Yellow Sally Fly

About the Yellow Sally Trout Fly

The Yellow Sally is a bright, lively wet fly with a golden-yellow body, matching tail and soft yellow hackle that gives it plenty of movement in the water. Its bold colour and clean barred body make it an excellent attractor pattern for trout, especially when fish are responding to lighter, brighter flies in the upper layers.

Although the name suggests the Yellow Sally stonefly, this pattern also works very well as a general searching wet fly, suggesting small yellow insects, emerging naturals or simply offering a highly visible target in broken water and ripple. The full yellow hackle creates a pulsing action on the retrieve, while the slim body keeps the fly neat enough for confident presentation.

A useful choice for rivers, streams and stillwaters, the Yellow Sally is especially effective when trout are feeding close to the surface or when a bright fly is needed to stand out in coloured or lively water.

Fishing Tips:

Fish the Yellow Sally as part of a team of wet flies on rivers and streams, especially through broken glides, riffles and runs where trout are likely to intercept drifting insects. It can be fished across and down, allowing the current to work the hackle and create movement.

On stillwaters, try it on a floating or intermediate line with a slow figure-of-eight retrieve or short pulls. It is particularly useful in a ripple, where the bright yellow profile remains visible and the hackle works naturally in the wave.

The Yellow Sally can also be used as a top dropper fly when you want colour, movement and attraction near the surface.

• Best for: Brown trout, rainbow trout and grayling
• Imitates: Yellow Sally stonefly, small yellow upwing, emerger or general bright wet fly
• Best conditions: Ripple, broken water, summer evenings, coloured water and searching likely lies
• Fishing style: Traditional wet fly, top dropper, across-and-down or slow retrieve
• Key features: Bright yellow hackle, yellow tail, ribbed yellow body and strong visual profile

This trout fly is designed to be fished on Dams & Reservoirs, Rivers & Streams, Still Water