Picket Pin
Imitates: Small baitfish, cased caddis, and attractor wet-fly forms
Quick Reference
- Best Sizes
- #4-10
- Best Season
- Spring through fall
- Best Conditions
- Rivers, lakes, bull trout water, trout streams with larger fish
- Water Temp
- 48-66°F
- Recommended Tippet
- 3X-4X
How to Rig It
Fish on a swing, strip it in lakes, or dead-drift it as a larger attractor wet.
How to Present It
Quarter downstream and swing, or use steady strips in stillwater. The wing gives it a pulsing profile.
Why It Works
The Picket Pin has enough size and flash to look alive without being gaudy, and big trout often treat it like a protein-rich morsel.
History
A classic Western and Pacific Northwest pattern, the Picket Pin has long been a favorite for large trout, char, and lake fish.
Pro Tip
When small trout flies are ignored in lakes, go bigger with a Picket Pin and fish it near shoals or drop-offs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Picket Pin a streamer?+
It fishes like a small streamer at times, but it is traditionally classified as a large wet fly.
Not sure if Picket Pin is right today?
Get a fly recommendation based on live water temp, flow, sky, and time of day for any river in the US.
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