Top 3 Euro Nymphs for Yellowstone National Park
By Connor Truman
Every Outdoors page has its TOP 5 LURES FOR TROUT articles… Well, we needed one and as the resident Fly Fishing Guide and fly tier, I figured I could let a few secrets out. So here are my personal top 3 European Nymphs for your fly fishing trip in Yellowstone National Park.
Golden Stonefly
The first European nymph you need to have in your box is the Golden Stonefly with Rubber Legs. This Fly is devastating in the first weeks of clear water and really throughout the entire season. On the Gibbon River, this singular fly has caught Rainbow, Brown, Brook Cutthroat, and Cutbows. It also has caught the elusive Arctic Grayling, which is one of, if not my favorite fish to catch in the YNP ecosystem. I personally like the fly in sizes 12-14 with a black bead and use this fly as my point fly. Make sure to have a few extras just in case your buddy ( Rod ) needs one and loses it. I like to run a smaller fly above it, such as a size 18 Guides Choice hare's ear or Frenchie on a 5x tippet.
Orange Bead Headed Sow Bug
The second fly that is a must-have while in Yellowstone National Park is an Orange Bead Headed Sow Bug ( Found in the Wyoming Trout Guides Fly Shop in Cody, Wyoming ). The sowbug is a very close match to the Scud, which is a freshwater shrimp that lives in much of the park's bodies of water. The fish in YNP feast on these small crustaceans throughout the entire year. The reasoning behind using an orange bead is to match the little bit of orange found on salmon flies as well as match the orange color of the Scud. These Flies are fairly durable and in a single day, Coltin and I caught over 240 Brook, Brown, and Cutthroat trout on the same 2. Sized at 12-14 these flies are great when paired with a size 18 copper john or something more natural like a pheasant tail.
Sexy Walt Worm
The final must-have Euro Nymph is the Sexy Walt Worm. This fly has caught me more species of fish across the United States and Yellowstone National Park is no exception. Combined with a pink, purple, or orange bead head this fly is killer. The original Walt Worm was created in Pennsylvania in the 1980’s and is still great but, with the added hotspot and bead colors it becomes an incredible attractor pattern. I typically use this fly later in the season when the fish have been heavily pressured and are a little more picky about their food choices. Sizes 16-18 with 5x or 6x tippet and no top fly really help this get deep down to where the spooky and finicky late-season trout dwell.
