Here’s a comprehensive list of flies commonly used in fly fishing, categorized by the main types: dry flies, nymphs, streamers, wet flies, and terrestrials. Each category imitates different stages of insects or other prey that fish target.
1. Dry Flies
Dry flies are designed to float on the water’s surface and imitate adult insects like mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies that fish rise to eat.
Adams: A versatile pattern imitating various mayflies.
Elk Hair Caddis: Imitates adult caddisflies.
Parachute Adams: A variation of the Adams with a post for better visibility.
Royal Wulff: A high-floating attractor pattern that works well in fast water.
Griffith’s Gnat: Mimics clusters of small midges.
Blue Wing Olive: A mayfly imitation for early spring and fall hatches.
March Brown: Imitates mayflies during early spring hatches.
Humpy: A high-floating fly, useful as an attractor in rough water.
Stimulator: A large dry fly that imitates stoneflies and can also act as an attractor.
Pale Morning Dun (PMD): Imitates pale mayflies that hatch in late spring and summer.
2. Nymphs
Nymphs imitate the immature stages of aquatic insects. These patterns are fished below the surface to imitate mayfly, caddis, or stonefly larvae.
Hare’s Ear Nymph: A versatile nymph that imitates many insect larvae.
Pheasant Tail Nymph: A widely used nymph imitating mayfly nymphs.
Copper John: A weighted nymph with a flashy body that sinks quickly.
Prince Nymph: An attractor nymph that imitates many aquatic insects.
Zebra Midge: A simple and effective midge pattern.
WD-40: A small, subtle nymph that imitates emerging midges or Baetis.
RS2: Mimics emerging mayflies, particularly Baetis.
Stonefly Nymph: Larger nymph that imitates stoneflies.
Caddis Larva: Imitates the larval stage of caddisflies.
Pat’s Rubber Legs: A stonefly nymph imitation with rubber legs for added movement.
3. Streamers
Streamers imitate baitfish, leeches, and other larger prey that fish chase and attack. These are fished below the surface and often retrieved with various stripping techniques.
Woolly Bugger: One of the most versatile flies, imitating leeches, minnows, and crayfish.
Muddler Minnow: Imitates sculpins or small baitfish.
Clouser Minnow: A popular streamer for both freshwater and saltwater that imitates baitfish.
Zonker: Imitates minnows and is often tied with a strip of rabbit fur.
Sculpzilla: A small, articulated streamer mimicking sculpins.
Mickey Finn: A flashy, attractor streamer used to imitate baitfish.
Conehead Woolly Bugger: A heavier version of the Woolly Bugger for faster water.
Galloup’s Sex Dungeon: An articulated streamer designed to imitate large baitfish.
Black Ghost: A traditional streamer often used to imitate smelt or small minnows.
Dali Lama: A large, articulated fly resembling leeches or baitfish.
4. Wet Flies
Wet flies are designed to be fished below the surface, often in the middle of the water column. These flies can imitate drowned insects, emerging insects, or small fish.
Soft Hackle: A classic wet fly that imitates emerging insects.
Leadwing Coachman: A traditional wet fly that imitates drowned insects.
March Brown Wet: Imitates mayflies, particularly in early spring.
Partridge and Orange: A soft hackle fly that mimics emerging insects.
Zug Bug: An attractor wet fly with peacock herl, often used as a caddis or stonefly imitation.
Spider Wet Flies: Imitates drowned insects or those trapped in the water film.
Invicta: A traditional wet fly for imitating caddis and small fish fry.
Montana Stone: A wet fly imitating stonefly nymphs.
5. Terrestrials
Terrestrial patterns mimic land-based insects like ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets that fall into the water and become food for fish.
Foam Hopper: A foam-bodied fly that imitates grasshoppers.
Ant Pattern: A simple imitation of ants, great for late summer.
Chernobyl Ant: A foam attractor that resembles hoppers, ants, or beetles.
Beetle Pattern: Mimics small beetles, often made with foam.
Dave’s Hopper: A realistic hopper imitation that floats well.
Fat Albert: A foam fly designed to imitate large terrestrials like grasshoppers and crickets.
Japanese Beetle: Mimics the appearance of beetles, useful in mid-summer.
Cricket Pattern: Imitates crickets, especially during late summer months.
Morrish Hopper: A realistic hopper pattern made with foam for excellent floatation.
Foam Ant: A high-floating ant pattern great for late summer and early fall.
6. Emergers
Emerger flies mimic the stage when insects are emerging from the nymph stage to become adults. These flies sit just below or in the surface film of the water.
Klinkhamer Special: An emerger pattern that floats on the surface while the body sinks.
Barr’s Emerger: Mimics the emerging stage of mayflies.
RS2 Emerger: A small fly that imitates Baetis and midges in the emerger stage.
Sparkle Dun: Imitates the emerging stage of mayflies with a trailing shuck of Antron.
CDC Comparadun: A mayfly emerger that sits in the surface film.
Soft Hackle Emerger: Combines soft hackle movement with emerger characteristics.
Baetis Emerger: Imitates emerging Blue Winged Olive mayflies.
Parachute Emerger: An emerger with a visible post, imitating emerging insects near the surface.
7. Attractor Patterns
Attractor flies don't necessarily imitate a specific insect but are designed to trigger a fish's curiosity or aggressive feeding response.
Royal Coachman: A classic attractor dry fly.
Stimulator: A large attractor pattern, often used to imitate stoneflies or terrestrials.
Royal Wulff: A high-visibility attractor pattern.
Purple Haze: A purple variation of the Parachute Adams that works as a general attractor.
Chubby Chernobyl: A foam attractor fly, great for fast water and as a dry-dropper rig.
Renegade: A peacock-bodied dry fly attractor pattern.
Trude: An attractor pattern that imitates nothing specific but works well in various conditions.
Each of these fly patterns serves a unique purpose in fly fishing and mimics different prey that trout and other fish target throughout the year. Having a variety of flies in your fly box, including dry flies, nymphs, streamers, and terrestrials, ensures that you are prepared for any situation on the water. Whether you're fishing clear, slow-moving streams or fast, turbulent rivers, these flies will help you match the hatch and catch more fish!
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