River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for Colorado River (Grand County)

The Colorado River through Grand County is one of the crown jewels of Rocky Mountain fly fishing, offering over 150 miles of accessible freestone water that winds through some of Colorado's most spect...

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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

Frenchie fly pattern
Nymph

Frenchie

The Euro nymphing gateway drug.

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

Rainbow Warrior fly pattern
Nymph

Rainbow Warrior

Lance Egan's Rainbow Warrior is a flashy midge/mayfly crossover pattern with a pearl Mylar body, red

Sizes 16–22

Lightning Bug fly pattern
Nymph

Lightning Bug

The Lightning Bug is a flashy attractor nymph with a pearl tinsel body and tungsten bead that catche

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

Snowshoe Emerger fly pattern
Emerger

Snowshoe Emerger

The Snowshoe Emerger uses snowshoe rabbit foot hair as a wing material, providing exceptional floata

Sizes 16–22

Partridge and Green fly pattern
Wet Fly

Partridge and Green

The green silk-bodied companion to the Partridge and Orange, this soft hackle wet fly imitates emerg

Sizes 12–16

Surveyor fly pattern
Nymph

Surveyor

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

Sizes #14–#18

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