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Technical reviewed side profile illustration of Montreal Wet Fly showing red hackle-fiber tail, dark ribbed body, swept throat hackle, paired mottled feather wingIllustrated reference

Wet Fly · guide 139

Montreal Wet Fly

A historic Canadian winged wet fly with a red tail, dark ribbed body, dark hackle, and mottled light-and-dark wing.

Common size
Traditional wet-fly sizes vary
Common colors
red tail, dark body, gold rib, mottled brown-white wing
Imitates
classic wet-fly attractor, suggestive emerging or drowned insect
How to recognize it

The reviewed traditional-style form uses red hackle fibers for the tail, a dark body with gold rib, dark throat hackle, and a paired mottled feather wing. White-tip, dark, and regional dressings remain labeled.

Technical reviewed side profile illustration of Montreal Wet Fly showing red hackle-fiber tail, dark ribbed body, swept throat hackle, paired mottled feather wing
Illustrated reference

Montreal Wet Fly reviewed side profile

A schematic profile emphasizing red hackle-fiber tail and dark ribbed body.

View
reviewed side profile
Color shown
red tail, dark body, gold rib, dark throat hackle, and mottled brown-white wing
Look for
red hackle-fiber tail; dark ribbed body; swept throat hackle; paired mottled feather wing
Open full-size image ↗

On the water

Know when and how to fish it.

Use these tips as a starting point. The river, depth, insects, and fish behavior still decide the final presentation.

01

When to use it

  • When the local food form, size, water type, and target depth support the exact pattern or family member.
  • Use the linked river report as seasonal context, then verify what is present before choosing size and weight.
02

How to fish it

  • Start with a natural drift at the depth fish are using; add a controlled lift, swing, or short movement only when the food form supports it.
  • Adjust depth and drift before treating a bead color or hot spot as the deciding factor.
03

Mistakes to avoid

  • Treating every similarly colored fly as Montreal Wet Fly.
  • Letting a generic size, bead, jig, or dropper label erase the pattern's actual body profile and life-stage cues.

Common variations

Small changes can make a different fly.

Three reviewed technical illustrations show the identified profile, construction, and fishing orientation. Hook brand, bead mass, color, size, and regional tying choices remain labeled variables.

Reviewed identified form

The reviewed traditional-style form uses red hackle fibers for the tail, a dark body with gold rib, dark throat hackle, and a paired mottled feather wing. White-tip, dark, and regional dressings remain labeled.
Colors shown
red tail, dark body, gold rib, mottled brown-white wing
Weighting
Bead material, underbody weight, hook orientation, and rig weight determine sink rate; a family name does not.

Related patterns

Black Ghost Streamer ↗Gray Ghost ↗Soft-Hackle Wet Flies ↗

How this guide was checked

Fly information and photo sources.

Guide checked on 2026-07-12. Every image has its own source and usage record. Natural insects and hand-tied flies can vary in shape and proportion.

Pattern sources

American Museum of Fly FishingThe Montreal Fly↗The Metropolitan Museum of ArtMontreal (White Tip), Wet Fly for Trout↗

Image credits