River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for Two-Hearted River

Few rivers carry the literary mystique of the Two-Hearted River. Made immortal by Ernest Hemingway's 1925 short story "Big Two-Hearted River," this remote Upper Peninsula stream has become a pilgrimag...

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11 recommended patterns

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

Dry Fly

Trico Spinner

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

Sizes 20–24

Nymph

Iron Lotus

A modern Czech nymph with a woven body, tungsten bead, and hot spot collar. Built for heavy Euro nym

Sizes 12–16

Dry Fly

Quill Gordon

The Quill Gordon is a Catskill classic tied with a stripped peacock quill body that creates a delica

Sizes 12–14

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

Partridge and Orange

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

Sizes 12–16

Emerger

Sparkle Pupa

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

Sizes 12–16

Terrestrial

Foam Ant

The Foam Ant creates the distinct two-hump silhouette of a real ant using closed-cell foam segments.

Sizes 14–20

Nymph

Juju Baetis

Charlie Craven's Juju Baetis is a sleek, modern nymph that imitates tiny Baetis mayfly nymphs with d

Sizes 18–22

Nymph

Jig Perdigon

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

Sizes #14–#20