Pattern Database

Fran Betters' Adirondack attractor is one of the great regional dry flies. The rusty/orange body and stark white wings are visible in any water, and the wide-hackle float makes it bulletproof in the pocket water of the Ausable River.

One of the oldest recorded dry fly patterns, the Blue Dun is a classic Catskill-style imitation for the small blue mayflies — Blue-Winged Olives, Mahogany Duns, and similar species. The dun hackle tips and gray body are timeless.

Bob Clouser's dumbbell-eyed minnow pattern may be the most versatile streamer ever invented. The inverted hook rides point-up, reducing snags. Chartreuse/white is the go-to for most freshwater conditions; olive/white on overcast days; pink/white for stained water.

John Crowe's spun deer hair beetle is the original foam-free beetle pattern. The oval, clipped deer hair body perfectly captures the profile of a beetle on the surface. Durable and effective all summer whenever beetles are active.

The original Hendrickson (Roy Steenrod's tie) imitates the darker female Ephemerella subvaria with its distinctive pinkish-gray body of urine-stained vixen fox fur. The classic Catskill pattern for the first major mayfly hatch of Eastern spring.

Dave Whitlock's foam and deer hair hopper has been a staple on meadow streams since the 1970s. It sits low in the film with realistic proportions and rubber legs that twitch in the current. Summer's most important pattern near grassy banks.

Al Troth's classic elk hair caddis is one of the most effective adult caddis patterns ever tied. The palmered hackle and buoyant elk hair wing keep it riding high in fast water.

The classic Hare's Ear nymph with a pearl flashback wing case that catches light and triggers strikes. The subtle flash suggests the gas bubble of an emerging nymph — a small change that consistently out-fishes the standard version.

A classic Catskill Variant with an oversized, sparse hackle and stripped quill body. No wing — the high-riding hackle creates the silhouette. Effective during March Brown and Gray Fox hatches when fish are looking up but not locked on a specific pattern.

The gold-ribbed hare's ear is the all-purpose nymph of Eastern trout fishing. Its rough, buggy dubbing imitates caddis pupae, mayfly nymphs, and small crustaceans with equal conviction.

Hiram Brobst's classic Pennsylvania caddis dry has a distinctive doubled wing — sparse wood duck flank under, deer hair over — and a palmered body. It imitates the Grannom and Spotted Sedge perfectly during spring caddis hatches.

A classic Catskill Variant with oversized hackle, stripped quill body, and paired hackle-tip wings. The stiff, long tail and generous hackle allow the fly to skate and dance on the surface — killing during selective surface activity.

Wayne Buszek's California pattern has become a universal caddis attractor. The orange dubbed body and elk hair wing — palmered through with ginger hackle — float high and stay visible in fast runs. An excellent attractor alternative to the Elk Hair Caddis.

One of the oldest and most effective wet flies in the American tradition. The peacock herl body, coachman brown hackle, and paired mallard wing suggest caddis and mayfly emergers being swept along in the current.

Ed Shenk's Letort Hopper was designed for the demanding limestone spring creeks of Pennsylvania where flat water and selective fish demand a low-profile, realistic imitation. It sits lower in the film than foam-bodied hoppers and fools educated fish.

The Light Cahill is a classic Catskill dry fly imitating the cream and yellow mayflies that blanket streams in late spring and early summer. Its wood duck wing and ginger hackle are unmistakable.

The Light Cahill Spinner represents the final stage in the life cycle of Light Cahill mayflies in genus Maccaffertium (formerly Stenonema), when spent insects return to the water to lay eggs. These spinner falls often occur in the evening and can produce some of the most selective trout feeding of the season. Traditional quill-bodied spinner patterns emphasize slender translucence, outstretched wings, and a low-riding profile — all critical elements when trout are sipping spent mayflies from smooth water. The Light Cahill Quill Spinner excels during late spring and early summer hatches on both freestone rivers and tailwaters. Its understated appearance and classic construction make it a staple pattern whenever trout are feeding confidently in low-light conditions. The traditional material selection creates a slender, translucent body with a soft, spent-wing profile — ideal for spinner falls and selective trout.

The classic Catskill March Brown — divided wood duck wings, mixed hackle, and hare's ear body. Theodore Gordon himself fished a version of this during the first great hatch of Eastern spring. A foundational American fly pattern.

A classic attractor streamer with a bright red-yellow-yellow bucktail wing that has been enticing trout, bass, and landlocked salmon for over 80 years. Simple to tie and surprisingly effective.

Harry Murray's classic. An essential attractor dry fly for fast freestone water.

Don Gapen's Muddler Minnow is the prototype of the sculpin-imitating streamer. The spun deer hair head creates a large profile and a subtle wobble, making it one of the most versatile streamers ever tied.

The parachute variation of the Adams offers better visibility and a flush-floating wing silhouette. A go-to when fish are being selective.

Sylvester Nemes's soft hackle classic. The sparse partridge collar pulsates in the current suggesting legs or gills — trout can't resist it swung or dead-drifted through runs during caddis and mayfly hatches.

Frank Sawyer's deceptively simple nymph is one of the most effective subsurface patterns ever created. The natural pheasant tail fibers perfectly suggest a range of Eastern mayfly nymphs.

Doug Prince's classic nymph is one of the best searching patterns in freshwater fishing. The white biot wings, peacock body, and brown hackle suggest a stonefly nymph but work when nothing specific is hatching.

Theodore Gordon's legendary pattern for Epeorus pleuralis — the first quality dry-fly hatch of the year. The stripped peacock quill body perfectly captures the segmented look of the natural.

The Red Quill imitates the male Hendrickson natural — darker and smaller than the female, with a distinctive reddish-brown segmented body made from a stripped hackle quill. A Catskill classic as important as the Hendrickson itself.

Taylor Williams' Renegade is unlike any other fly — a brown hackle collar at the rear, peacock herl body, and white hackle collar at the front. It imitates nothing specific and attracts everything. One of the great Western searching patterns.

Lee Wulff's iconic attractor dry fly. The peacock-red-peacock body makes it visible in rough water, and white calf tail wings make it easy to see from a distance. One of the most recognizable flies ever created.

A cross between the Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear nymph and the soft hackle wet fly, this pattern excels swung on the downstream pass. The partridge collar pulses in the current, imitating a struggling emerger.

Gary LaFontaine's Sparkle Pupa was a landmark pattern and the centerpiece of his book on caddis. The Z-Lon trailing shuck and overbody suggest a caddis in the process of emerging — exactly the vulnerable stage trout key on.

One of the oldest American wet fly patterns, the Woolly Worm predates the Woolly Bugger by decades. The palmered hackle over a chenille body suggests a caterpillar, stonefly nymph, or leech depending on how it's fished.

A sparse, delicate dry fly imitating the little yellow stonefly (Isoperla spp.). One of the most reliable summer dry-fly hatches on freestone streams.