Dave LaCourse wrote:

I believe that wet flies were more in favor than dries back in the
19th century, so a floatant wouldn't be necessary. You seldom see
someone using a wet fly nowadays, but when I was a kid, they were very
popular, and no, I'm not *that* old. I still use them and fish them
like a nymph.

Classic "wet flies" are supposed to represent drowned mayflies. In fact,
trout probably take them as not-very-good nymph imitations. Modern day
"nymphs" are a vast improvement, imitating things that fish actually eat.

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