NymphintermediatePacific Northwest
Kaufmann's Stonefly Nymph
$4.95
Available Sizes#4 - #10
Color Variations
BrownBlackGolden
Randall Kaufmann designed this stonefly nymph specifically for the Deschutes River, where stoneflies are not insects so much as a food group. The turkey tail shellback, dubbed body, and rubber legs create a realistic profile that tumbles along the bottom like the real thing, getting eaten by trout that have been eating real stonefly nymphs since they were fingerlings. It is a pattern born from intimate knowledge of a specific river and a specific insect, and it works on every freestone river in the Pacific Northwest because the stoneflies are the same everywhere -- big, ugly, and irresistible to anything that swims.
Quick Facts
TypeNymph
Difficultyintermediate
SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Target SpeciesRainbow Trout, Steelhead
Sizes#4 - #10
Best LocationsDeschutes River, OR; Yakima River, WA; Rogue River, OR
Where to Fish It
Deschutes River
OR · Freestone River
Yakima River
WA · Freestone River
Rogue River
OR · Freestone River
Map unavailable. Locations for Kaufmann's Stonefly Nymph: Deschutes River, OR; Yakima River, WA; Rogue River, OR
Related Reading
seasonal playbook
The Spring Playbook: First Hatches to Full Send
Spring is the most dynamic season in fly fishing — water temperatures swing daily, hatches emerge in waves, and fish that have been dormant for months begin feeding with increasing urgency. This is your region-by-region playbook for fishing the awakening.
hatch guide
Stoneflies: When Big Bugs Bring Big Fish
Stonefly hatches produce the most explosive dry-fly fishing of the season. From the legendary salmonfly emergence on western rivers to golden stones across the Pacific Northwest, these big bugs bring the biggest trout to the surface. Consider this your field guide to fishing Plecoptera — the clean-water giants that make twenty-inch trout eat flies the size of your thumb.
technique
Reading Stream Gauges: Flow Data for Better Fishing
Every major trout and steelhead river in America has a USGS gauge station publishing real-time flow and temperature data for free. Learning to read it is like having a scout on the river around the clock. Here's how to turn CFS numbers and trend lines into fish-catching intelligence.
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