Pattern Database

The Irresistible body style pairs with Adams coloring for an unsinkable attractor dry. Spun and clipped deer hair creates a body that floats like a cork through heavy pocket water.

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.

A classic soft-hackle wet fly imitating an emerging or drowned Baetis (BWO). A slim olive body suggests the abdomen, while a sparse, mobile collar of partridge or starling pulses in the current to imitate emerging legs and wings. Deadly on the swing or just under the surface during a BWO hatch.

John Barr's BWO Emerger is a must-have for selective fish during blue-winged olive hatches. The pheasant tail abdomen and CDC wing profile match the transitional stage between nymph and dun perfectly.

The tungsten bead version of Sawyer's classic nymph gets deep quickly and adds just enough flash to trigger strikes. The most productive nymph variation for most North American trout streams.

A small biot-bodied midge pupa for selective trout feeding on emerging chironomids. The slim goose-biot abdomen gives a crisp segmented profile, while a dark thorax, bright floss collar, and short CDC wing suggest the gathering wingpads and trapped gas of an emerging pupa. Fished in or just under the surface film.

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.

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.

Imitates the Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis) dun with a hackleless deer-hair fan wing that floats flush in the film. Without hackle the body sits on the water for a realistic silhouette prized on flat, slow currents. Split tails and a slim olive body complete the dun profile.

Imitates the spent, egg-laying stage of the Blue-Winged Olive lying flush with outstretched wings. Trout feed confidently on spent spinners during and after a fall; the flat profile and sparse clear wings match the motionless naturals.

A generic caddis pupa pattern for the most common species trout encounter. Green imitates the free-living Rhyacophila (green rock worm); tan and olive match spotted sedge and grannom; orange covers October caddis. The partridge collar suggests emerging legs and antennae in any color.

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.

Imitates a mayfly that failed to escape its nymphal shuck, stuck helpless in the film — an easy meal during a hatch. This olive/BWO version rides low with a trailing shuck, dubbed abdomen, and buoyant CDC wing. Fish it dead-drift during a Blue-Winged Olive emergence.

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 Chernobyl Ant is an indestructible foam attractor that works as a hopper, stonefly, or large ant imitation. Its flat profile, rubber legs, and high-visibility indicator strip make it the ultimate dry-dropper indicator fly.

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.

Al Caucci and Bob Nastasi's Comparadun concept changed dry-fly design. The fanned deer hair wing sits flush in the film like a natural, and the split tail provides perfect balance without hackle.

John Barr's Copper John sinks like a stone and triggers strikes with its metallic wire body and reflective wing case. One of the most effective fast-water nymphs of the last 30 years.

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.

A close cousin to the Elk Hair Caddis but tied with deer hair for a darker, lower-riding silhouette. Excellent for evening caddis activity when fish are sipping low and refusing higher-floating patterns.

Ralph Cutter's Emergent/Cripple Caddis, imitating a caddis struggling in the film during emergence. A trailing Z-Lon shuck represents the discarded pupal husk, a dubbed body sits in the film, and a deer-hair wing trimmed to a stub keeps it riding low yet visible.

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 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.

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.

Ants blown onto the water surface trigger some of the most selective feeding trout exhibit all summer. Two foam bubbles — abdomen and thorax — perfectly suggest the pinched waist of an ant. Black is most common; cinnamon matches carpenter ants; red imitates flying ant swarms that trout gorge on in late summer.

Beetles are the most abundant terrestrial insect group, and trout eat them all summer. This simple foam pattern with a peacock herl underbody is one of the most underrated searching patterns for warm-weather dry-fly fishing.

Lance Egan's competition-born Frenchie is a Pheasant Tail nymph with a hot spot thorax. The pink (or hot orange) dubbing creates a trigger point that consistently outperforms the unmodified original.

A classic Catskill-style dry imitating medium mayfly duns. Its hallmark is a stripped peacock-quill body for a segmented, banded abdomen, paired with ginger hackle and upright wood-duck wings. A traditional Eastern searching pattern.

The Goddard Caddis uses spun and clipped deer hair to create a tent-shaped body that is virtually unsinkable. Exceptional in fast, broken water where high flotation matters more than delicacy.

One of the most enduring, versatile nymphs in fly fishing, imitating a wide range of mayfly nymphs and emergers. Its buggy, spiky hare's-ear body traps air and suggests life, while the gold rib adds segmentation, flash, and durability. Fish weighted or unweighted, dead-drifted or swung.

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.

Imitates the large Eastern green drake mayfly (Ephemera guttulata) dun, one of the most anticipated hatches of late spring. Tied as a parachute dun on a big hook, it presents a large, well-floating profile that brings up big, selective trout during the brief emergence.

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 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.

The Humpy is one of the most recognizable Western attractor dry flies. The deer hair hump traps air for unsinkable flotation, making it perfect for rough freestone pocket water. Yellow suggests stoneflies and caddis; red is a general attractor; the Royal Humpy adds the peacock-floss-peacock body of the Royal Coachman.

Pat Barnes' Sofa Pillow improved with a palmered body hackle for extra flotation. One of the premier golden stonefly adult imitations in Western fly fishing — large, buoyant, and visible in heavy current.

Inch worms drop from overhanging trees onto streams in spring and early summer, and trout key on them heavily. A bright chartreuse-green body on a hook is all it takes — simplicity at its best.

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.

Hans van Klinken's parachute emerger changed how anglers think about surface presentation. The curved hook suspends the abdomen below the film while the poly post and parachute hackle keep it floating. Deadly during caddis and mayfly emergences.

A small, flashy imitation of the Baetis (BWO) nymph, a year-round staple. A slim olive body accented with a Krystal Flash wingcase/rib adds the subtle sparkle that triggers takes in clear or pressured water. Fish as a dropper or in a nymph rig.

René Harrop's renowned cripple for selective trout on technical spring creeks and tailwaters. Imitates a mayfly hopelessly stuck in its shuck during a Blue-Winged Olive emergence. Combines a sparse trailing shuck, slim dubbed abdomen, upright CDC wing, and a few turns of hackle to ride flush in the film.

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.

A classic Catskill dry imitating the female Ephemerella subvaria mayfly of early spring. Pinkish-cream body, upright divided wood-duck wings, and mixed ginger/dun hackle in traditional dry-fly proportions. A benchmark Eastern hatch-matcher for the Hendrickson emergence.

An extremely small micro dry fly (down to size 32) imitating the tiniest pale midges and mayflies that selective trout key on. At this scale the dressing is reduced to essentials: a wisp of pale dubbing and a few turns of light hackle. Advanced, specialized pattern for technical tailwater/spring-creek fishing.

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.

Imitates an emerging Pale Morning Dun, a key Western summer hatch. A folded loop of CDC over the thorax mimics the crumpled, still-unfurling wing of an insect breaking the film. The pale yellow body and low profile make it deadly in slower runs and flats.

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.

The March Brown is a large, sporadic hatch but when it's on, trout eat aggressively. The parachute style is easier to see on riffled freestone water than the traditional Catskill tie.

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.

The Micro Chubby is a modern refinement of Chubby-style attractor dry flies, which trace their lineage back to the iconic Chubby Chernobyl. While the original Chubby was intentionally oversized to imitate stoneflies and hoppers, anglers quickly learned that trout often respond better to a smaller, cleaner silhouette—especially on pressured water. By downsizing the profile while keeping the core elements—foam buoyancy, rubber legs, and a visible body—the Micro Chubby excels as a searching dry fly, a terrestrial imitation, and a highly effective hopper-dropper indicator fly. Its ability to float heavy droppers while remaining subtle enough for selective trout has made it a staple in modern fly boxes.

Charlie Craven's low-riding midge/BWO emerger that sits flush with just a CDC tuft showing. A biot-style segmented abdomen imitates the slender emerging body, while the upright CDC serves as flotation and indicator. Excels on flat, slow water where trout sip emergers.

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.

A large adult caddis dry imitating the big orange-bodied Dicosmoecus caddis that emerge on rivers in autumn. The bright orange body and elk-hair wing make it a high-floating, visible attractor that draws aggressive strikes during the fall transition.

Imitates an olive mayfly nymph transforming at the surface film, a vulnerable stage trout target during Baetis and other olive hatches. A slim olive body suggests the abdomen; a wisp of CDC at the head traps air and represents emerging wings and legs. Fish in or just under the film.

Caddisflies are among the most important insects in trout streams, often emerging in large numbers and skittering across the surface. Effective caddis patterns focus less on exact imitation and more on profile, buoyancy, and movement—qualities that trigger confident strikes. Snowshoe hare foot hair has long been valued in fly tying for its exceptional flotation and natural translucence, while CDC provides subtle motion and a low-riding footprint on the water. This Olive Snowshoe Caddis combines both materials to create a wing that floats high yet breathes naturally, making it especially effective in riffles, seams, and broken water. The olive coloration allows this pattern to cover a wide range of caddis species, functioning as both a hatch match and a versatile searching dry throughout spring and summer. This natural-material recipe produces a highly buoyant, animated dry fly with a clean caddis silhouette—perfect for fishing active caddis hatches or prospecting broken water.

The Pale Evening Dun imitates the evening-active pale mayflies — sulphurs and PMDs — that hatch in the last hour of light. A cream or pale yellow body and dun wings are essential for the selective fish these hatches produce.

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.

The parachute version of the Hendrickson offers a flush-floating wing silhouette that's deadly during the first major dry fly hatch of the Eastern season. The pinkish-gray body exactly matches the natural.

The Mahogany Dun hatch is a fall sleeper — fish that have seen every fly all summer are suddenly willing to rise again. This parachute version is visible in the low autumn light and sits perfectly in the film.

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.

A high-floating, heavily weighted stonefly nymph imitation that excels in rocky, fast freestone streams. The rubber legs provide irresistible action even at drift speed. Standard guide rig anchor fly throughout the West.

The Perdigon (Spanish for "pellet") is a euro-nymph built for speed and depth. Its smooth thread body coated in UV resin cuts through current like a stone, reaching fish before they can drift away. Available in olive, black, red, and purple — each targeting different feeding moods.

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.

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.

A simple surface-film emerger built around a buoyant CDC "puff" that suspends the fly in the meniscus. A trailing shuck represents the shed husk and a slim dubbed body completes the impression of a mayfly emerging.

Andy Carlson's purple-bodied variation of the Parachute Adams, an enormously popular Western attractor. The purple body adds contrast and visibility while the grizzly parachute hackle and calf-hair post keep it floating flat and easy to see. A general mayfly imitation and searching pattern.

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.

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 Rat-Faced McDougal pairs a spun-and-clipped deer hair body with white calf tail wings and ginger hackle. The deer hair body is nearly unsinkable — excellent in fast water where buoyancy beats precision.

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.

The Royal Humpy combines the buoyant hump body of the Humpy with the Royal Coachman color scheme — peacock herl, red floss, and white wings. The result is a heavy-water attractor that's visible from any angle.

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.

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.

John Barr's Slumpbuster combines a rabbit strip tail with a pine squirrel or rabbit strip body for maximum pulsation and bulk. The cone head gets it deep quickly. A fish-catcher when nothing else works. Olive and brown match sculpin and crayfish; black excels in off-color or low-light conditions.

Uses water-repellent snowshoe-hare foot hair for a buggy, high-floating wing that keeps the fly in the film during a hatch. A trailing shuck represents the shed husk; the dubbed body and flared wing imitate a struggling mayfly. Simple, durable, and floats well in broken water.

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.

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.

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.

The Sparkle Dun tied to match the sulphur hatch. The trailing shuck and upright deer hair wing perfectly suggest a sulphur in the final stages of emergence — exactly what selective evening-rise fish demand.

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.

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.

Randall Kaufmann's Stimulator is the king of attractor dry flies for Western-style fast water. Its elk hair wing, palmered hackle, and bold body trigger strikes on everything from trout to steelhead. Yellow imitates Yellow Sallies and small stoneflies; orange targets Golden Stones and Salmonflies; chartreuse and tan serve as general attractors.

The parachute version of the sulphur dun sits flush in the film and is far more visible to the angler than the Catskill tie. Essential during the evening sulphur hatches of May and June.

Imitates a spent, egg-laying sulphur mayfly (Ephemerella) lying flush in the film after mating. Pale yellow/cream body, split microfibett tail, and spent poly wings to each side. A key late-day pattern during evening sulphur spinner falls.

A UK stillwater imitation of the chironomid (midge) pupa — the single most important food source on lakes. A "suspended" buzzer hangs in the film/upper column as the pupa ascends to emerge. Defined by a very slim, glossy, tightly ribbed body and contrasting breathers/cheeks at the head representing the gills and wing-buds.

The Dirty Blonde is a versatile dry fly designed with subtle blonde tones, making it effective for imitating a variety of mayflies and caddisflies. Whether you're fishing a Pale Morning Dun hatch, a Light Cahill emergence, or general tan caddis activity, this pattern's pale yellow body and light ginger hackle give it broad appeal across seasons and water types.

Vince Marinaro's thorax style features a centrally-tied hackle clipped on the bottom that allows the fly to sit flat and natural in the film. For glass-smooth water during BWO hatches, few patterns are more effective.

The thorax style applied to the sulphur hatch. Clipping the bottom hackle fibers lets this fly sit naturally flat in the film during evening sulphur hatches when trout are inspecting every fly that drifts over them.

Imitates the tiny Tricorythodes mayfly, whose dense late-summer morning spinner falls produce hours of selective surface feeding on tailwaters and spring creeks. Tied small with a black body and white spent or upright wing to represent the dun or female spinner.

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.

Walt Young's impossibly simple nymph — just a curved hook and rough hare's ear dubbing. The shaggy, segmented appearance imitates sowbugs, caddis larvae, or whatever the fish imagine it to be.

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.

The Woolly Bugger is one of the most versatile streamers in freshwater fishing. It suggests a leech, sculpin, hellgrammite, baitfish, or simply something alive and edible. Olive and brown match sculpin and leech; black provides maximum silhouette in off-color or low-light water; white imitates baitfish such as shiners and dace.

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.

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.

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

The parachute version of the Yellow Sally dry sits flush and is far easier to track than the standard low-hackle version. The white poly post provides visibility without changing the silhouette that trout key on during Little Yellow Sally hatches.

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.