: Apply minimal or no floatant to achieve the proper flush-floating profile of spent adults. The pattern should sit in the film rather than on top of it, creating the authentic silhouette of exhausted insects.
Entomology
Caddisflies caught in sudden rain or wind become waterlogged and sink partially below the surface film, their wings absorbing water while they struggle feebly to right themselves. Trout target these drowning adults that hang subsurface, recognizing the distinct profile of insects too compromised to escape or dive effectively.
- Order
- Trichoptera
- Common Name
- Caddisfly
- Organism Type
- insect
- Life Stage
- adult