If you’re looking to build up an armoury of key patterns for Euro Nymphing, you won’t go too far wrong following the below top picks from our very own, in-house guru, Eric Kelly. The full list can be seen by heading over to the ‘What’s Hot’ section (this particular selection is available in the USA Only.)
Roza’s Cdc Violet Tailed Jig (all sizes) – Since it’s inception, I’ve had great confidence keeping this one in my box at all times. Just the look of the pattern bleeds bugginess. There’s something about that violet flash tail and Cdc combo that drives fish wild. I really like this fly on the point with oversized beads as it seems to do best in this particular situation.
French Nymph – The classic Euro fly if there ever was one. Neatly dressed with its red, black and silver color combo, this fly does serious duty fished in any type of water for any species of trout. The slim body profile plays a key part in its fish catching abilities.
Milkman Nymph – This is one from my personal box that I tried to keep under lock & key! I thought that by sharing it that everyone could have a chance to give this one a swim to see how it preforms for them. A simple hare’s ear variant with a hot thread collar, white tungsten bead and an opal flashback, this one is usually the first on my leader when I’m rigging up streamside. The color combo here from tan to orange and then white really sticks out in the water and keeps the fish coming to net time and time again.
Roza’s Cdc Red Tag – Again, I find myself reaching for this red tag variant from world champion Lubos Roza. I love the slim build on this fly as it aids in getting the fly down deep and fast. A hot red tag and sparsely dressed Cdc collar really sets this variant apart from all the others out there.
McPhail’s Bubble Caddis Green Tag – Davie McPhail started tying these years ago for his local Scottish rivers and I remember myself tying these years back to try for Grannom emergences. They work, plain and simple. Whether you be skating them, traditional dead drift upstream or even sinking them a bit and swinging them, this is an all-time favorite of mine. Great fly for a hopper dropper combo!
Jake’s Soft Hackle Perdigon – Euro fly meets soft hackled wet. Heresey maybe, but if it works, it works right? Jake Adamerovich, a good friend of Fulling Mill and owner of the Competitive Angler in Tennessee developed this while spending time fishing in Pennsylvania over picky fish. It has all the winning components really, quill body, lively soft hackle and a hot thread collar. I love this fly and will continue to fish this everywhere I go.
SR Spanish Bullet Olive – Some years back Simon Robinson from the UK competitive fly fishing scene developed this pattern for baetis nymphs. I personally love this fly for its stark contrast of colors from the abdomen to the thorax as it simulated a baetis nymph that is ready to emerge into an adult. Point, dropper, off the back of a huge foam fly, this little guy is a workhorse year round.
Sob-Czech Gray – A personal favorite of mine and anglers the world over. This fly accounts for dozens of fish for me personally in a year’s time of fishing. Personally, I really enjoy fishing this fly on the point in smaller sizes.
Tinsel Trout Stacker Orange – In years past I’ve had excellent luck with this fly when nymphing over large mayfly emergences. March Browns, Gray Foxes, Drake species… not sure what it is about it but, I picture this fly looks irresistible underwater getting shuffled through currents and probably looks very much like a dislodged insect tumbling through the stream bed. I put a lot of trust into this pattern. In bigger sizes I fish it on the point and smaller sizes go on as a dropper.
Holo-Point Perdigons- Excellent patterns when fishing pocket water and you need to get down fast. The Quill bodies and holographic flash collars really grab the fishes attention. I love these as point flies and using the tuck cast to really plunge them through the water columns to get down where you need to be.
Roza’s Victora’s Secret Pink V-Wing- Probably one of my favorite flies of all time. This little homewrecker is absolute lights out when smaller mayflies and some bigger ones start hatching. The profile of the Cdc wings and the exceptional low riding ability of this fly make it nearly an irresistible meal for trout.
Hi-Viz Cdc & Elk- This one is nearly always used on a top dropper with a medium weighted nymph on the point. Using the “dapping” method to bounce this fly on the top of the water when egg-laying caddis are around really gets fish going. You get some explosive strikes with this method.
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