Flies & fly types
Fly types and the patterns every box should carry: dries, nymphs, streamers and the saltwater flies that go with them. What each one imitates and when to tie it on.
36 terms in 3 groups
Dry fly patterns (14)
- Adamsalso Parachute AdamsA classic mayfly imitation dry fly with a gray body and mixed brown-and-grizzly hackle. It’s a general-purpose “searching” pattern when you don’t know the exact hatch.
- Ant patternalso ant fly, flying ant pattern, black ant flyA dry fly tied to imitate a real ant that has ended up in the water. Most are small, dark, and low-floating, with a narrow “waist” between body segments.
- Beetle patternalso beetle fly, foam beetle, terrestrial beetleA beetle pattern is a dry fly that imitates a terrestrial beetle on the surface. Most versions use foam or hair to float and a simple dark profile to suggest a real bug.
- Catskill dry flyalso Catskill-style dry fly, Catskill dryA Catskill dry fly is a classic, high-riding mayfly-style dry with an upright divided wing and stiff hackle wrapped around the hook shank.
- Chubby Chernobylalso Chubby, Chubby Chernobyl hopperA high-floating foam dry fly that suggests big terrestrials like hoppers and stoneflies. Often used as a visible “attractor” dry, sometimes with a second fly tied off the bend.
- Comparadunalso Comparadun wing, No-hackle dunA Comparadun is a mayfly imitation tied without hackle, using a flared deer-hair wing and a tapered body to sit low and look like a dun.
- Cripplealso cripple pattern, crippled dun, emerger crippleA cripple is an adult insect imitation tied to look stuck mid-hatch, with a shuck, splayed wing, or a low-riding body that can’t fully take off.
- Elk Hair Caddisalso Elk Hair CaddisflyA buoyant caddis adult imitation tied with elk hair for the wing. It’s a standard dry fly for caddis hatches and as a general searching pattern.
- Hopper patternalso Grasshopper pattern, Hopper flyA hopper pattern is a buoyant dry fly tied to imitate a grasshopper or other big land insect that falls into the water. It’s fished as a visible “big meal” dry, often tight to banks in summer.
- Klinkhammeralso Klinkhamer, Klinkhåmer, KlinkA Klinkhammer is a parachute-style emerger that rides with the post and hackle on the surface while the abdomen hangs below in the film.
- Parachutealso Parachute dry, Parachute hackleA parachute is a dry-fly style with the hackle wrapped horizontally around a post, so the fly rides low and stays visible.
- Royal Wulffalso Wulff, Royal Wulff dry flyA high-floating attractor dry fly with a white calf-tail wing and a red “royal” band. It’s fished when trout are looking up but not keyed on one specific hatch.
- Spinneralso Mayfly spinner, Spent spinner, Spent-wing mayflyA spinner is a dry fly that imitates an adult mayfly after it has mated and fallen spent on the water, usually with wings laid flat to the sides.
- Stimulatoralso Stonefly dry, Stonefly imitation, Caddis dryA high-floating, bushy dry fly that suggests big stoneflies and large caddis. It’s commonly used as a searching pattern and as a buoyant top fly in a dry-dropper rig.
Nymph patterns (10)
- Beadheadalso bead head, beaded nymphA beadhead is a fly tied with a metal or tungsten bead at the front. The bead adds weight and a little flash, helping a nymph sink and ride hook-point down.
- Copper Johnalso Copper John nymphA Copper John is a weighted beadhead nymph with a wire-wrapped body and a bright wingcase. It’s used to get down fast and show a little flash in the drift.
- Hare's Ear Nymphalso Hares Ear, Hare’s Ear, Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, GRHEA classic, buggy nymph pattern meant to suggest a range of mayfly nymphs and other small aquatic insects. Usually tied with hare’s mask dubbing and often with a rib and a bead.
- Jig nymphalso jigged nymph, jig hook nymphA nymph tied on a jig-style hook so it rides point-up, usually with a bead at the eye. Built to get down and drift with fewer bottom snags.
- North Country spideralso North Country Spider, North Country wet fly, spider, spider flyA North Country spider is a sparse soft-hackle wet fly from Northern England, tied on a small hook with a slim body and a short, mobile hackle to suggest emerging insects.
- Perdigonalso Perdigone nymph, Perdigon nymphA Perdigon is a slim, heavily weighted nymph with a smooth, glossy body (often UV resin) built to sink fast and track near the bottom.
- Pheasant Tail Nymphalso PTN, Pheasant Tail, Pheasant Tail Nymph (PTN)A slim, buggy nymph pattern tied with pheasant tail fibers, usually to imitate mayfly nymphs. It’s a standard “search” nymph for trout and other freshwater fish.
- Prince Nymphalso Prince, Beadhead Prince, BH Prince NymphA Prince Nymph is a beadhead attractor nymph with a peacock body and two white biots for wings. It’s fished subsurface to suggest a range of aquatic insects rather than one exact hatch.
- Soft hacklealso Soft-hackle, Soft hackle wet fly, Soft-hackled wet fly, Soft hackle nymphA soft hackle is a lightly dressed wet fly with a soft, swept-back feather collar that pulses in the current. It’s fished under the surface to suggest an emerging insect or a small drifting bug.
- Zebra Midgealso Zebra midge nymphA Zebra Midge is a small, slim midge-larva or pupa imitation, usually tied with a ribbed body and a bead. It’s a common choice for trout feeding on tiny insects.
Streamer patterns (12)
- Articulated streameralso jointed streamer, hinged streamerA streamer built in two or more connected sections so the fly hinges and swims with a wide, lifelike motion.
- Brush flyalso saltwater brush fly, baitfish brush fly, synthetic brush flyA brush fly is a saltwater streamer tied with a pre-made “brush” of fibers wrapped around the hook to form a full baitfish profile fast.
- Clouser Minnowalso Clouser, Clouser minnow flyA weighted baitfish streamer with lead or brass eyes that make it ride hook-point-up. It’s used in fresh or salt water to imitate small fish and move quickly through current.
- EP flyalso EP streamer, EP baitfish, EP minnow, EP fiber flyA synthetic-fiber baitfish or shrimp-style streamer tied with EP-style fibers for a translucent profile that sheds water and holds its shape.
- Game Changeralso Chocklett’s Game Changer, Gamechanger flyA Game Changer is an articulated streamer with a segmented body that swims with a side-to-side “S” motion and a lot of body movement at slow speeds.
- Intruderalso Intruder-style streamer, Intruder-style fly, Stinger-style IntruderA steelhead/salmon-style streamer built on a shank or tube with a short trailing hook and a large, mobile profile made from sparse materials.
- Lefty's Deceiveralso Deceiver, Lefty Kreh DeceiverA classic baitfish streamer tied with a bucktail tail and a long, tapered wing. It’s a standard saltwater pattern for imitating mullet, anchovies, and other small forage fish.
- Muddler Minnowalso Muddler, Muddler streamerA Muddler Minnow is a deer-hair streamer with a clipped, spun head and a low-profile wing. It can suggest a sculpin, small baitfish, or even a large aquatic insect depending on size and color.
- Sculpin patternalso Sculpin fly, Sculpin streamerA sculpin pattern is a streamer tied to imitate a sculpin (a bottom-dwelling baitfish) with a broad head and a bulky, tapering body. It’s fished near the bottom with short strips and pauses.
- Tube flyalso tubefly, tube streamerA streamer tied on a hollow tube instead of a hook. The hook is added separately on the leader, so the dressing can slide off the hook after the grab.
- Woolly Buggeralso Bugger, Wooly BuggerA Woolly Bugger is a simple streamer with a marabou tail and a fuzzy chenille body, usually palmered with hackle. It’s fished to imitate small baitfish, leeches, or big nymphs.
- Zonkeralso Rabbit-strip streamer, Rabbit zonkerA zonker is a streamer tied with a strip of fur (usually rabbit) that makes the fly pulse and swim as it moves through the water.