River Pattern Guide

Best Flies for Upper Sacramento River

The Upper Sacramento River carves through one of the most dramatic freestone canyons in California — a rugged, boulder-strewn corridor flanked by forested ridges, sheer rock walls, and the tracks of t...

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11 recommended patterns

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

Stimulator fly pattern
Dry Fly

Stimulator

The attractor dry fly that mimics everything big on the surface.

Sizes 8–14

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

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

Pat's Rubber Legs fly pattern
Nymph

Pat's Rubber Legs

Pat's Rubber Legs is a large, heavily weighted stonefly nymph pattern with rubber legs that pulse an

Sizes 4–10

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

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

Midge Larva fly pattern
Midge

Midge Larva

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

Sizes 18–26

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