River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for Kickapoo River

The Kickapoo River is the crown jewel of the Driftless Area, the geologically unique region of southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and northwestern Illinois that was byp...

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11 recommended patterns

Nymph

Perdigon

The fast-sinking competition nymph that changed Euro nymphing forever.

Sizes 14–22

Dry Fly

Henry's Fork Hopper

Mike Lawson's Henry's Fork Hopper is the standard foam-body grasshopper pattern for slick water. Unl

Sizes 8–12

Dry Fly

Olive Thorax Dun

Vince Marinaro's Thorax Dun design places the hackle at the center of the body rather than the head,

Sizes 16–20

Nymph

Beadhead Caddis Pupa

This simple caddis pupa imitation features a dubbed body with a contrasting thorax and a soft hackle

Sizes 12–18

Emerger

Last Chance Cripple

René Harrop's Last Chance Cripple imitates a mayfly that failed to fully emerge, trapped half-in, ha

Sizes 14–20

Emerger

Quigley Cripple

Bob Quigley's Cripple is a hybrid emerger with a nymph body below the film and a hackle-tip wing abo

Sizes 14–20

Terrestrial

Letort Cricket

Ed Shenk's Letort Cricket is a classic terrestrial designed for the legendary limestone streams of P

Sizes 10–14

Terrestrial

Parachute Hopper

A foam-bodied grasshopper with a parachute post that provides visibility in choppy water and doubles

Sizes 8–12

Terrestrial

Flying Ant

The Flying Ant pattern includes CDC or hackle-tip wings that distinguish it from standard ant patter

Sizes 14–18

Nymph

Czech Nymph

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

Sizes #8–#14

Dry Fly

Blue Dun

One of the oldest and most storied dry fly patterns in the history of fly fishing, dating back centu

Sizes #14–#18