5 Best Flies for Trout in Wyoming

The Parachute Adams earns the top spot in Wyoming because it works across such a wide range of conditions - from the quick pocket water of the upper Snake to the flat, gin-clear pools of the North Platte. It's a credible imitation of PMDs and Baetis, the two most important mayfly hatches in the state, which means it's relevant throughout the season.

On the North Platte and Snake, where selective fish inspect flies carefully, the parachute post keeps the fly riding flush in the film while giving you the visibility to track it through complex currents. Size down to #18 for educated fish and up to #14 as a searching pattern in riffles where nothing specific is hatching.

On the Bighorn River, the San Juan Worm isn't a gimmick - it's a core component of any serious nymph rig. Aquatic worms are abundant in the rich macroinvertebrate communities of tailwater fisheries, and the Bighorn's trout have learned to key on them year-round. Red and pink in #12 are the standard starting point.

It performs equally well during post-storm conditions when rising water washes terrestrial worms into the river, which happens regularly on Wyoming's freestone rivers through summer and fall. Fish it tight to the bottom with a heavy point fly and a San Juan Worm as a dropper for maximum effectiveness.

Caddisflies dominate Wyoming's freestone rivers from late spring through early fall. The Snake, Green River, and Shoshone all have strong caddis populations, and the Elk Hair Caddis covers this hatch better than any other single pattern. Tan in #14–16 handles most situations on Wyoming water.

The fly is also an excellent searching dry when fish aren't visibly rising - its buoyancy and silhouette suggest a healthy adult insect, and trout will often come up for it even during slow periods. Fish it through riffles and along foam lines for the best results.

BWO nymphs are present in significant numbers in every Wyoming trout river, and the Pheasant Tail Nymph is their best representation. On the North Platte, where precise nymphing through deep runs is often the most productive approach, the PT Nymph under an indicator is a reliable producer throughout the season.

The bead-head version gets down efficiently in Wyoming's deeper runs, while an unweighted PT fished in the film during a hatch is sometimes the only thing that works on pressured Bighorn fish. Carry both versions in #16–20.

Blue-Winged Olives are Wyoming's most important shoulder-season hatch, and the North Platte is the epicenter. From mid-September through October, overcast days trigger massive BWO emergences that send large browns into active surface-feeding behavior. A #20 BWO fished on 6X tippet during these conditions is about as good as dry-fly fishing gets anywhere.

Spring BWO hatches in March and April also provide excellent fishing on the Bighorn and Green River before warmer weather and runoff take over. These early-season hatches often occur during afternoon warmth and can be surprisingly intense even in cold weather.