River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for Slough Creek

Ask any seasoned Yellowstone angler to name a single stream that captures the magic of the park's backcountry fishing, and the answer is almost always Slough Creek. This relatively small tributary of ...

View full river guide →

11 recommended patterns

Parachute Adams fly pattern
Dry Fly

Parachute Adams

The most versatile dry fly ever tied.

Sizes 12–20

Zebra Midge fly pattern
Midge

Zebra Midge

Small fly, big results — the tailwater secret weapon.

Sizes 16–26

BWO Parachute fly pattern
Dry Fly

BWO Parachute

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

Sizes 16–22

Callibaetis Cripple fly pattern
Dry Fly

Callibaetis Cripple

This cripple pattern imitates a Callibaetis mayfly that failed to fully emerge from its shuck — stuc

Sizes 14–16

Barr's Emerger fly pattern
Emerger

Barr's Emerger

John Barr's BWO emerger is the definitive trailing-shuck pattern for imitating Blue-Winged Olives tr

Sizes 18–22

Emerging Caddis Pupa fly pattern
Emerger

Emerging Caddis Pupa

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

Sizes 12–18

PMD Emerger fly pattern
Emerger

PMD Emerger

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

Sizes 14–18

Sparkle Pupa fly pattern
Emerger

Sparkle Pupa

Gary LaFontaine's Sparkle Pupa uses Antron yarn to trap air bubbles around the body, imitating the g

Sizes 12–16

Foam Beetle fly pattern
Terrestrial

Foam Beetle

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

Sizes 12–18

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

Snowshoe Baetis Emerger fly pattern
Emerger

Snowshoe Baetis Emerger

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

Sizes #18–#22