Top 10 Iowa Trout Fly Patterns: Fly Fishing the Driftless

The Driftless region of Northeast Iowa has great scenery, clear spring creeks, and great trout fishing.

Iowa trout include native brook trout, stocked rainbow trout, and wild brown trout. While you can certainly target trout with spinning gear and other tactics, fly fishing is a very effective trout fishing strategy. 

A variety of fly patterns can produce great results at different times of the year, but there are some cornerstone fly patterns that every fly angler should have in their box if they are trout fishing in Iowa.

1. Parachute Adams (sizes 12-18)

Image: Flylords

The Parachute Adams is a great mayfly imitation, which can be a great morning and evening pattern in the Driftless region, as well as a great spring and fall dry fly pattern for your arsenal. The parachute post helps keep the fly afloat, while the hackle fibers, body, and tail keep the fly afloat and entice the trout with that mayfly profile.

2. Comparadun (sizes 14-18)

Image: Fly Fish Food

This pattern works really well when there is an active “hatch” happening, where mayflies and transitioning from their nymph (aquatic) to adult (terrestrial) stage.

3.Copper John Nymph (sizes 14-18)

Image: Fly Fish Food

When the fish aren't looking up for food on the surface, the Copper John is a great subsurface mayfly pattern that can be effective year-round. These patterns often have a brass or tungsten bead, which adds weight to the pattern to help it sink into the zone where the fish are feeding. The wire body also adds a little bit of weight too, and unlike many nymph patterns, this fly pattern often will sink to the right depth without adding any split shot to your leader. Colors that are effective include copper, olive, red, and black.

4. Olive Scud (sizes 14-20)

Image: Yellow Dog Fly Fishing

The Driftless region is full of spring creeks that contain abundant aquatic vegetation. Along with this vegetation include large amounts of scuds and sowbugs that cling to the vegetation, often getting swept away to helplessly end up drifting into the mouth of an opportunistic trout. Having some patterns that mimic scuds and sowbugs can produce even if there isn't much other insect activity happening.

5. Woolly Bugger (sizes 4-10)

Image: Fly Tyer

There are also some more predatory (or at least opportunistic) trout in the Driftless region that will look for larger meals. Having a classic woolly bugger 

6. Matthew’s X Caddis

Image: Galloup's Slide Inn

Great Caddis populations exist in driftless streams. Having a pattern like this in your box will have you covered if, especially on a summer or early fall day, you run into a good Caddis hatch.

7. Pink Squirrel Nymph

Image: Tight Lines Fly Shop

This one is a staple in driftless angler fly boxes. 

As an attractor pattern that could mimic either a caddis nymph, mayfly nymph or even a scud, it is an all encompassing pattern with that pink hotspot that just seems to draw the attention of trout.

8. Zebra Midge (sizes 16-20)

Image: Smitty's Fly Box

Midges are plentiful in most trout streams, and that is no exception in Iowa. Especially during the winter months when there are less insects that are active, midges remain active, becoming a staple in a trout's diet.

9. Blowtorch nymph (sizes 14-18)

Image: Fly Fish Food

A great searching pattern, these attractor nymphs are often designed on a jig style hook and often with a tungsten bead to help the fly get quickly into the zone. The hot spots on a blowtorch nymph are hard for trout to resist.

10. Slump buster (sizes 4-10)

Image: Caddis Fly Shop

Leeches are also present in these streams, so having a leach pattern is a good idea. The slump, buster, with the bead or without, is a good way to imitate these interesting creatures. And trout definitely prefer larger meals at times.

Many fly anglers like to tie their own fly patterns, but if you are in the market to purchase some flies, make sure to check out Rod & Rivet Fly Shop in Des Moines, and Kevin, Kirby, or Jason can get you set up with the patterns that you need. If you are looking for a more unique assortment of flies or some custom patterns, feel free to get in touch with either Fly Fish Iowa or Rod & Rivet and we can get you connected with someone who can help you out with finding the right trout fly patterns for your next outing.

Tight lines, see you on the water.