The Woolly Gentleman

Regional shopStrong match

Davidson River Outfitters

Matched on Southeast & Carolinas, nymph flies, trout. Southern Appalachian trout shop lead tied to the Davidson River and regional freestones.

Southeast & Carolinasnymph fliestrout

Broad sourceStrong match

Fulling Mill Flies

Matched on nymph flies, trout, nymph. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.

nymph fliestroutnymph

Broad sourceStrong match

Big Y Fly Co.

Matched on nymph flies, trout, nymph. Broad by-type catalog useful for common benchmark patterns and inexpensive backups.

nymph fliestroutnymph

Regional shopStrong match

Driftless Angler

Matched on nymph flies, trout, spring creek. Driftless-specific trout source for spring creek nymphs, dries, and local bug windows.

nymph fliestroutspring creek

Doug Prince tied this in the 1940s and proved that you do not need to match anything specific to catch trout -- you just need to make something that looks generically edible and get it in front of a fish. The peacock herl body catches light like a disco ball for trout, the white goose biots provide contrast, and the gold rib adds a segmented flash that suggests 'important insect, must eat.' It works in mountain streams, tailwaters, and spring creeks because it exists in the Venn diagram overlap of every trout food source: 'small, dark, and in the water.'

Quick Facts

TypeNymph

Difficultybeginner

SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Target SpeciesRainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout

Sizes#10 - #16

Best LocationsWatauga River, TN; Cranberry River, WV; Davidson River, NC

Where to Fish It

Watauga River

TN · Mountain Freestone

Cranberry River

WV · Mountain Freestone

Davidson River

NC · Mountain Freestone

Map unavailable. Locations for Prince Nymph: Watauga River, TN; Cranberry River, WV; Davidson River, NC

Tellico Nymph

Find a tier or trusted source

Southeast & Carolinas

#10 - #16

Classic Appalachian nymph with yellow body, peacock herl back, and brown hackle. Originated in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Yellow/PeacockOlive/Peacock

Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Brook Trout

SprSumFallWin

Pheasant Tail Nymph

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Southeast & Carolinas

#14 - #20

Frank Sawyer's universal mayfly nymph adapted for Southeast mountain streams. Pheasant tail fibers over copper wire ribbing.

NaturalFlashbackOlive

Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Brook Trout

SprSumFallWin

Green Weenie

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Southeast & Carolinas

#10 - #16

Simple chartreuse chenille worm pattern. Imitates inchworms and caddis larvae. A Pennsylvania original that dominates Southern Appalachian waters.

ChartreuseGreenLime

Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Brook Trout

SprSumFallWin

Cumberland River Sowbug

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Southeast & Carolinas

#14 - #18

Flat-bodied isopod imitation for Kentucky's Cumberland River tailwater and Elkhorn Creek. Gray dubbing with a shellback replicates the aquatic sowbugs that thrive in limestone-rich waters.

GrayTanOlive GrayLavender

Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

SprSumFallWin

Nymphintermediate

Hellgrammite

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Southeast & Carolinas

#4 - #10

Dobsonfly larva imitation with rubber legs and dark body. The apex forage in Appalachian freestone streams. Preferred by large trout and smallmouth.

BlackDark BrownOlive/Black

Smallmouth Bass · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

SprSumFallWin

Pheasant Tail Nymph

Find a tier or trusted source

Rocky Mountain West

#14 - #20

Frank Sawyer's original, perfected by American tiers. Pheasant tail fiber body, copper wire rib. The most important nymph ever tied.

NaturalFlashbackOlive

Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Cutthroat Trout · Brook Trout · Mountain Whitefish

SprSumFallWin