River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for Pere Marquette River

The Pere Marquette River in western Michigan was the first river in the United States to be stocked with brown trout, receiving the historic 1884 shipment from Germany that forever changed American tr...

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11 recommended patterns

Nymph

Perdigon

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

Sizes 14–22

Dry Fly

Adams

The original Adams dry fly is the foundation of American mayfly fishing. Its mixed grizzly and brown

Sizes 12–20

Dry Fly

Green Drake

The Green Drake is the biggest mayfly hatch of the year in many western rivers. This large, heavily

Sizes 10–12

Dry Fly

Sulphur Dun

The Sulphur Dun imitates Ephemerella dorothea and E. invaria, the signature evening hatch on eastern

Sizes 14–18

Nymph

Partridge and Orange

The Partridge and Orange is a traditional soft-hackle wet fly dating back centuries on English river

Sizes 12–16

Nymph

Beadhead Caddis Pupa

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

Sizes 12–18

Nymph

Sow Bug

The Sow Bug (or aquatic isopod) imitation is a flat-profiled, segmented nymph that imitates the tiny

Sizes 14–18

Emerger

Emerging Caddis Pupa

This pattern captures the explosive moment when a caddis pupa ascends through the water column and b

Sizes 12–18

Wet Fly

Soft Hackle Hare's Ear

A Hare's Ear body with a soft Hungarian partridge hackle collar, designed to be swung across and dow

Sizes 12–16

Nymph

Blowtorch

A flashy attractor nymph that combines a bright hot spot with a dark body to create maximum contrast

Sizes #12–#16

Wet Fly

Starling and Herl

A classic North Country spider pattern consisting of nothing more than peacock herl and a starling h

Sizes #12–#16