A line, a fly, and a honest drift.

Dry flies

Dry flies float. They stand in for adult mayflies, caddis, and stoneflies, or anything else a trout will eat off the surface. Watch the drift. If the fly drags, mend or recast. Classic starters: Parachute Adams (a general mayfly), Elk Hair Caddis (skittering adult), and a Comparadun when fish are picky.

Fish sizes 12–18 on most trout water. Grease the fly and the last few inches of tippet.

Emergers

An emerger sits in or just under the film — the moment a nymph becomes a winged insect. Trout often key on this stage and ignore high-floating dries. RS2, Sparkle Dun, and CDC emergers work when you see noses but no takes on a dry.

Fish them as the point fly in a dry-dropper, or alone on 5X–6X in flat water.

Nymphs

Most trout food lives below the surface: mayfly nymphs, caddis larvae, stoneflies. A Pheasant Tail imitates many mayfly nymphs. A Hare's Ear is a fuzzy generalist. A Prince Nymph and a simple beadhead work when you need a little flash and weight. Dead-drift them. If you cannot feel or see the fly, you are not fishing it.

Sizes 12–18. Indicator or tight-line. Change depth before you change pattern.

Midges

Midges hatch year-round, especially in winter and on still water. A Zebra Midge is thread, wire, and a bead — that is the whole fly. Fish 18–22 under an indicator or as a dropper behind a larger nymph. Black, red, and olive cover most rivers.

Streamers

Streamers imitate baitfish, leeches, and large nymphs. The Woolly Bugger is the pattern that has caught more species than almost any other fly. Strip, pause, and swing. Olive, black, and white in sizes 4–10. On bigger water, add a weighted sculpin or a simple baitfish.

A 6- or 7-weight makes the cast easier when the fly is wet and heavy.

Terrestrials

Hoppers, ants, and beetles fall in from the grass. Midsummer through fall, a foam hopper along the bank is often better than a perfect mayfly. Ants on flat water in the afternoon. Beetles under trees. Slap is allowed — fish expect a clumsy landing.

Wet flies and soft hackles

Older than the dry fly. Soft hackles pulse in the current and look like an insect that just kicked free. Cast across, let the fly swing through the seam, and wait for a tug as the line comes tight. Partridge and Orange, a simple wet Adams, or a soft-hackle Pheasant Tail.

Saltwater flies

The Clouser Minnow is the saltwater workhorse — weighted eyes, bucktail, and a baitfish profile that also takes smallmouth in rivers. Add a Lefty's Deceiver for bigger bait, and a crab or shrimp pattern for flats. Use stainless or tinned hooks and rinse them after the trip.