Dry Fly Patterns

Dry fly fishing is the most visually satisfying form of fly fishing. Watching a trout rise and take a fly off the surface never gets old, no matter how many times you've done it. Getting there requires having the right fly in the right size at the right moment, and that means understanding the major hatches and carrying patterns that match them. The Adams covers a broad range of mayflies. The Elk Hair Caddis handles caddis hatches in sizes 12 through 18. PMDs, BWOs, Pale Evening Duns, sulphurs, Tricos, each has its time and place, and the angler who knows them all has a real advantage.

Hundreds of dry fly patterns tested across dozens of rivers and hatches over many seasons - that's the foundation behind the recommendations you'll find here. We've distilled that experience down to the patterns that consistently produce trout, organized by hatch and situation in the guides below.