FreeFish12 flies that catch trout almost anywhere
A simple starter fly box: the nymphs, dries and streamers that catch trout in most rivers, with sizes, colors and when to use each.
Fly shops sell thousands of patterns, but a dozen proven flies in a few sizes will catch trout almost anywhere in North America. Start with these, learn when each one works, and add local favorites as you go.
Nymphs (below the surface)
1. Pheasant Tail Nymph · #14–20
Imitates small mayfly nymphs, which live in almost every trout stream. Bead-head versions sink faster. Fish it all year under an indicator or as the bottom fly in a two-fly rig.
2. Hare's Ear Nymph · #12–16
Buggy and scruffy, it looks like many mayfly and caddis nymphs. A great searching fly when you don't know what's on the menu.
3. Zebra Midge · #18–22
A simple thread body with a bead. Midges hatch all year, and this fly is a winter and tailwater staple. Black and red are the go-to colors.
4. Perdigon · #14–18
A slim, heavy jig nymph built to sink fast. The top fly for euro nymphing in faster water.
5. Pat's Rubber Legs · #6–10
A big stonefly nymph with wiggly legs. Excellent in rocky rivers, in spring, and when flows are up. Often the top fly in a two-fly rig.
6. San Juan Worm · #10–14
Imitates aquatic worms. Purists grumble, but after rain, when water rises and worms wash in, it's hard to beat. Red and pink are classics.
Dry flies (on the surface)
7. Parachute Adams · #12–20
Gray, buggy and easy to see thanks to the white post. It passes for many mayflies, so it's the fly to tie on when fish are rising and you're not sure why.
8. Elk Hair Caddis · #14–18
Floats high and imitates the caddis that hatch spring through fall. Try skating it across the surface when fish are splashing.
9. Blue-Winged Olive (parachute or emerger) · #18–22
For the small olive mayflies that hatch on cloudy days in spring and fall.
10. Hopper · #8–12
From midsummer to fall, grasshoppers falling from grassy banks bring up big trout. Hoppers also float a nymph dropper well.
Streamers (baitfish and big meals)
11. Woolly Bugger · #4–10
If you could carry only one fly, many anglers would pick this. Strip it, swing it or dead-drift it. Black and olive cover most situations.
12. Clouser Minnow or sculpin pattern · #2–6
For aggressive fish and big browns at dawn, dusk and after rain. Clousers dive on the pause, and sculpins work tight to the bottom.
Which fly when?
| Situation | Start with |
|---|---|
| Nothing rising, normal flows | Pheasant Tail or Hare's Ear under an indicator |
| Winter or very cold water | Zebra Midge, deep and slow |
| High, muddy water after rain | San Juan Worm, Pat's Rubber Legs, black Woolly Bugger |
| Fish rising, can't tell to what | Parachute Adams #16 |
| Cloudy spring or fall afternoon | Blue-Winged Olive #18–20 |
| Summer, grassy banks, wind | Hopper with a Pheasant Tail dropper |
| Dawn, dusk, big fish | Sculpin or Woolly Bugger, stripped |
Tip: Carry each fly in two or three sizes. Changing size often matters more than changing pattern.
Size, then color, then pattern
When fish ignore your fly, change in this order. First try one size smaller, because real insects are often smaller than anglers expect. Then change color: natural tones in clear water and bright light, darker or brighter flies in stained water and at low light. Only then switch patterns. Many experienced anglers fish just a handful of flies all season and simply vary size, depth and presentation.
Organizing your box
Keep nymphs, dries and streamers in separate rows or boxes, and refill the sizes you use most. Replace flies with bent hooks or crushed hackle. A dull hook point loses fish, so touch it up with a hook file.
FreeFish's What to throw card picks from these flies (and more) based on your species, season, region and today's weather. Learn the techniques in nymphing, dry flies and streamers.