River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for Truckee River

The Truckee River begins at the outlet of Lake Tahoe — one of the most spectacular starting points of any trout river in North America — and flows northeast through the Sierra Nevada, past the histori...

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

Elk Hair Caddis fly pattern
Dry Fly

Elk Hair Caddis

The tent-wing dry fly that revolutionized caddis fishing.

Sizes 12–18

RS2 fly pattern
Emerger

RS2

Rim Chung's minimalist masterpiece for selective trout.

Sizes 18–24

Humpy fly pattern
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

Trico Spinner fly pattern
Dry Fly

Trico Spinner

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

Sizes 20–24

Squirrel Nymph fly pattern
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

Sexy Walt's Worm fly pattern
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

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

Top Secret Midge fly pattern
Midge

Top Secret Midge

The Top Secret Midge features a thread body with a pearl Flashabou wing case at the thorax, adding a

Sizes 18–24

Jig Perdigon fly pattern
Nymph

Jig Perdigon

A slick, heavily-weighted Spanish competition nymph designed to sink fast through the water column o

Sizes #14–#20

Comparadun fly pattern
Dry Fly

Comparadun

Developed by Al Caucci and Bob Nastasi, the Comparadun revolutionized dry fly design with its fan-sh

Sizes #12–#20