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.
54 terms in 7 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.
Egg & worm patterns (5)
- Egg patternalso Egg flyAn egg pattern is a fly that imitates a drifting salmonid egg or a small cluster of eggs. It is most often used for trout and steelhead in rivers below spawning fish.
- Mop flyalso Mop, Mop nymphA mop fly is a chenille-bodied nymph tied from microfiber “mop” material, usually with a heavy bead to sink fast.
- San Juan Wormalso Worm fly, Chenille wormA San Juan Worm is a simple chenille worm imitation used as a nymph, usually dead-drifted near the bottom for trout and other freshwater fish.
- Squirmy Wormyalso Squirmy, Squirmy wormA Squirmy Wormy is a worm imitation tied with stretchy “squirmy” material that wiggles with very little current. It’s most often used as a weighted nymph under a strike indicator or in a tight-line setup.
- Sucker spawnalso sucker spawn fly, sucker spawn eggA sucker spawn is an egg pattern that imitates loose eggs drifting downstream after suckers spawn. It’s usually tied as a small cluster of eggs rather than a single bead.
Fly types (5)
- Dry flyalso Dry, Dry fly pattern, Surface flyA dry fly is a floating fly meant to be fished on the surface, where you can see it and the take.
- Emergeralso Emerger patternA fly that imitates an aquatic insect in the act of emerging, partway between nymph or pupa and a dry fly. It is fished in or just under the surface film, where trout often feed.
- Nymphalso Nymph flyA nymph is a subsurface fly meant to imitate an aquatic insect in its immature stage, or a small food item drifting in the current. Nymphs are fished with or without weight, an indicator, or tight-line methods.
- StreamerA streamer is a fly meant to be moved to imitate a baitfish, leech, sculpin, or crayfish. It is often fished with strips, swings, or a steady retrieve, but it can also be dead-drifted.
- TerrestrialA terrestrial is a fly that imitates a land insect that ends up on or in the water, like an ant, beetle, or grasshopper.
Multi-fly rigs (1)
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.
Saltwater patterns (7)
- Bonefish Bittersalso Bitters, Bonefish BitterBonefish Bitters is a small, lightly weighted flats fly that suggests a shrimp or small crab. It is used for bonefish in shallow water where a quiet landing and a subtle sink rate matter.
- Crazy Charliealso CharlieA Crazy Charlie is a small, lightly weighted flats fly that suggests a shrimp or small baitfish. It is a common choice for bonefish and other shallow-water species.
- Gotchaalso Bonefish GotchaA Gotcha is a small, lightly weighted flats fly that imitates a shrimp, best known as a bonefish pattern.
- Gurgleralso Gurgler fly, Foam gurglerA Gurgler is a foam-headed saltwater streamer that pushes water and makes a soft “bloop” when stripped, like a small baitfish or waking plug.
- Merkin crabalso Merkin, Merkin crab flyA Merkin crab is a lead-eyed crab imitation tied to ride hook point up, used for permit and other flats fish that eat crabs.
- Popperalso Topwater popper, Bass popper, Surface popperA popper is a topwater fly with a cupped or flat face that pushes water and makes a “pop” or bloop when stripped.
- Tarpon toadalso Tarpon Toad, Toad fly, Tarpon toad flyA Tarpon Toad is a small tarpon fly with a flat, wide head and a rabbit or marabou tail, built to be neutrally buoyant so it hovers and swims level in front of the fish.
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.