Dry FliesPeter Ross Variant
A variant of the traditional Peter Ross wet fly, tied as an attractor rather than an imitation of any specific insect. A silver Mylar abdomen ribbed in wire and a hot orange seal's fur thorax carry the flash and color break the original is known for, finished with a teal flank wing over black hen hackle.
Spring, Summer, Fall
Intermediate
Trout
Feb 2026
Overview
The silver Mylar abdomen is ribbed in wire and gives way to a thorax of hot orange seal's fur, the color break that defines the Peter Ross style. Hot orange Lady Amherst tippet barbs form the tail, echoing the thorax color, while a teal flank wing lies over a black hen hackle for movement. It imitates no specific natural; as an attractor its combination of flash and orange draws attention on its own. Fish it as part of a team of wet flies, worked subsurface across moving water and stillwater lochs.
Where to Buy This Fly
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Materials
- Hook:
- Kamasan B175 #12
- Thread:
- Benecchi 12/0, black
- Rib:
- Wire, silver
- Tail:
- Lady Amherst tippet barbs, dyed hot orange
- Abdomen:
- Mylar, silver #12
- Thorax:
- Seal's fur, dyed hot orange
- Wing:
- Teal flank barbs
- Hackle:
- Hen, natural black
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: The silver mylar body flashes with every twist of the retrieve, and the teal flank wing beats and folds against the black hen hackle to suggest the flicker of a small baitfish or shrimp turning in the current.
Where Trout Eat It: Fished as part of a team, it takes fish holding near drop-offs and shoal edges where flash and movement draw attention in open water.
How to Fish It: Retrieve with a steady figure-eight or short strips across and down the wind so the mylar body catches light on every pull.
Best Water: Target drop-offs, shoal margins, current breaks, and open water adjacent to weed edges.
Strike Type: Takes usually arrive as a firm draw on the line as fish chase down the flashing fly.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Fish on a team of flies with a floating or intermediate line, leader testing around 6-8 lb.
Seasonal Timing: Effective spring through fall whenever fish are feeding actively in open water.
Pro Tips: Vary retrieve speed between drifts; a faster pull often triggers a following fish into a solid take.
