A HUGE Perk to Balanced Fly Patterns

A beautiful feature of "balanced" fly patterns

Invented by Jerry McBride, balanced fly patterns are designed to present themselves horizontally in the water column, adding a new level of versatility and workability when imitating food sources that swim in this manner. If balanced flies are a new thing for you, look no further than my friend Phil Rowley's Balanced Leech. 

Though balanced flies would be another post, or series of posts, this article is designed to share just one of the many bonuses to fishing balanced fly patterns. Among their many benefits, one of my favourites is...

The hook rides with the point facing up!

Why is this a good thing? Balanced flies are often (though not always) fished beneath a strike indicator. This means that the moment a fish picks up your fly, the hook point is going to be aimed directly at the top of their mouth. For fish that have "soft mouths", the chances of hooking even the softest biters greatly increases. More on balanced flies, including fly patterns and recipes, as time goes on!

- Jordan Oelrich