NymphbeginnerMidwest & Driftless
Black Hills Pheasant Tail
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Driftless Angler
Matched on Midwest & Driftless, nymph flies, trout. Driftless-specific trout source for spring creek nymphs, dries, and local bug windows.
Fly Fish Food
Matched on nymph flies, trout, mayfly. Strong technical tying and trout catalog coverage, especially nymphs, dries, and stillwater flies.
Fulling Mill Flies
Matched on nymph flies, trout, nymph. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.
Big Y Fly Co.
Matched on nymph flies, trout, nymph. Broad by-type catalog useful for common benchmark patterns and inexpensive backups.
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The Black Hills are famous for Mount Rushmore, Sturgis, and Deadwood, but the trout fishing is the attraction that requires no admission fee and delivers more thrills than a motorcycle rally. Rapid Creek flows through the heart of the Hills and holds brown and rainbow trout that have been eating pheasant tail nymphs since before anyone thought to name the pattern. This tungsten-bead version sinks fast through the creek's quick freestone runs, putting the fly in the strike zone before the current carries it past the fish. Spearfish Creek adds another dimension -- a canyon stream with pocket water that rewards short, precise drifts and a willingness to scramble over boulders. The pheasant tail fibers look like every small mayfly nymph in these waters, which is a lot of mayfly nymphs.
Quick Facts
Where to Fish It
Rapid Creek
SD · Freestone Creek
Spearfish Creek
SD · Canyon Creek
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