Building a Seasonal Fly Box

Gear

A great fly box isn’t about quantity — it’s about coverage. Here’s how to build a box that handles every month of the year without overflowing.

Spring (March-May): BWOs, midges, March Browns, and early stoneflies. Heavy on size 18-22 mayfly patterns and small dark nymphs.

Summer (June-August): Caddis, PMDs, terrestrials, and hopper patterns. This is the time for foam, rubber legs, and aggressive presentations.

Fall (September-November): October Caddis, BWOs return, and streamers come out as fish get aggressive pre-spawn.

Winter (December-February): Midges, midges, and more midges. Tiny zebra midges and RS2s in size 20-24 will carry you through.

Blue Wing Olives (BWOs) are arguably the most important mayfly hatch in North America. They

Nymphing accounts for the vast majority of a trout’s diet, and learning to fish subsurface

Trout don’t hold randomly. Every fish in the river is making a calculation: maximum food,