5 Rainbow Trout Flies That Catch More Fish

by Darby @ Fly Fish And Camp | Last Updated: April 4, 2020

Looking for some killer Rainbow Trout flies?  I’ve got a list for you.

Rainbow Trout are some of the most beautiful fish on the planet to fish for, but can sometimes be a struggle to catch.  Rainbows will elude an entire box full of flies if the right fly isn’t in front of them.  In this article I wrote about what I believe to be the best Rainbow Trout flies that will surely catch you more fish the next time you go out!

Here are the 5 best Rainbow Trout flies

• Parachute Adams 
• Elk Hair Caddis
• Morrish Mouse 
• Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear 
• Pheasant Tail 

Catching a Rainbow Trout on a fly is probably one of the most exciting activities that one can do in the outdoors, in my opinion.  The 5 flies on this list are surely going to be putting you up a couple rainbows as soon as you hit the river!

Best Rainbow Trout Flies

Parachute Adams (dry fly)

I don’t think that any list about the best trout fishing flies is complete without the Parachute Adams fly.  For some reason the Rainbow Trout simply love these dry flies.  It imitates a variety of aquatic animals such as Mayflies and Caddis flies.   Because it is a dry fly, it floats on top of the water.  If the water conditions are clear, and the water isn’t super deep, the Parachute Adams fly can help you catch a lot of fish.

Parachute Adams Dry Fly

This fly can also be extremely hot during the hatch, but also isn’t limited to only the hatch.  It can be very lucrative throughout the majority of the trout fishing season.  If you don’t have any of the Parachute Adams in your fly box this season, you are missing out big time.

Check out the latest price of the Parachute Adams on Avid Max.

Elk Hair Caddis (dry fly)

Probably my second favorite Rainbow Trout fly is the Elk Hair Caddis.  This fly imitates Stoneflies and Caddis flies, two meals of which Rainbows are very keen too.  The Elk Hair Caddis is going to turn your Rainbow Trout fishing much more enjoyable next time you are on the river!

Elk Hair Caddis Fly

Similar to the Parachute Adams, the Elk Hair Caddis floats on top of the water.  This fly however works very well when the water conditions are turbulent and tumbling.  This is because it gives the fly the natural look of a Caddis Fly.  Trout love these little guys if you fish them in the right conditions, and make the fly look realistic in the water.

Check out the latest price of the Elk Hair Caddis on Avid Max. 

Morrish Mouse (streamer)

The Morrish Mouse is a newer fly that has grown in popularity in recent years as one of the best trout flies available.  This big guy uses a combination of hair and foam to create a tasty little hook for the Rainbows to gobble up.

Morrish Mouse

The Morrish Mouse imitates little rodents swimming through the water.  Now you might be thinking that trout would never eat an actual rodent, but that’s actually not true.  Trout will eat a lot a wide variety of food throughout the year, and to discount a mouse as potential bait is a wasted opportunity!  Throwing a couple of these bad boys into your streamer box this season is a great idea and will most likely catch you a lot of fish!

Check out the latest price of the Morrish Mouse on Trident Fly Fishing.

Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear (nymph)

Next up on my list of the best Rainbow Trout flies is the Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear Nymph.  This is personally one of my favorite nymphs to use while I’m trout fishing because it rarely fails.  It imitates a lot of different bugs and insects such as Mayfly Nymphs, Scuds and Sow Bugs.  All of which are Rainbow Trout meals.

Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear

The Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear nymph has been one of the best flies that fly fisherman across the world use to catch Rainbow Trout.  It looks good, can be used in a variety of situations and they catch a lot of fish.  Do yourself a favor and pick up some of these little nymphs for the next time you go out on the river.

Check out the latest price of the Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear on Cabela’s.

Pheasant Tail (nymph)

The final fly on this list is the Pheasant Tail nymph.  A staple in a lot of trout fishers fly boxes, the Pheasant Tail nymph has produced Rainbow Trout for around 60 years.   There isn’t very many flies in the fly fishing game that have stuck around for as long as the Pheasant Tail Nymph.

Pheasant Tail Nymph

It’s one of the best nymphs on the planet to imitate Mayflies and other aquatic larvae.  Because it’s a nymph, it drops directly in front of the trout’s face in the water.  This has significant advantages over dry flies that just float on top of the water.  When the nymph floats by, directly in front of the fish’s face, there is a much higher percentage that the fish will bite; compared to the Rainbow swimming to the top of the water to grab a fly.  Of course I am not saying that dry flies do not work, just saying that the Pheasant Tail nymph and other nymphs can have certain advantages over others when fishing for Rainbow Trout.

There is a reason that this fly has been in the game for so long.  It works.

Check out the latest price of the Pheasant Tail Nymph on Trident Fly Fishing.

Related: Ranking The Best Trout Dry Flies of All Time

Those are the best flies for Rainbow Trout.

I personally wouldn’t go out fishing for Rainbow Trout without at least three of those types of flies on this list.  The Elk Hair Caddis might absolutely slay the Rainbows in one stream while the Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear nymph might be the ticket on the stream ten miles down the road!  Have a ready selection at your side is the best choice that you can make next time you are going Rainbow Trout fishing!

I hope this article helped you out, best of luck and tight lines my friend!