I once heard a fly fisherman say he would rather lose a limb than lose his fly box. Seems crazy, but I would almost agree. A good fly collection is irreplaceable. Joking aside, as fly fisherman we put a ton of thought, money, and effort into our flies. We tie, buy, and organize, then organize again. We adore the diversity of color, thread and feathers that line our boxes, row after row after row. To say we treasure our fly collections would be an understatement… flies are the life blood of a fly fisherman!

So with that in mind let me ask the question, do we really need this many flies? What would happen if we stripped away all the extra fluff from our boxes to just the essentials? What flies would be left standing? Well I decided to go down this rabbit hole, and while I didn’t actually remove any flies from my collection, I did identify the dozen flies in my box that I consider “essential”. These are, in my opinion, the top 12 flies for fishing in the Rocky Mountain region. They are the flies that have risen to the top of my box over the years because they have proven that they can produce. When I tie one of these bugs onto the end of my line I don’t just hope to catch a fish, I expect to catch a fish.

The bugs I picked cover all 4 seasons of fishing, both nymphs and dries, and include the following categories: Mayflies (BWOs, PMDs, tricos) caddis, stoneflies, late summer terrestrials, fall streamers, and of course your year round midges, worms and scuds. In addition to these specific categories I also included attractors. These are those bugs that don’t really fit any one specific category but we use them in various situations just because they are buggy and ugly and they seem to work when nothing else does.

Are there other flies I would have liked to have added to my essentials list? Absolutely, but these are the flies I truly feel give me the best chance to consistently catch trout across multiple seasons and bug life cycles. And to be honest, I had to draw the line somewhere! (see honorable mentions below)

WETS

Zebra Midge – What can I say about the Zebra Midge that hasn’t already been said by hundreds of other fisherman. This is by far the most effective midge pupa pattern I’ve ever fished. Its simple, minimalistic design is a cinch to tie and its versatility and effectiveness on the water is unmatched. This is a great fly to drop from a dry or fish in tandem with another nymph.

RS2 – The RS2 is what I like to call a hybrid fly. Though it is intended to be a Mayfly emerger imitation it will cover the Midge emerger state as well. It can be tied with a standard synthetic wing (like antron) or if you want some variety and a bit more buoyancy go with a foam wing. This variation in chocolate is a killer combo. It’s a great fly to let swing upward at the tail-end of a drift or, because of it’s lightweight body, it can also be drifted in slower water just under the surface film. This can be a deadly approach to fishing for trout slurping midge emergers just under the water’s surface.

Pheasant Tail – What’s not to love about the Pheasant Tail. If I had only one nymph to fish this might be it. Though it’s buggy enough to cover multiple hatches it is most effectively fished as a Mayfly nymph imitation, particularly Blue Winged Olives (BWO) and Pale Morning Duns (PMD). Use it with a bead head to dredge those deeper runs or without to fish for feeding trout in the upper portion of the water column.

Hare’s Ear – The Hare’s Ear is just that – fur from a rabbit’s ear. Gross maybe, but this killer little fly pattern is popular for good reason. Its strength is in its versatility. Its scraggy, hairy like profile makes it an imposter of all kinds of underwater bugs, from caddis to scuds to stoneflies. What I like best about this fly is its ability to hide a generous amount of wire wraps in its thorax and abdomen. This along with a hefty bead head make it a good weighted fly for tight lining or just dredging the depths of a deep hole in the dead of winter. This is a workhorse of a fly.

Pat’s Rubber Legs – Here is a fly I just discovered this past year while floating the Colorado River. I was having one of those days where nothing was working so I thought what the heck, I’ll tie on the ugliest fly in my box. Sure enough, this leggy fly is a brown trout magnet. It’s a great fly to throw from a boat or while wade fishing because it’s big and nasty and can catch the attention of a trout quickly. Dead drift this fly as an attractor or a stonefly imitation.

San Juan Worm – No box would be complete without a San Juan Worm under its cover. Though many fly fishers don’t want to admit it, this fly is a must. Though it’s most often known for its effectiveness during run-off season or after a rain when the river becomes off color. It’s also a good option for fishing to selective trout. I’ve had times when I’ve gone through almost every fly in my box before resorting to the little red worm. Once I made the switch my next cast was rewarded with a 20 plus inch trout. Make no mistake. This fly means business! 

Scud – Not much to say about this fly other than it catches trout. It’s a solid year round bug that is a great addition to your rig when there’s not much else going on in terms of hatches. I’ve added it to my list at the cost of sexier flies (like my treasured WD40) because often times breadth is more important than depth when it comes to fly options. I feel it’s a worth while sacrifice.

DRIES

Griffiths Gnat – The Griffiths is an amazing midge imitation. I have caught so many big fish with this little dry. It is my first choice anytime I see trout sipping midges from the surface. Though small the benefit of the Griffiths is its visibility on the water. Its thick grizzly hackle offers a prominent visual to help track amongst the sea of other bugs that often accompany a prolific midge hatch.

Adams – In my opinion the Adams is the best dry fly ever created. As the Pheasant Tail is to the nymph, so the Adams is to the dry fly. Depending on the size the Adams can act as either a Mayfly or a Midge. It can be tied with a more traditional catskill hackle or as a parachute if visibility is a concern. Either way it is highly effective at bringing trout to the net.

Elk Hair Caddis – If there are caddis in the air there should be an Elk Hair Caddis imitation on your line. The versatility of this fly along with its effectiveness on the water make it a must have in the box.

Royal Wulff – There are many choices to pick from when considering dry attractor flies. The Royal Wolf though is my favorite. Tied with bright red thread and wrapped in dark green peacock herl it is one of the coolest looking flies ever… and trout must think so too, cause it’s money on the river. This fly can be fished as a terrestrial or stonefly imitation.

STREAMERS

Wooly Bugger – No box should be without at least one streamer and if I could choose only one it would be a wooly. Simple yet irresistible to trout on the feed for larger prey. Enough said.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

WD40 Midge, Mayhem Midge, Copper John, Rainbow Warrior, Prince Nymph, Humpy, Stimulator.

Though I’ve never limited myself to carrying only a dozen flies for any one trip I’m considering it the next time I go off the grid and want the challenge of a minimalist approach. Sure, leaving my multi-tiered fly box behind can be a scary thought, but I think there is something to be said for simplicity. It gives us focus and helps us make quicker more precise decisions on the water. Often times less is truly more.