How to Use dry fly in a Sentence

dry fly

noun
  • One dry fly is to play a special role.
    — Ralph Tuttle, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026
  • Small dry flies, nymphs, spinners, spoons and bait will catch fish.
    — Jordan Rodriguez, idahostatesman, 16 Mar. 2018
  • Because dry flies need to float, the hooks they’re tied on are much lighter hooks.
    — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024
  • In some rivers, artfully casting dry flies is the best way to tempt a trout.
    — Jordan Rodriguez, idahostatesman, 29 June 2018
  • Nymph during the day and take advantage of dry fly hatches in the evening.
    — sacbee, 11 Sep. 2017
  • On the Owyhee, browns will hammer dry flies and nymphs, so be on the lookout and match the hatch!
    — Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Catching trout with a dry fly is one of fly-fishing’s great satisfactions.
    — Chris Santella, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2022
  • As its name implies, floating fly line floats on top of the water and is commonly used for fishing dry flies.
    — The Editors, Field & Stream, 3 Apr. 2020
  • In most habitats, brookies are abundant and easily caught on small nymphs and dry flies, tiny spinners or live worms.
    — Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
  • The weather had inspired Daniel to change his technique, switching from a dry fly to a lure that resembled a worm.
    — Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2021
  • There are fish in the lake, and the shallow, secluded water invited settling dry flies on the placid waters.
    — Steve Meyer, Anchorage Daily News, 17 July 2019
  • The vest also features eight pockets and two dry fly patches for great organization.
    — Ryan Chelius, Field & Stream, 1 June 2023
  • The Hart Washer is a high-floating fly similar to the Wulff series of dry flies.
    — Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2018
  • Wet flies were the basic staple of fly fishing until the dry fly ethic developed early this century.
    — Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2022
  • The graphite fly rod is well suited to powerful casts delivering streamers, as well as precision placement of dry flies.
    — Rob McDonald, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023
  • Roger Hill, an old-school dry fly fisherman, is particularly angry.
    — Ben Ryder Howe, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2022
  • Rods with a slower, softer action are often preferred for delicate dry fly fishing, but use any rod that suits your casting style and gives you the most feeling of control.
    — Morgan Lyle, Field & Stream, 13 July 2023
  • The tool needed to take a size 16 dry fly out of the dainty mouth of a mountain trout differs from that utilized for billfish, with multiple gradations in between.
    — Pete Robbins, Field & Stream, 30 Jan. 2023
  • Westslope cutthroat — one of the trout native to the region, identifiable by the dash of red beneath their jaws — have a reputation for being very willing to rise to a dry fly.
    — Chris Santella, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2022
  • Among golden aspens with bull elk bugling down the canyon, my Orvis Encounter rod and reel combo worked Adams dry flies past slack water to fish lying in wait, flawlessly.
    — Rob McDonald, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The $45 class includes information about fly rods, knot tying, dry flies, trout identification, reading water in streams and lakes and casting techniques.
    — Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
  • Larger members of the minnow family, such as creek chub, can be caught on small dry flies or nymphs with a 3-weight fly rod and size 14 Humpy and Woolly Worm patterns.
    — Chad Mason, Outdoor Life, 3 June 2026
  • Anglers are catching big browns and good numbers of rainbows on a variety of setups, including dry flies (tricos and midges), streamers (woolly buggars and muddler minnows), spinners, spoons, crankbaits and jigs.
    — Jordan Rodriguez, idahostatesman, 16 Feb. 2018
  • This exclusive, private-use retreat in a former fishing lodge by Hampshire’s River Test is a paradise for dry fly-fishing enthusiasts.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2026
  • In addition to enjoying on-site amenities, guests can hike through the adjacent nature preserve or fish the Neversink River, known as the birthplace of American dry fly fishing.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2023
  • Since it was first published in 1938, Trout by Ray Bergman has become a bible for anglers, owing to its clear, authoritative descriptions of trout and how to catch them, whether with dry flies, old-school wet flies, streamers, bucktails, or nymphs.
    — Outdoor Life, 30 Apr. 2020
  • The backstory In 2019, Bob Rich—an American businessman and passionate dry fly-fisherman—chanced upon a large and near-derelict late 19th century fishing lodge just outside the village of Wherwell on the River Test.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dry fly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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