River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for South Holston River

The South Holston River is one of the Southeast crown jewels of tailwater fly fishing, flowing approximately 20 miles below South Holston Dam near Bristol and Bluff City, Tennessee. Fed by cold hypoli...

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11 recommended patterns

Midge

Zebra Midge

Small fly, big results — the tailwater secret weapon.

Sizes 16–26

Dry Fly

Trico Spinner

The Trico Spinner imitates the spent Tricorythodes spinner fall — one of the most technical and rewa

Sizes 20–24

Nymph

Flashback Hare's Ear

The Flashback variant adds a strip of pearl tinsel over the wing case of the classic Hare's Ear, pro

Sizes 12–18

Nymph

Micro Mayfly

A tiny, sparse nymph tied on a barbless jig hook that imitates the smallest mayfly nymphs in the dri

Sizes 18–24

Nymph

Sexy Walt's Worm

A modernized version of Walt's Worm with a UV dubbing body and a glass bead for subtle weight and tr

Sizes 12–16

Emerger

Barr's Emerger

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

Sizes 18–22

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

Terrestrial

Foam Beetle

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

Sizes 12–18

Midge

Midge Larva

A simple thread-body pattern imitating the larval stage of chironomid midges. Despite its simplicity

Sizes 18–26

Nymph

Blowtorch

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

Sizes #12–#16