River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for Bighorn River

The Bighorn River stands as one of the premier tailwater fisheries in the American West, consistently ranked among the top fly fishing destinations in the lower 48 states. Fed by the cold, clear water...

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12 recommended patterns

Midge

Zebra Midge

Small fly, big results — the tailwater secret weapon.

Sizes 16–26

Nymph

Walt's Worm

Walt Young's deceptively simple nymph uses hare's ear dubbing on a curved hook to imitate caddis lar

Sizes 12–16

Nymph

Flashback Hare's Ear

The Flashback variant adds a strip of pearl tinsel over the wing case of the classic Hare's Ear, pro

Sizes 12–18

Nymph

Quasimodo Pheasant Tail

A Czech-style Pheasant Tail variation tied on a curved scud hook with a pronounced hump-back profile

Sizes 12–18

Nymph

Sexy Walt's Worm

A modernized version of Walt's Worm with a UV dubbing body and a glass bead for subtle weight and tr

Sizes 12–16

Nymph

Scud

The Scud imitates Gammarus and Hyalella amphipods — crustaceans that thrive in weed beds on tailwate

Sizes 12–18

Nymph

Tungsten Torpedo

A heavy, streamlined Euro nymph with a smooth thread body under UV resin and a large tungsten bead.

Sizes 10–14

Wet Fly

Leadwing Coachman

The Leadwing Coachman is a traditional wet fly with a peacock herl body and dark slate wings that ha

Sizes 12–16

Wet Fly

Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail

A marriage of the Pheasant Tail Nymph and soft hackle tradition, this pattern fishes brilliantly on

Sizes 14–18

Nymph

Surveyor

A modern Euro nymphing staple that blends the best elements of the Pheasant Tail and Frenchie into o

Sizes #14–#18

Nymph

CDC Pheasant Tail

A refined variation of the Pheasant Tail Nymph that replaces the wing case with a CDC feather puff f

Sizes #16–#20

Nymph

Czech Nymph

The pattern that launched the tight-line nymphing revolution. Developed by Czech competition anglers

Sizes #8–#14