Overview

The Umpqua Headlight Sally is a high-floating dry fly pattern designed to imitate the delicate and often overlooked yellow sally stonefly. Built for precision fishing during light stonefly hatches, this pattern combines modern materials with proven presentation qualities to fool even the most selective trout. Its foam body construction ensures reliable buoyancy, while the slim profile and carefully proportioned silhouette closely mimic the size and posture of natural sallies. The addition of a visible headlight-style wing post makes it easy to track, even in riffles or glare-heavy water.

The Headlight Sally is particularly effective in late spring through summer when yellow sallies emerge in large numbers across Western freestone rivers. Its design allows it to sit just high enough above the film to stand out while still appearing vulnerable—an irresistible combination for surface-feeding trout. The long rubber legs provide extra surface disturbance and lifelike movement, making this fly an excellent attractor even outside of direct hatch windows. Whether used on its own or in a dry-dropper rig, the Headlight Sally is a go-to dry fly whenever these small stoneflies are active.Read More +