The Best 11 Nymph Flies For Fly Fishing For Trout – Don’t Hit The River Without Them!

Experienced anglers know that fly fishing is a pursuit built on confidence from time spent on the water. Choosing the right fly patterns comes from a similar process too.

I remember the first time I entered a fly shop, the fly choices were overwhelming. I had this feeling that would never be able to master the intricacies of the sport: the names of flies, what they were used for, and of course the insects themselves. In addition, there is often the air of egos from shop employees. You can sometimes feel the judgement from the more experienced fish bum working behind the counter. It can be intimidating to ask questions.

No matter where you are on your fly fishing journey, you will at some point have to choose some flies for a day on the river. While I love dry fly fishing as much as everybody else, nymphing is truly how I catch most of my fish. Love them or hate them, using nymph flies are an effective way to catch trout. I am going to discuss my favorite 11 nymph patterns that I would never leave home without. These fly patterns are always in my fly box.

A Nymphing Disclaimer

Before we get started, allow me to make a few qualifying statements. First, these are just fly patterns I keep in my fly boxes, and what I prefer where I do most of my trout fishing. Having favorite patterns can sometimes be a disadvantage. A series of “go to” flies can prevent you from trying new fly patterns. Don’t be afraid to buy other patterns and see how they perform.

Second, anybody who tells you that there is one way to fly fish is full of it. The flies and techniques that I will describe below were developed over time for me through my guiding experience. When guiding, you have 6-8 hours to get it done for a paying customer. This forces you to make things happen. Figuring out patterns that consistently produce fish and save you time are essential to staying in business. Below is how I do it, and it works for me. There are many other anglers out there who will recommend flies and techniques differ greatly. I think this is excellent, because this is what drives new fly patterns and innovation. With that being said, let’s dive into some of my favorite nymph patterns for fly fishing for trout.

Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear

The Guides Choice Hare’s Ear is found in all my fly boxes. This is what is referred to as an impressionistic pattern. Impressionistic flies are patterns that cover multple aquatic insects. They usually take on a “buggy appearance”.

The Guides Choice Hare’s Ear checks all the boxes. In many ways it is similar to Dave Whitlock’s Fox Squirrel Nymph flies. This fly, when tied in various sizes and color, can represent just about any hatch that you might encounter in North America: stoneflies, caddis, mayfly nymphs, and even salmon fly nymphs. It is very versatile and it catches fish. Sometimes tied with gold ribbing, it’s shaggy dubbing gives it natural movement.

The buggy appearance and soft hackle collar really allow this fly to move and take on life like qualities of aquatic insects. Whether the natural insects are dead drifting in the current, or swimming to the surface of the river, the Guides Choice Hare’s Ear is deadly when fished in a variety of scenarios. Tied with a bright orange hot spot bead head, it will even work well in early spring time run off stained water.

My favorite way to fish this fly is under a dry dropper rig or in a two fly deep nymph rig under an indicator. This pattern is perfect for prospecting when there is no hatch to match, or there are many similar insects hatching at one time. For example, if caddis and pmd’s were hatching simultaneously in roughly equal numbers, then I would fish this pattern as a dropper suspended under a piece of foam: along banks, in pocket water and off the back side of gravel bars. Sometimes it is hard to discern what insect trout are eating. This fly solves that problem by covering several hatches at once.

Prince Nymph

The prince nymph is a simple fly. It is considered a classic nymph pattern by many anglers. It is one of those flies that just plain works, and it works in many different situations. In regards to nymph patterns, it too can cover many different types of insects.

Originally, it was designed to imitate a stonefly. However, it is less imitative and more of an impressionistic pattern or even an attractor fly. There are many variations of the original prince nymph and they all catch fish.

My favorite spin off the original prince nymph, is the Fly Formerly Known as Prince. This is a standard prince nymph tied with two shiny wings and a tungsten bead head. This is one my favorite fly patterns for catching rainbow trout and cut throat trout.

The other variation that I prefer over a standard prince pattern is the jig head version of the same fly. Tied with a tungsten bead, it gets down deep to fish.

My favorite way to fish the F.K.A prince, is deep under and indicator, behind a larger point fly. I usually use this fly to target cutthroats. I look for slower deeper seams, deep holes at the back of riffles and along banks, and slower water just on the inside bends of riffles. I usually use the F.K.A. in the morning. This fly early morning produces fish before the mid day hatch gets going. The prince nymph body and the flashy wings make for an enticing pre hatch fly.

In my opinion, the jig head prince is best fished in a dry dropper setup. Tied on a jig hook, it rides hook up so it reduces snags. This is one of my favorite nymph rigs to fish pre or post hatch. My theory is that the prince nymph covers caddis hatches very well. Caddis are present most of the day and all summer, so it is always a good bet to fish something that can be perceived as caddis.

Pheasant Tail Nymph

The pheasant tail nymph is one of the best nymph flies in my opinion to catch trout. It too is a classic fly pattern. No matter where you fly fish for trout, the pheasant tail will usually catch fish. The pheasant tail is one of those classic nymph patterns that has evolved into many different fly patterns. You can even find them tied with rubber legs.

My favorite version of this fly is the frenchie pheasant tail nymph and the CDC jig head pheasant tail nymph. Mayfly nymphs are typically brown in color, so depending on the size of fly you choose, it will cover many mayfly species.

The CDC jig head pheasant tail nymph is an excellent choice for nymphing medium to shallow depth areas. In my fly fishing experience, my favorite way to fish this fly is three feet under a Chubby Cherobyl, Gee’s Supa Fly or whatever your favorite foam bug is. Nymph fishing a pheasant tail along banks, gravel bars, and deep seams, works in a variety of places. It can also represent small stonefly species like yellow sallys. Tied with light pink or light yellow dubbing, and it is also a great fly for fishing the pmd hatch.

The unweighted frenchie pheasant tail is perfect for dry fly fishing situations when you have picky fish and need to nymph shallow. In a two fly setup, I like to fish it as the second fly on a greased piece of tippet. This simple fly, with an ultra slim profile fished in or just under the surface of the water, is perfect for nymphing in inches of water. Nymphs fished in this manner can be the fly for difficult trout. Sometimes, if nothing else works, I prefer the frenchie in size #20 with no flash. This can be the right nymph for heavily pressured trout.

Rainbow Warrior

The rainbow warrior was created by Lance Egan, one of America’s most famous competitive anglers and fly tyer’s. This is an attractor pattern in its truest form. Egan will admit, it doesn’t really imitate anything in particular, but it is loud and attracts trout’s attention with plenty of flash.

This fly is one of the best nymphs for tailwater fisheries where sow bugs are often present in great numbers. Also, it can be mistaken for many different food sources, which is what makes it so effective. I like to fish the rainbow warrior when there is no hatch to match so to speak. Unless it is tied on tungsten bead head, I like to fish it under an indicator in a two fly setup. Focus on areas around grass beds, along banks, and in fast water. Fished heavily in fast water, deep in the water column, fish must make a decision quickly, and the flash grabs their attention.

The rainbow warrior is also a top fly choice when fishing pocket water. For this application, I really like Sassi’s solution. This is essentially a heavily weighted rainbow warrior with rubber legs. Fished as a dropper in a dry dropper setup, it gets deep in the slower water on the backside of rocks and hangs in the strike zone.

The rainbow warrior can also be fished in lakes and back country streams. In high alpine lakes, you can simply cast it out and figure eight strip it back in, or do really slow, short, strip retrieve. Back country trout love this fly.

Pat’s Rubber Legs

Pat’s rubber leg, affectionately known as the turd, is my favorite point fly or first fly in a two nymph setup. Other nymphs tied to look like stoneflies have never performed as well for me as the rubber leg. This is my go to point fly. It is a simple fly, but it works. It is essentially a weighted girdle bug on steroids.

For most anglers out west, your local waters will have some sort of stoneflies species present. Stoneflies are a high calorie meal, so trout rarely pass on the opportunity to eat them. They are eaten opportunistically year round.

Like many other nymphs, there are lots of variations of this fly: the cheater belly, rubber legs changer fly, and the jig head version. I prefer the original pattern in sizes 10, 8, and 6. My favorite color is orange and brown. Although, black and just plain brown seem to work well too. Blonde is also a good color to carry in your fly box because you can change the color of the fly with a permanent marker.

I fish the rubber leg deep under an indicator. I prefer this pattern tied double heavy with weight. This eliminates the need to use split shot. The more simple I can keep my nymph rigs, the easier it is to cast. For this reason eliminating the split shot can aid in casting.

Target banks with this fly. Trout will follow the hatch, and stoneflys crawl to the banks in order to hatch. In a two fly nymph rig, if the rubber leg bite is really hot, then I will sometimes remove my smaller second fly and add a different size and color rubber leg. Many times, this rig lands the largest trout of the guide season. The reason being, that the turd tied on larger and stronger daiichi hooks decreases the chances of losing big fish.

Split Case PMD or Split Case BWO

The split case pmd is one of those must have nymphs in the summer fly box. During the summer when the pmd hatch is in full swing, the split case pmd will be one of the hard to find nymph flies that sells out as soon as word gets out that the local fly shop has them.

PMDs change color and become darker as they get closer to hatching. This fly, tied in dark brown with a black wing case and yellow foam hot spot is trout a catching machine when the hatch is on. Fly fishing with versatile patterns is key to success, and this nymph can be fished in a variety of ways.

I fish both the weighted and unweighted versions. When floating from gravel bar to gravel bar, I like to hit the tops of gravels bars, shallow gravel areas, and drop offs with a shallow nymph rig. This is a great way to prospect for trout in between your favorite spots.

Trout will often sit in the skinniest of water. It takes a keen eye to recognize these subtle rises, but many times these fish are passed up by other anglers. There are two ways to rig a shallow nymph rig that works well for me in catching these over looked fish.

First, I fish a longer lighter 9ft leader in 4X or 5X. I will use a small weighted pheasant tail as my first fly and then a weighted split case PMD tied behind that fly 18″ to 24″. Then I place a small yarn indicator a foot or two above the first fly, this changes depending on the water depth. This is essentially, a very light nymph rig that is designed to get just deep enough in shallow water to keep the flies in play, but not too deep to snag.

The other way I like to fish this fly is to use it as a emerger that hangs in the film of the water of when fishing dry flies. Again, I use a 9ft leader and choose a dry fly that I have lots of confidence in as my point fly. I love the Bighorn PMD. I add the 18″ to 24″ of tippet the bend of the hook of the first fly. Then tie on an unweighted split case PMD. Treat the fly with frogs fanny and it hangs just in or under the surface film. Trout will eat the dry, bust more often then not, they will take the emerger nymph pattern.

This fly is also tied as a BWO pattern, and is equally effective at catching trout. It performs well nymphed under a strike indicator too.

Zebra Midge

I don’ think that my own list would be complete without the zebra midge. Midges make up a year round source of food for trout. In terms of a wet fly pattern that will work year round, the zebra midge can always be counted on. In winter, it is often the only fly that will work.

I prefer the basic colors of red, brown or black. On the lower Henry’s Fork River, in my experience red works well for me in the morning, and then I switch to black or brown in the afternoon. Of course the colors that work best is probably dependent on where you fish.

The zebra midge works well in a variety of nymph fishing situations. Tied with a tungsten bead, they are excellent in a dry dropper rig. Zebra Midges work exceedingly well late in the afternoon in the middle of summer.

For most trout, the summer months are an important time to gain calories for the long winter months. Trout will eat the mid day hatches of mayflies and caddis flies. Many times, once the hatch is over anglers will continue to fish nymphs that match the hatch that just ended. This is the time to fish the zebra midge. Chances are, they are hatching, and fish are not passing them up. A trick, is to pay close attention to the legs of your waders, or if you are float fishing, the side of your boat where the gunnel meets the water. It will usually be covered in midges. This a clue you should be fishing midges.

I prefer to fish a zebra midge in a two fly nymph setup. A squirmy worm, san juan worm, green weenie, copper john, or rubber leg as my point fly to name a few, and a zebra midge 18″ to 20″ off of that first fly. The key is to get the nymphs deep, so adding split shot could be warranted depending on the speed of water and water depth. Zebra midges are also great patterns to fish on tag ends in a euro style setup.

The Perdigon

I remember when the I first saw the perdigon. Word was going around the shop amongst guides that this new fly was killing it. Eric Ezell, a fellow guide at Worldcast Anglers, told me he had been having great success with it. Other guides who participate in competitive angling competitons were also swearing by it. At first glance it is hard to believe that there is a nymph fly so simple yet so effective at catching trout.

The Perdigon was invented by competitive anglers. In the world of fly fishing competitions, the rules state that you cannot use split shot or lead to get the nymphs deep in the water column. To solve this problem they created a minimalistic fly that is heavily weighted with a tungsten bead head. They are tied on both jig hook and regular nymph hooks. The body is usually sealed with UV finish. The minimalistic design makes them effective at cutting through the water and sinking quickly. They remain in the strike zone much longer then other patterns.

The perdigon can be fished in a variety of ways, but for me it exceeds expectations when fished with a dry dropper rig. I think that the reason it does so well, is because it gets deep. Fishing the correct depth in the water column and staying in the strike zone longer really does make a huge difference when fly fishing for trout. Obviously, its intended purpose as a euro nymph pattern is excellent too.

The Duracell

The jig head Duracell pattern is one of my favorite nymph flies on a day to day basis. I have all sizes in my fly boxes and it rarely disappoints. It’s origins also come from the competitive fly fishing world. The grey soft hackle CDC gives the fly realistic movement, and the brown UV dubbing actually appears to be more of a purple color.

I like to fish this this fly pattern as a nymph in a dry dropper setup. Fished along faster banks and in heavy seam lines, this fly gets the job done. It also a great choice for prospecting in pocket water. I believe it is effective for two reasons.

First, the color is an effective all around color that fish can see. A trout’s eyes are built, so that the color purple is highly visible to them. This makes it easy to see, and in conjunction with the grey CDC hackle, it grabs a fishes attention and adds life like movement.

Second, it can be a mayfly nymph or a caddis pupa, so it covers most of the hatching insects all at once. Whatever the reason, it does not have a hard time catching fish.

Mop Fly

The Mop fly is quickly becoming one of my favorite nymph flies. Representing a cranefly or caddis fly larva, it is an excellent year round pattern for nymph fishing in various situations.

I like to fish this fly when I am euro nymphing. It is well made for tactically feeding fish and it is heavy enough to maintain contact with the bottom of the river. When fishing with clients, this is often my first fly in a two fly rig fished under an indicator.

One of my favorite times to fish the mop fly is during runoff. I like the bright green, pink, or orange versions of the mop tied in the largest size possible. It essentially doubles as a huge worm pattern, and many times you will catch the biggest fish of the day on an over sized pattern like the mop. This technique also works well in heavily pressured over fished areas too. On the catch and release section of the Taylor River, the fish see thousands of flies, most of them in size 18-22. Presenting an oversized mop will often move fish that are otherwise stuck to the bottom, as they cannot resist the huge meal.

Juju Baetis Flashback

The Juju Baetis flashback was created Charlie Craven. While many flies are tied bulky and don’t necessarily represent the true profile of the natural aquatic insects. The Juju Baetis has a slender profile that really looks like the real thing.

For picky fish, a minimalistic pattern with realistic qualities will usually get the job done. When fishing to trout that are eating emergers shallow in the water column, a good choice is the juju baetis nymph. It is an excellent nymph pattern that can be fished in the surface film or down deep just depending on what the conditions are calling for. It also works well for either a baetis of midge hatch, so the versatility is an added bonus.