River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for Boulder River

Tucked into the foothills south of Big Timber in Sweet Grass County, the Boulder River is Montana best-kept secret — a wild, high-gradient freestone stream draining directly from the rugged Absaroka-B...

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11 recommended patterns

Pheasant Tail Nymph fly pattern
Nymph

Pheasant Tail Nymph

The universal nymph — fooling trout since 1958.

Sizes 12–20

Copper John fly pattern
Nymph

Copper John

John Barr's heavy metal attractor — built to sink and designed to shine.

Sizes 12–18

CDC Emerger fly pattern
Emerger

CDC Emerger

Nature's floatant meets the most critical feeding window.

Sizes 16–22

Deep Sparrow Nymph fly pattern
Nymph

Deep Sparrow Nymph

A heavy tungsten jig nymph with a dubbed body and CDC collar that imitates a range of small mayfly n

Sizes 14–18

Jig Pheasant Tail fly pattern
Nymph

Jig Pheasant Tail

The jig-hook version of the Pheasant Tail Nymph rides point-up to reduce snags and fishes perfectly

Sizes 14–20

Two Bit Hooker fly pattern
Nymph

Two Bit Hooker

A hot-collared jig nymph that combines a wire body with a fluorescent dubbing collar for a slim, fas

Sizes 14–18

Polish Woven Nymph fly pattern
Nymph

Polish Woven Nymph

The Polish Woven Nymph features a two-tone woven body that creates a durable, segmented abdomen rese

Sizes 10–16

Muddler Minnow fly pattern
Streamer

Muddler Minnow

Don Gapen's Muddler Minnow is one of fly fishing's most versatile patterns. Its spun deer hair head

Sizes 4–10

Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail fly pattern
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

Dave's Hopper fly pattern
Terrestrial

Dave's Hopper

Dave Whitlock's Hopper is the original modern grasshopper imitation, featuring a spun deer hair head

Sizes 6–12

Rusty Spinner fly pattern
Dry Fly

Rusty Spinner

A spent-wing spinner pattern that imitates the final stage of the mayfly lifecycle when egg-laying f

Sizes #14–#20