Drowned Bee

The Drowned Bee imitates a waterlogged bee that’s been blown onto the surface and pulled under, a common late-summer food source trout key on after storms or windy afternoons. Its segmented yellow-and-black chenille body and soft hen hackle create a realistic pulsing movement as it sinks, making it deadly in riffles, seams, and slow glides where naturals collect.

Curated by the IdentaFly fly fishing team.

Briefly pause the fly mid-drift by raising your rod tip—this momentary hover mimics a bee struggling just below the surface, and trout often strike immediately when the fly “stalls.”