Fishing guides across the country are a wealth of knowledge. One thing all good fishing guides have in common is they can usually pick the right fly at the right time for the right thing to happen--which is to catch a fish. But sometimes choosing the right fly takes a little introspective Q and A. Here are five of the top questions most fishing guides ask themselves before choosing a fly.

Are the fishing eating on the surface? If there fish are rising then that means it is time to choose a dry fly or an emerger. For caddis hatches choose Elk Hair caddis or CDC caddis. For mayfly hatches choose a Parachute Adams or comparadun.

What type of water am I fishing? If you are fishing pocket water or a fast flowing riffle, you are going to choose a fly that will float high or use an indicator that will hold up the weighted nymphs and will not sink.

Do I need a heavily weighted fly? Depending on the speed and depth of the water, you may need a bead head or even add split shot to your leader. This helps to get the fly down to the fish quicker.

Do I need a dry-dropper rig? If you are prospecting with dry flies but also want to increase your odds of catching a fish, then fish two flies. The first fly is a dry that floats on the surface and the second fly is one that is tied to the floating fly, but sinks.

If I want to catch a big fish, should I fish a big fly? Of course! On most fly fishing rivers near you and places to fish close to home, the big fish typically go for large meals. Don't be bashful and choose a big fly over a small fly if you want to prospect for the bigguns.

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