Dry Flybeginner

Rocky Mountain West

Elk Hair Caddis

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Available Sizes#12 - #18

Color Variations

TanOliveBlack

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Mapped profile

Rocky Mountain Fly Design

Mapped tier profile for this pattern family. Confirm exact tying availability with the tier before relying on stock.

mapped tierFort Collins, CO

Regional shop

Taos Fly Shop

Matched on Rocky Mountain West, dry flies, trout. New Mexico/Southwest trout shop lead for Rio Grande, San Juan, Pecos, and high desert water.

Rocky Mountain Westdry flies

Broad catalog

Fly Fish Food

Matched on dry flies, trout, caddis. Strong technical tying and trout catalog coverage, especially nymphs, dries, and stillwater flies.

dry fliestrout

Regional shop

Dette Flies

Matched on dry flies, trout, caddis. Catskill lineage fly shop with deep dry-fly, wet-fly, and Northeast trout relevance.

dry fliestrout

These are independent businesses. A listing does not imply endorsement or partnership. TWG currently receives no purchase commission from these links. Any future paid or affiliate relationship will be labeled beside the relevant link.

Al Troth tied the first one in Dillon, Montana, and the trout fishing world has never been the same. The elk hair wing makes it float through pocket water that would drown a lesser fly, and the palmered hackle creates a footprint on the surface that says 'caddis' in every trout dialect. When in doubt in the Rockies, this is the doubt-resolver.

Meet the Tier

Chris Krueger

Rocky Mountain Fly Design

Fort Collins, CO

Chris ties every fly to order from his bench in Fort Collins — no factory batches, no imported hooks. His signature series and direct-to-angler catalog have earned a loyal following.

Tied-to-order, signature series, full e-commerce

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Quick Facts

TypeDry Fly

Difficultybeginner

SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall

Target SpeciesRainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout

Sizes#12 - #18

Best LocationsMadison River, MT; Yellowstone River, MT; Ruby River, MT

Where to Fish It

Madison River

MT · Freestone River

Yellowstone River

MT · Freestone River

Ruby River

MT · Freestone River

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Related Reading

region guide

Rocky Mountain Trout: A River-by-River Guide

The Rocky Mountain West holds the finest trout rivers in North America. From the gin-clear tailwaters of Colorado to the sweeping freestone rivers of Montana, these waters offer everything from technical dry fly fishing to aggressive streamer hunting. This is your river-by-river guide to all of it.

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The Summer Guide: Long Days and Willing Fish

Summer is fly fishing's season of abundance. Sixteen-hour days, prolific hatches, aggressive fish, and the full spectrum from mountain trout to saltwater flats. This is your playbook for making the most of the warmest, longest, most generous months of the fishing year.

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Caddis: The Underrated Hatch

Caddisflies outnumber mayflies on most trout streams, yet they receive a fraction of the attention. From the explosive Mother's Day caddis hatch to the giant October caddis of the Pacific Northwest, understanding Trichoptera transforms your fishing from spring through fall.

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Reading Water: Finding Fish by Reading Structure

Every river tells you where the fish are, if you know how to listen. Reading water is the fundamental skill that separates productive anglers from persistent ones. The ability to look at a stretch of river and identify the handful of spots that hold fish — and dismiss the vast majority that don't — is worth more than a lifetime of fly pattern knowledge.

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Fly Selection: A Decision Tree for Every Situation

Most anglers open their fly box and stare at it like a menu in a foreign language. But fly selection isn't mystical — it's a decision tree. Start with what the fish are eating, narrow by presentation depth, match the profile and size, and you'll arrive at the right fly in under sixty seconds. Here's the system.

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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.

seasonal playbook

The Fall Guide: Changing Seasons, Changing Tactics

Fall is when the fishing world rearranges itself. Brown trout become aggressive and territorial as spawning urges override caution. Steelhead push into Pacific Northwest rivers on autumn rain. Striped bass blitz baitfish along the Northeast coast. And trout streams that were too warm in August cool into prime condition. Here's how to fish every opportunity the changing season offers.

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Catch and Release: The Science of Fish Survival

We release fish and feel good about it. But does the fish survive? The science is both encouraging and sobering. Catch-and-release mortality varies from nearly zero to over forty percent depending on species, water temperature, fight duration, handling, and a handful of other factors entirely within the angler's control. Here's what the research says and how to maximize survival.