Pattern Database

The parachute style BWO is one of the most important dry flies in a trout angler's box. The flush-floating wing and horizontal hackle present a perfect silhouette for selective fish on flat water.

A midge larva pattern so simple and effective it transcends its humble origins. Copper wire builds a segmented, durable body that sinks fast. Add a peacock head and you have one of the great tailwater nymphs.

A minimalist CDC dry that relies on the feather's natural oils to float flush in the surface film. No hackle means a perfect flush silhouette on still water — exactly what selective tailwater fish demand during BWO hatches.

A flush-floating CDC caddis dry that lets CDC's natural water resistance do the heavy lifting. Effective on slow water where standard caddis patterns sit too high and create refusals. Tan and gray match Spotted Sedge and similar summer species; olive and green cover Grannom and Green Rock Worm hatches in spring.

A simple, deadly BWO emerger relying on CDC's natural water-shedding oils to float the fly in the film. The trailing Z-Lon shuck suggests a dun that never quite made it out, which is exactly what selective trout want to eat.

The F-Fly was developed in Europe as a highly impressionistic mayfly and midge imitation, designed specifically for pressured trout and technical water. Rather than imitating exact details, the pattern relies on profile, posture, and movement—key triggers that trout respond to when insects are trapped in the surface film. Using only CDC for the wing, the F-Fly excels at riding low, mimicking spent or emerging insects that trout feed on confidently. Its simplicity allows it to match a wide range of small mayflies and midges, making it a favorite on spring creeks, tailwaters, and slow glides. The F-Fly's minimalist design and effectiveness have earned it a permanent place among modern dry-fly staples. This ultra-simple recipe creates a low-riding silhouette with exceptional natural movement—perfect for selective trout feeding in calm, clear water.

George Griffith's cluster midge pattern has been fooling trout for decades. The palmered grizzly hackle through peacock herl perfectly imitates a clump of midges on the surface.

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.

Mike Lawson's Loop Wing Emerger features a CDC loop wing that traps air and floats in the film with a naturalistic silhouette. The looped wing suggests a dun wing just emerging from the shuck — irresistible to selective fish.

The PMD is one of the most important Western hatches and increasingly common in the East. Its pale yellow-olive body and upright dun wings demand a precise imitation for selective trout on spring creeks and tailwaters.

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

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.

The PMD Biot Nymph is designed to imitate the nymphal stage of Pale Morning Dun (PMD) mayflies, a prolific and important hatch on many Western and Eastern tailwaters. PMD nymphs are slim, active swimmers, and trout often key in on them heavily in the days leading up to—and during—the hatch. Using a goose biot abdomen gives this pattern its defining feature: crisp segmentation and a natural taper that closely matches the real insect. Combined with soft natural materials in the thorax and tail, the PMD Biot Nymph excels at imitating drifting and emerging nymphs in clear, technical water. This style of biot-bodied nymph has become a favorite among anglers who value realism over flash, especially when fishing pressured trout or subtle presentations. This refined material combination creates a slender, segmented profile with lifelike texture—ideal for PMD hatches and selective trout.

Bob Quigley's classic cripple pattern suggests a dun stuck half-in and half-out of its shuck — exactly the vulnerable stage that selective trout target. The Z-Lon trailing shuck and deer hair wing are signature features.

Rim Chung's impossibly simple tailwater nymph — gray dubbing and snowshoe rabbit wing, nothing more. The RS2 consistently outperforms more complex patterns on heavily pressured tailwaters where fish see everything.

The Rusty Spinner imitates the spent female of many important mayfly species — Hendricksons, Sulphurs, and Blue-Winged Olives all produce rusty-bodied spinners. Dead fish on the surface, and trout are absolutely locked on them.

Named after the San Juan River in New Mexico, this simple worm pattern represents aquatic worms that get dislodged in high water and during runoff. Controversial in some circles, devastatingly effective in all circles. Red is the most popular color, but pink and wine produce on pressured fish.

A no-hackle CDC caddis designed for flat tailwater pools where drag and silhouette matter more than floatation. The sparse CDC wing sits naturally in the film while the dubbing body and Z-Lon shuck sell the imitation.

A flush-floating BWO emerger using snowshoe rabbit foot hair for the wing. Snowshoe hair is more water-resistant than most materials — it floats in the film naturally without floatant and creates a perfect silhouette. Exceptional during heavy BWO hatches.

Craig Mathews and John Juracek's Sparkle Dun pairs the Comparadun's fanned deer hair wing with a Z-Lon trailing shuck suggesting an emerging nymph. This combination triggers strikes during the most selective BWO hatches.

Controversial in some circles and devastating in all of them, the Squirmy Wormy uses a silicone worm material that moves seductively in current. Particularly effective in high, off-color water after rain when actual aquatic worms wash into the stream.

The Trico spinner fall is one of the most demanding hatches in trout fishing. Thousands of tiny spent spinners on the surface demand a small, accurate imitation. This pattern nails the black body and white spent wings.

René Harrop's WD-40 is a masterclass in minimal fly design — wood duck legs, dubbing body, and snowshoe rabbit wing suggest a midge pupa or BWO emerger just below the film. One of the most effective tailwater nymphs ever created.

Craig Mathews' X-Caddis features a Z-Lon trailing shuck suggesting a caddis in mid-emergence. Trout key on cripples, and this pattern is often more effective than a fully-dressed adult caddis. Tied in tan, olive, or gray to match different caddis species.

Ted Welling's Zebra Midge is the go-to tailwater midge larva pattern. Two materials — thread and wire — tied on a beaded hook. Deceptively simple and devastatingly effective.