River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for Ruby River

For the fly fisher seeking solitude, stunning scenery, and genuinely wild trout, the Ruby River in southwestern Montana delivers all three in abundance. Rising in the Gravelly Range and flowing northe...

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11 recommended patterns

Dry Fly

BWO Parachute

The essential hatch-matcher for every Blue-Winged Olive event.

Sizes 16–22

Dry Fly

Sparkle Dun

Craig Mathews' Sparkle Dun combines a deer hair fan wing with a Z-lon trailing shuck, bridging the g

Sizes 14–20

Dry Fly

Humpy

The Humpy is an indestructible attractor dry fly built for fast pocket water. Its deer or elk hair s

Sizes 10–16

Dry Fly

March Brown

The March Brown imitates Rhithrogena morrisoni, one of the first significant mayfly hatches of the s

Sizes 12–14

Dry Fly

CDC Blue-Winged Olive

A CDC-winged BWO that rides perfectly in the surface film with no floatant needed. The natural oils

Sizes 18–22

Nymph

Squirrel Nymph

Dave Whitlock's Squirrel Nymph uses fox squirrel body hair and tail as dubbing for a buggy, all-purp

Sizes 10–16

Emerger

PMD Emerger

A trailing-shuck emerger pattern specifically colored to match Pale Morning Dun emergence. The pale

Sizes 14–18

Terrestrial

Chernobyl Ant

The Chernobyl Ant is an oversized foam terrestrial pattern with rubber legs that creates a massive d

Sizes 6–12

Terrestrial

Foam Beetle

The Foam Beetle is a simple but devastatingly effective terrestrial pattern. A piece of black foam f

Sizes 12–18

Nymph

Tungsten Jig Hares Ear

The classic Hares Ear profile reimagined on a modern jig hook with a heavy tungsten bead for Euro ny

Sizes #12–#18

Emerger

Snowshoe Baetis Emerger

A purpose-built BWO emerger using snowshoe rabbit foot hair for buoyancy and a natural translucent a

Sizes #18–#22