Wet FlyintermediatePacific Northwest
General Practitioner
$8.95
Available Sizes#2 - #8
Color Variations
OrangeYellowRed
Esmond Drury created the General Practitioner for Atlantic salmon on British rivers, but the pattern found its true calling on the steelhead rivers of the Pacific Northwest. The orange hackle and golden pheasant tippet create a silhouette that vaguely resembles a prawn, which steelhead remember from their ocean feeding years the way retirees remember their favorite restaurant. It is a pattern with pedigree, history, and a catch rate that transcends both. When you swing a GP through a steelhead run, you are connected to a tradition that predates nylon, graphite, and the internet. The fish do not care about any of that. They just eat it.
Quick Facts
TypeWet Fly
Difficultyintermediate
SeasonsSummer, Fall, Winter
Target SpeciesSteelhead, Chinook Salmon
Sizes#2 - #8
Best LocationsNorth Umpqua River, OR; Rogue River, OR; Klickitat River, WA
Where to Fish It
North Umpqua River
OR · Freestone River
Rogue River
OR · Freestone River
Klickitat River
WA · Freestone River
Map unavailable. Locations for General Practitioner: North Umpqua River, OR; Rogue River, OR; Klickitat River, WA
Related Reading
region guide
Pacific Northwest Steelhead: The Complete Guide
Steelhead are the fish of a thousand casts. In the Pacific Northwest's rainforest rivers, anglers swing intricately tied flies through emerald runs for the chance at one explosive take from a chrome-bright sea-run rainbow. This is the complete guide to the pursuit.
species science
Chrome and Current: The Science of Steelhead
Steelhead are rainbow trout that went to sea and came back transformed — chrome-bright, ocean-strong, and wired with a grab reflex that makes them eat flies they have no biological reason to eat. Understanding the science behind the chrome changes how you fish for them.
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