Patterns

A very popular dry fly which uses both brown and grizzly dry fly hackle. The fly can be tied with different wing types, the upright wing style explained here is the original version of the fly. The parachute wing style is also very popular.

A variation  of the popular dry fly which uses both brown and grizzly dry fly hackle. This example uses a parachute style hackle with a high visibility post. The example is tied using a yellow yarn, orange is another popular choice.

A classic dry fly that consists of nothing more than the hook, thread, and 2 colors of hackles. The following pattern describes a black and white version, the black hackle can be switched out for any other contrasting color with brown being a very popular alternative.

J Stockard featured this fly on their Fly of the Month blog, I loved the look of it so I tied up a few in different colors. Check out the original post for the background and some fishing tips.

A versatile nymph pattern whose wire body imitates a segmented body. Different colored wire can be used to tie variations.

Variation of the Brassie, a bead head is added for additional weight so the fly sinks faster. A versatile nymph pattern whose wire body imitates a segmented body. Different colored wire can be used to tie variations.

A variation to the classic pattern, two contrasting colors of wire are wrapped at the same time to add to the ribbing effect. A small band of orange dubbing is used to create a small thorax behind the bead to finish out the fly. Experiment with other colors, you can even add another color of wire or add another existing colors to create a wider band for one of the colors.

Combining all the other brassie variations into one pattern, we wrap two contrasting color wires and then wrap one of the tag ends back along the body as a rib. A bead has been added for additional weight and a small ball of blue dubbing finishes out the fly.

A variation to the classic pattern, the tag end of the wire is wrapped back up along the body to provide more weight and add a distinct segmentation effect. A thorax is created out of peacock herl, but any dark dubbing could be used.

A variation to the classic pattern, two contrasting colors or wire are wrapped at the same time to add to the segmentation effect. A thorax is created out of gray dyed hare's mask in the step by step. Peacock herl or any other dark dubbing could be used. Three strands of wire can also be used for more color variation, or to make one of the bands larger than the other.

Made entirely of foam, this fly makes a great option to use as the hopper in a hopper dropper setup, but also works great when used alone. A thicker thread should be used to prevent cutting the foam while taking wraps. Don’t be afraid to try this pattern using different colors of foam and legging materials.

Considered by many to be the best fly pattern of all time, the Clouser Minnow is an excellent bait fish imitation. The eyes tied on top of the shank cause the hook to move through the water point up that produces a jigging motion while being stripped through the water.

A fast sinking nymph pattern that can be tied in a variety of colors. Copper wire over a tapered underbody along with a dual material wing case covered in epoxy is used to form its distinctive look.

A simple nymph pattern that can be tied with just three materials, the hook, thread, and pheasant tail feather fibers. The pattern is a variation of the Teeny Nymph, the primary difference being the fibers imitating the legs being on top of the shank instead of below it. There is also a bead head version available for when getting down deep fast is important.

A variation of the EZ Nymph, the bead head version adds weight to the fly so that it will get down deep fast. Its body and legs are still created with pheasant tail feather fibers but it also has a thin collar of dubbing directly behind the bead to finish out the fly.

Created by Marjan Fratnik this is a simple but deadly little fly works in a wide range of hatches. The CDC wing is one of the main traits of the fly.

The use of the hook shank as a prominent feature, along with the distinct segment bands help differentiate this foam fly from others. Three layers of foam keep the fly floating and five pairs of legs provide lots of action on the water.

This is a very simple scud pattern Charterized by the scudback on the fly and the dubbing legs. This is an excellent pattern for stillwater and slower moving water.

This mayfly nymph pattern uses marabou barbs for its body which give it a very buggy look with a lot of motion while the Flashabou shellback/wing case add a lot of flash to the fly.

A staple for any summer fly box, ant patterns can be tied in a variety of colors with black, brown, and dark red being the most popular. The flying ant pattern has hackle tip wings at the mid section to give it a different profile than the traditional ant. A body of fine dubbing and a collar of hackle around the mid section completes the fly.

A small beetle pattern made with a foam wing case and peacock herl body. Rubber legs are added to provide some action to the fly, and a high visibility indicator is added to help see the fly on the water.

Made with a combination of synthetic and natural materials, this terrestrial pattern works great on a summer day when the wind is blowing and crickets or other large insects are being blown into the water. Consisting of a foam body and a deer hair wing, this fly will have no trouble staying afloat all day long.

This patterns requires a little preparation to the materials but produces a great looking hopper pattern. This pattern is made with a foam body, thin skin wing, deer hair head, and pheasant tail fiber legs. Rubber legs could be substituted to add a more action on the water.

A very simple bead head pattern that uses pheasant tail fibers as the tail and body, and has a high-vis thorax made out of ice dub. Try these in a variety of colors such as hot pink, fluorescent orange, and fluorescent purple.

Here is a simple way to tie the egg pattern, by preparing the egg yarn beforehand into lengths of straws you can quickly and easily tie consistent egg flies.

Similar to a traditional hares ear nymph, but with an additional collar of peacock herl and soft hackle. The tutorial shows the pattern in natural colors, olive is also a very popular alternative. A Hungarian partridge feather is called for, but any soft hackle such as a feather from a hen cape would work fine as well.

The march brown is a classic dry fly using brown and grizzle hackle, mallard flank feathers and a light dubbing material.

Light colored emerger pattern with a CDC loop wing for buoyancy.

Nymph pattern tied using light colors to imitate the March Brown. A light tan dubbing is used on the body with a slightly darker one used for the thorax, pheasant tail fibers make up the tail and hungarian pheasant feather fibers are used for the legs.

Soft hackle wet fly dubbed with a light colored body and gold tag and rib.

Classic streamer tied in the Bergman fashion. It features wing slips made from hen pheasant feathers with gold ribbed body made from a mix of gray and brown dubbing. Turkey slip feathers are a popular alternative to the hen pheasant. hare's mask dubbing is specified, but any fur based dubbing would work.

Variation of the Pheasant Tail Nymph pattern which adds a bead head for weight. It uses pheasant tail fibers to form its tailing, body, wing case, and legs. Gold ribbing helps to simulate a segmented body while adding a little flash. Pearlescent peacock herl finishes out the fly.

A simple little fly that imitates any small dark fly. The polypropylene wing adds buoyancy along with the hackle.

A general purpose nymph that uses goose biots for the tail and wing, and peacock herl for the body. Gold ribbing helps to simulate a segmented body while adding flash. A hen hackle collar with the fibers stroked towards the bottom of the fly complete the pattern.

Variation of the prince nymph which might arguably be more popular. A bead head is added for additional weight to help the fly sink faster. Otherwise the pattern is the same, using goose biots for the tail and wing, and peacock herl for the body. Gold ribbing helps to simulate a segmented body while adding flash. A hen hackle collar completes the pattern.

A simple pattern using minimal materials. A predominant red tail, or tag, is the fly’s main trait giving it its name. Wool is the traditional choice for the tailing material, not having any on hand antron was used instead.

The royal coachman dry looks very similar to the wet version but uses cock hackle and matched quill slips tied in as an upright style of wing. A tippet tail and red tag in the middle of the peacock herl help give the fly its distinctive look.

The royal coachman line of flies are some of the most recognizable flies out there. A tippet tail and red tag in the middle of the peacock herl gives the fly its distinctive look. The wet fly has a down wing made from a matched set of white quills. This version of the fly has been tied based on the Bergman plates.

Made famous by Lee Wulff, this variation of the royal coachman uses dark hair from a moose body as a tail in place of the golden pheasant tail, and calf hair for the wing in place of quill slips. The distinctive royal body made from peacock and red floss body are retained.

Patterns do not get much simpler than this one. A piece of chenille is fixed to a hook in a minimal number of wraps using thread of the same color. The red worm is the one most often seen, but the pattern can be tied in any color.

An emerger pattern tied with stripped peacock quill as the body, a small thorax made out of peacock dubbing, and a Cul-De-Canard wing to keep the fly in the surface film of the water. This pattern is tied in the style of Davie McPhail's excellent video which can be found here.

A variant of the San Juan worm pattern that uses silicon worm material as the body material instead of chenille. Dubbing is used prevent the worm material from spinning on the hook shank and also to prevent the thread from cutting into the worm material. A typical red worm with a light red band is described below, but the pattern is effective in just about any natural color.

A simple emerger pattern with a slim, scruffy body meant to imitate a small hatching midge. A synthetic seals fur alternative is used for the body while a foam bubble near the eye keeps the fly in the surface film of the water. Experiment in a glass of water to determine the amount of foam needed to keep your fly floating with the hook and materials you choose.  This pattern has been altered slightly from the one presented in The Fly-Tying Bible.

A variation of the woolly bugger, a bead head adds weight in addition to the lead wire. The fly is constructed with a marabou tail, a chenille body, and a hackle palmered from the tail to the head of the fly. Tying the pattern with a rib of fine copper wire helps protect the palmer hackle. The woolly bugger can be tied in a variety of sizes and colors.

A variation of the woolly bugger, a cone head adds weight in addition to the lead wire. The fly is constructed with a marabou tail, a chenille body, and a hackle palmered from the tail to the head of the fly. Tying the pattern with a rib of fine copper wire helps protect the palmer hackle. The woolly bugger can be tied in a variety of sizes and colors.

Mid-water to bottom dragger. 

A peacock heavy searching nymph pattern that uses peacock sword barbs as the tail, and peacock herl as the body. The legs on this variant are tied in as a beard, which allows for a wider range of hen hackles to be used than the alternative wet fly collar approach.