The Fly Box
Fly Patterns
Proven patterns for Northern Colorado rivers, with tying notes and fishing tips.
Dry Flies(4)
Parachute Adams
The Parachute Adams is arguably the most versatile dry fly ever tied. The white parachute post makes it easy to track on the water while the grey body and mixed hackle imitates a wide range of mayflies and midges. If you could only carry one dry fly on Northern Colorado rivers, this would be it.
Elk Hair Caddis
Al Troth's Elk Hair Caddis is the definitive caddis imitation for freestone streams. The buoyant elk hair wing and palmered body push through riffles beautifully and can be skated across the surface to trigger aggressive rises during evening hatches.
Royal Wulff
Lee Wulff's Royal Wulff is a classic attractor dry fly that doesn't imitate any specific insect but draws strikes through visibility and flash. The red band and white calf hair wing make it easy to track in rough water. Perfect for the boulder-strewn pocket water of the Poudre River canyon.
Stimulator
Randall Kaufmann's Stimulator is the go-to stonefly attractor pattern for Colorado freestone rivers. The foam-like body and elk hair wing keep it afloat in the roughest water, and the yellow or orange body mimics golden stoneflies and hoppers. It's also a killer hopper-dropper fly.
Nymph Flies(3)
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Frank Sawyer's Pheasant Tail is a timeless nymph that imitates emerging mayfly nymphs of all species. The slim profile, natural coloring, and subtle sparkle of the pheasant tail fibers make it irresistible to trout. A beadhead version is especially effective on the Poudre River and Big Thompson.
Hare's Ear Nymph
The Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear is one of those flies that imitates everything and nothing in particular—and that's exactly its strength. The scruffy hare's ear dubbing creates a buggy silhouette that mimics caddis larvae, mayfly nymphs, and scuds simultaneously.
Copper John
John Barr's Copper John is one of the most effective nymphs ever created. The heavy bead and wire body get it to the bottom quickly, while the epoxy wingcase provides a lifelike profile. It's an especially good attractor nymph when run as the point fly in a two-nymph rig.
