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Fly Box · 12 guides

Dry fly patterns.

Surface patterns for adult mayflies, caddis, midges, and attractor presentations. Open a guide to identify the fly, see photos and variations, and learn when and how to fish it.

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Compare photos and patterns.

We show a real photo when its identity and usage rights are clear. If only an illustration is available, we label it plainly.

01
Standard Adams Dry Fly in close side profile on a dark foam backgroundReal fly photo

Dry · #10–20

Adams Dry Fly

The classic upright-wing Adams: a gray-bodied dry with mixed brown-and-grizzly tail and hackle.Open guide
02
Clean side profile of an Elk Hair Caddis dry fly against a blue backgroundReal fly photo

Dry · #10–18

Elk Hair Caddis

A buoyant adult-caddis dry fly with a tented hair wing and palmered hackle that holds up in broken water.Open guide
03
Exact Griffith's Gnat dry fly in side profile with a dark peacock-herl body and palmered grizzly hackleReal fly photo

Dry · #14–24 in the reviewed Orvis tying source, #18–22 is a useful winter starting range; match the natural

Griffith's Gnat

A simple peacock-herl and grizzly-hackle midge dry that can suggest one tiny adult, a clustered surface meal, or another very small insect at the film.Open guide
04
Macro side photograph of a March Brown Parachute dry fly with a copper-brown body and tan upright postReal fly photo

Pattern family · Commonly #10–14; verify locally

March Brown Dry Flies

A family destination for dry flies used around March Brown mayfly adults—not one exact recipe.Open guide
05
Parachute Adams dry fly held in a vise with a white post and horizontal hackleReal fly photo

Dry · #12–22

Parachute Adams

A highly visible mayfly-style dry with an upright post and hackle wrapped horizontally around that post.Open guide
06
Technical reviewed side profile illustration of the PMD Comparadun showing upright fan wing, split tail fibers, slender pale body, no hackleIllustrated view

Dry · #14–18

PMD Comparadun

A low-riding, hackleless Pale Morning Dun dry with a fan-shaped deer-hair wing.Open guide
07
Royal Wulff dry fly in side profile against a black background, showing its upright white wing, red body band, peacock herl, and brown hackleReal fly photo

Dry · #10–18

Royal Wulff

A buoyant hair-wing attractor with white upright wings, peacock body sections, and a red center band.Open guide
08
Technical reviewed side profile illustration of Rusty Spinner showing split tails, slender rusty body, flat outstretched wings, low spent-adult profileIllustrated view

Dry · #12–18, matched to naturals

Rusty Spinner

A spent-wing mayfly pattern with a rust-brown body, divided tails, and flat outstretched wings.Open guide
09
Technical comparison for Steelhead Skater and Bomber Patterns with three labeled representative formsIllustrated view

Pattern family · No universal size; match the target species, legal hook rules, tackle, and local forage

Steelhead Skater and Bomber Patterns

A surface family separating waking or riffle-hitched skaters from bushy floating Bomber-style dries.Open guide
10
Yellow Stimulator dry fly in side profile against a dark blue backgroundReal fly photo

Dry · #4–16

Stimulator

A buoyant hair-wing attractor and stonefly-style dry built for broken water and dry-dropper use.Open guide
11
Technical reviewed side profile illustration of Sulphur Comparadun showing upright fan-shaped hair wing, split tails, low hackleless body, Sulphur-specific body toneIllustrated view

Dry · Often #14–18; verify locally

Sulphur Comparadun

A pale orange-yellow, hackleless Comparadun tied specifically for Sulphur mayfly duns.Open guide
12
Technical reviewed side profile illustration of Trico Spinner showing tiny sparse body, flat pale wing, low dry profile, no weighting in reviewed formIllustrated view

Dry · #20–24

Trico Spinner

A very small spent-wing pattern for Trico spinner falls, with a sparse low flat profile.Open guide

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