The sun rises a little later in the mornings, and it seems to set a lot earlier in the afternoons. There's a lot less daylight to be had, and fish begin to behave differently. They come out of their summer doldrums to feed as water temperatures drop in rivers and lakes, and they ready themselves for another long winter of relative inactivity.

Because things are changing, so, too, are the flies the fish are responding to. In central Maine, we're surrounded by fantastic fly shops and a wealth of knowledge regarding which flies to fish and when. Whether you're after trout or salmon, smallmouth or largemouth bass, the "experts" know what fish are feeding on what.

Put these five flies in your fly box this autumn, and you'll be ready for most any situation. Call them the top-5 fall flies, in no particular order.

MUDDLER MINNOW

The muddler minnow is a streamer fly that works well for just about any kind of fish. The action is lifelike, with a stripping motion on the fly line recreating the swimming habits of baitfish.

"It just fishes really well," said Mike Holt, owner of Fly Fishing Only in Fairfield.

The muddler comes in sizes varying from 4 through 12, and it uses mottled turkey quills for a brownish-gray base color with some gold highlights.

Jeff Norton, who runs Elma's Tackle Shop in Augusta, said that the muddler minnow can work extremely well for largemouth bass, too. He recommends as large a size as you can find -- even as big as a No. 2 hook -- can be advantageous, because bass are less finicky than salmonids, particularly in cool fall waters.

"Basically, it's anything that's big with lots of hair," Norton said. "It's funny -- bass have those little tiny arms, so it's hard for them to reach out and check things out with their fingers. It's weird. So, anything that interests them, they have to put in their mouth. Go figure."

WOOD SPECIAL

Salmonids, in particular, become extremely active during the month of October. In order to take advantage of their newfound feeding frenzy, streamer flies with brighter colors are the preferred fly of choice.

For the Wood Special, think about a streamlined Gray Ghost, a popular spring streamer fly, with a bold red body.

"It's far and away one of our top two flies for the fall," Holt said. "October is when they really kick in. The fish are getting feisty and a lot more aggressive. And you really want to use these bright, attractor flies to target their aggression."

The wings match the common colors of the fly-tying world with some drab browns and grays, but it's the body on this fly that does the work -- red or orange wrapped in a gold or silver tinsel.

The Wood Special is commonly referred to as the "Wood's" Special, though it is an inaccurate moniker.

MONTREAL WHORE

Like the Wood Special, this is another bright attractor streamer fly that garners plenty of attention for its, um, color.

When Holt is asked to offer up his top fall flies, he immediately giggles mischievously and you're not quite sure what's so funny about flies in the fall.

"Do you mind ones that have a 'colorful' name ending up in the paper?"

Holt continues and offers up the Montreal Whore.

"When the local pastor comes in, he always asks for the Montreal 'Concubine,' " Holt says, smiling. "But, like the name says, it's flashy and full of action."

A little like the Wood Special, the Montreal Whore relies on an orange body to get attention from salmonids. But, unlike the Wood, the Montreal features white marabou -- free-flowing feathers that stand tall and ostentatiously on streamer hooks ranging in size two to 10.

PEACOCK BUGMEISTER

It's called a "Bugmeister," and with good reason.

Looking at the fly in your hand, it appears to be a combination of everything known to the fly-tying man.

It's got elk hair stacked on top of itself time and again, and there are peacock feathers and hare fur pulled and plucked in virtually every direction.

Then there's gold wire holding it together and flashes of green, gold and silver everywhere.

One can't even be sure the thing has a shape to call its own.

But as fish have proven time and again, it's doesn't have to look good to us. It just has to look edible.

"It's really good for smallmouths," Holt said.

Typically, the Peacock Bugmeister runs from sizes eight through 14, on a long hook. It's much a like the popular White Wulff, but with more attractor patterns -- again -- to capitalize the dining choice of salmonids and bass.

BLUE-WINGED OLIVE

While anglers will mostly stick with streamer flies throughout October and into the early part of November, there is still room for this popular dry fly in the cooler air and cooler waters of autumn fishing.

"There aren't a lot of hatches in the fall," Holt said. "The fish are becoming aggressive, so streamers work well, and they're reliable.

"There are the Blue-Winged Olives, though. They're small, maybe sizes 20-22, but they are almost daily for the month of October -- at least in the Shawmut stretch of the river."

It's a dry fly that uses gray hackle for the wings along an olive-colored body, with darker shades of gray to complete its attributes.

It's also a very traditional dry fly -- toss it out on the surface and wait for the rising trout to come and feed.

Like other dry flies, it is much smaller than the streamers, usually clocking in from sizes 14-22. And, unlike the other flies that made the fall's top-5 list, it doesn't utilize flashy attractor patterns but instead relies on catering to the basic needs of trout -- survival.

In his column this week, outdoors writer Ken Allen talks about the popularity of the Blue-Winged Olive.

"Trout can be ultra-selective in BWO hatches, so success depended on having a fly with the right color scheme, size and silhouette to fool finicky feeders," Allen writes.

Travis Barrett -- 621-5648

tbarrett@centralmaine.com