Rocky mountain fly box is a series of posts on anything bug or fly related. We will touch on basic entomology, how to match the hatch, and top flies for fishing western rivers and streams. One of the most confusing and overwhelming aspects to fly fishing can be trying to figure out what flies to use and when, especially to those new to fly fishing. Here I will try and take some of mystery out of these basics along with covering some of my favorite flies, why I like them, and why they work. In general my approach to fly selection is “less is more”. Though there are times you may want to go with the local fly, often times what you have in your box will work just as well if fished correctly. Keeping things as simple as possible makes for a cleaner fly box and easier decision making on the river.