If you’ve ever shared a boat with me, you already know I carry more flies than any reasonable human should. Some guides travel light—one tidy little box and a smile. Not me. I’ve got boxes for rivers, boxes for hatches, boxes for hatches that might happen, and about three boxes I swear follow me around on their own. When it comes to being prepared, I lean heavily toward “just in case.”
But even with all those options at my fingertips, the truth is I end up reaching for the same patterns over and over again. These aren’t just good flies—they’re confidence flies. They produced across runoff, summer flows, fall transitions, sunny days, stormy afternoons, and everything the Missouri, Yellowstone, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers threw at us.
So here they are: My Top 10 Flies of 2025 and why they earned their place.
1. Tailwater Sow Bug
The Missouri River wouldn’t be the Missouri without this fly. It was as consistent as ever, especially early season when fish were glued to sow bugs and scuds.
2. Zebra Midge
The quiet workhorse of the winter and spring. When things got technical, this little guy saved more days than I can count.
3. Frenchie
A heavy hitter in all water types. Slim, fast-sinking, and irresistible—especially on the lower Madison and during higher flows.
4. Zirdle
When we needed to move bigger fish or wake up a slow afternoon, the Zirdle was the go-to. Equal parts streamer and nymph, and trout fall for it every time.
5. Purple Weight Fly
This simple, loud, purple bullet produced across all four rivers. It just works—no questions asked.
6. Keller’s Ms. Tickle
This quirky little pattern shined during PMD’s hatches and sat up on the surface beautifully in soft water and heavy rapids. A pattern that earned MVF in June.
7. Hi-Vis PMD Spinner
A must-have through June and July. Easy to see, delicate on the water, and responsible for some of our best dry-fly eats of the season.
8. Parachute Adams
Still the king of versatility. When you weren’t sure what they were eating, the Adams filled the gap. A problem-solver fly every guide relies on.
9. Translucent Caddis
During strong caddis days on the Yellowstone and Gallatin, this fly was a difference-maker. Its realistic silhouette fooled plenty of picky fish.
10. Hennebery Hopper
With terrestrial season stretching deep into September, this hopper earned its keep. Floaty, visible, and irresistible enough to bring up fish even during low-water stretches.
With thousands of flies in the boat, it’s always interesting to see which ones end up doing the heavy lifting. These ten patterns made the cut this season—and they’ll absolutely be riding front and center in my boxes again for 2026.
