Best Salmon Fly Patterns

Winged True Salmon Fly

This is not much of a tyers fly, due to the complexity of building the body and finding the perfectly sized Plastic Underwing, but it is one of our best fishing flies. The blocky body is a great imitation of the natural, and when the wing is dressed, it’s a high flosting fly. The wing also helps you see the fly on the water.

Fly Tying Material List

  • Hook:  3XL Size 6-8
  • Body:  Foam coated with Orange/Tan stripes with Black Top, threaded on hook
  • Thread:  Claret 6/0 Uni Thread (136D)
  • Underwing:  Shaped Plastic Wing with Veinations
  • Wing:  White Widow’s Web
  • Rear Legs:  Black Flexi Floss, Knotted
  • Rear Thorax:  Claret/Orange Sparkle Dubbing Mix
  • Mid Legs:  Black Flexi Floss, knotted
  • Front Legs:  Black Flexi Floss, knotted
  • Front Thorax:  Claret/Orange Sparkle Dubbing Mix

Super Gee Salmon Fly

This low riding Salmon Fly is very active on the water, due to the action imparted by fine ruber legs. The color is excellent at the beginning of the hatch, when the salmon Flies are at their brightest. Easier to tie than the recipe sounds!

Fly Tying Material List

  • Hook:  3XL Size 4-6
  • Thread:  Orange 6/0 Uni Thread (136D)
  • Egg Sac:  Black Dubbing
  • First Body:  2mm Brown Foam, cut to shape:
  • Tail:  Two Black Goose Biots
  • Second Body:  2mm Brown Foam, cut to shape. After being tied in, glue onto First Body, covering tail
  • Abdomen:  Pale Orange Sparkle Dubbing, dubbed over shank. Create rib of dubbing, tying down the First Body as you create the ribs
  • Wing:  Orange Krystal Flash under Tan Web Wing under Tan EP Fibers. Tan Web Wing Extends to the tip of the 2mm Brown Foam Head
  • Rear Legs: Two Fine Brown Rubber Legs, knotted, with one fiber cut off on rear portion
  • Thorax:  Pale Orange Sparkle Dubbing, wrapped in segments over both First Body and Second Body
  • Mid Legs:  Two Fine Brown Rubber Legs, knotted, with one fiber cut off on rear portion. Attached by gluing between the First Body and Second Body
  • Front Legs:  Two Fine Brown Rubber Legs, knotted, with one fiber cut off on rear portion
  • Eyes:  Burnt Monofilament, held in place by gluing the First Body to the Second Body extending over the eye
  • Antenna:  Fine Brown Rubber Legs, held in place by gluing them to the top of the second body with the Tan Web Wing

64 Impala Salmon Fly

This sparse, low floating fly is not always the easiest for the angler to see, but the fish don’t miss it. This is a big, dark fly, and is quite effective as the hatch progresses and the salmon Flies start to darken. The rubber legs give it a big profile and lots of action. A great fly for twitching (which, incidentally, helps you see it!)

Fly Tying Material List

  • Hook:  3XL Curved Shank Hook Size 4-6
  • Thread:  Orange 6/0 Uni Thread (136D)
  • Tail:  Two Orange Barred Black Round Rubber Legs
  • Abdomen/Thorax:  Two Pieces 2mm Gray Foam, tapered, one piece tied on top, one on the bottom.
  • Rib:  Orange Thread
  • Underwing:  Pearl Krystal Flash
  • Wing:  Sparse Moose Body Hair
  • Overwing:  2mm Gray Foam Cut in a V
  • Indicator:  2mm Orange Foam
  • Midlegs:  2 Pair each side Orange Barred Black Round Rubber Legs, knotted
  • Dubbing:  Orange Lite Brite
  • Front Legs: Orange Barred Black Round Rubber Legs, knotted
  • Antennae:  Orange Barred Black Round Rubber Legs

Rogue River Salmon Fly

The Rogue River Salmon Fly provides a great silhouette to the trout. It floats in the film, with just enough action to attract the trout. An excellent fly to change on the fly- the orange foam is very accepting of a black magic marker, so as the flies darken as the season progresses, the Rogue River is an easy fly to darken.

Fly Tying Material List

  • Hook:  3XL Size 4-8
  • Thread:  Fl. Flame 6/0 Uni Thread (136D)
  • Body:  Open Cell Orange Foam
  • Wing:  Orange Krystal Flash under Synthetic Plastic Wing under Moose Body Hair
  • Head/Collar:  Elk Body Hair, cut flat on the bottom
  • Legs:  Black SpanFlex

Bullet Head Salmon Fly

This is a great late season Salmon fly pattern for Montana. The black head provides a good dark contrast to the orange body, and the smaller size is a perfect silhouette for the late season bugs. The low profile imitates the slower moving, late season insects. If you want a lower floating fly, only dress the wing with floatant, and the fly will be even lower profile.

Fly Tying Material List

  • Hook:  3XL size 6-8
  • Thread:  Fl. Flame 6/0 Uni Thread (136D)
  • Egg Sac:  2mm Black Foam, folded over
  • Tail:  Black Goose Biot, one each side of the Egg Sac
  • Body:  Orange Antron, spun into rope
  • Underwing:  Fl. Red Krystal Flash
  • Wing:  Gray Calf Tail
  • Head/Collar:  Elk Body hair dyed Black
  • Rubber Legs:  Black Round Rubber Leg
  • Indicator:  2mm Orange Foam

Gould’s Half-Down Salmon Fly

This unique fly is designed to float with the abdomen submerged in the water, imitating a half drowned Salmon Fly. To maintain this effect, you only dress the wing and hackle with floatant, not the abdomen, so the abdomen sinks. Additionally, this fly doesn’t draw the slashing strikes a full floating fly does. The sunken abdomen signals to the trout this fly can’t escape, and the rises are more subtle than to a skittered fly that could get away.

Fly Tying Material List

  • Hook:  Daiichi 1730 Size 6-10
  • Thread:  Black 6/0 Uni Thread (136D)
  • Egg Sac:  Peacock Herl
  • Tail:  1 Strand Black Krystal Flash each side of Egg Sac
  • Rib:  Opal Black 1/69th Inch Flat Tinsel
  • Abdomen:  Orange Yarn
  • Underwing:  Plain Etha Wing
  • Wing:  Elk Body Hair
  • Post:  White Widows Web
  • Thorax:  Orange Yarn
  • Legs:  Black Barred Orange Sexi Floss
  • Hackle:  Brown

Morningwood Special Salmon Fly

This low floating fly performs double duty, working early and late in the hatch. The synthetic wing sparkles like the natural, and the streaked body makes the color more realistic. This is a good fly for floating a dropper, as the thicker foam body is very buoyant.

Fly Tying Material List

  • Hook:  3XL Curved Shank Hook
  • Thread:  Black 6/0 Uni Thread (136D)
  • Body:  2mm Orange Foam, mounted horizontally to the shank. Segmented with Black Thread. Streaked with Black Magic Marker
  • Rear Legs:  Black Barred Orange Sexi Floss
  • Mid Legs:  Black Barred Orange Sexi Floss, pinched between the body
  • Wing:  Gray EP fibers mixed with sparse Ripple Ice Fiber Pearl
  • Indicator:  Black Antron topped with Fl. Pink Antron
  • Head:  2mm Orange Foam pulled up from the bottom piece of body foam

Additional Salmonfly Resources

Missoula Montana Guided Fly Fishing Trip

Come enjoy a day on the river with Missoula’s best fly fishing guides. We float the Bitterroot River, Blackfoot River and the Clark Fork River. All gear, lunch and transportation provided.

Montana Guided Fly Fishing Float Trip