Streamer fishing is always fun. It’s a good way to bring out the big fish that are holding out for something meaty. We’ve listed out some of the most iconic streamer patterns on the market, covering everything from a classic Kreelex to a couple of infamous Galloup patterns.
Head to your local fly shop to find one of the streamers listed below or try tying your own!
Double Gonga
The Double Gonga by Charlie Craven is a big streamer with an articulated body. It has lead eyes to give it weight and is relatively easy to cast. It pushes a little water but is known for its big action to attract even the wariest and most uninterested of trout. It is a good size river pattern.
Drunk and Disorderly
The Drunk and Disorderly streamer by Tommy Lynch is known for its erratic action. The wedge head and articulated body gives it plenty of flash and movement. It has a deer hair head, so it tends to fish close to the surface. You can’t go wrong with white pearl, olive or yellow colors.
Barely Legal
The Barely Legal by Kelly Galloup is a must-have streamer for many fishermen. This streamer is 3-½” long and the olive/white color with a black conehead is the most popular. It is an articulated baitfish design with large amounts of marabou and a whole lot of flash. Don’t be afraid to fish the Barely Legal with a sink tip, sinking or floating line. It is a streamer for all occasions.
Learn How to Roll Cast With Our Experts
The Dragon
John Bond’s Dragon is a big fly with a lot of material. It will swim for days. It has an articulated body with a two-hook design. It has great movement and is well-known on the Yellowstone River. The broad shape of the head is provided by arctic fox hair up front. The movement in the rear section of the streamer is provided by a healthy amount of marabou and chenille.
The Bunny Leech
The conehead Bunny Leech has a deadly up and down movement that imitates dying bait fish. It is a simple streamer that works well on aggressive big fish. It’s known for its cone-shaped head and rabbit hide body. It is a versatile bait with a free-flowing body that moves well through the water. This streamer works well on a variety of fish, often enticing big hits.
Muddler Minnow
The Muddler Minnow is original to Minnesota’s Don Gapen. It’s a sculpin imitation but similar to many of the things that trout call dinner. If you can, find the ones made with marabou tails. The marabou counteracts the hollow deer hair and allows the back-end to hang low. It’s a great fly to fish lower in the water column.
Kamikaze Sculpin
The Kamikaze Sculpin seems to be perfected by Matt Winkler. It’s a single hook design that works well when wade fishing. The simple pattern is good for bringing through runs. There are a variety of color patterns that imitate almost anything you need. When tied zonker style, the swimming action of the rabbit is unbeatable.
JJ Special
The JJ Special was made famous by Jim Jones (JJ), and with the right colors, you can imitate almost anything. Crawfish colors are the most popular, but the rubber legs give it a pop of color. Its dumbbell eyes let you fish deep. It is meant to be fished like any other streamer, but many find it cases you can fish it on a swing as well.
Check Out Our Video on the Basics of Fly Fishing Here
The Mini Dungeon
The Mini Dungeon by Kelly Galloup is a meaty double hook streamer with an articulated body. The dumbbell head gives it the weight you need. It carries a lot of marabou so it will absorb water, giving it a jig type action. Try fishing it in yellow or olive.
Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow
Well known on the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, the Sparkle Minnow is now catching fish across the West. The body is made out of a Wing-n-Flash and has a tri-colored marabou tail. You can fish this little streamer almost any way you want. The sculpin/baitfish imitation is deadly when thrown against banks and aggressively stripped.
Kreelex Minnow
Chuck Kraft created the Kreelex or Rolex Minnow for trout fishing, but the deadly streamer will catch most anything. It quickly sinks in the water columns, but don’t be afraid to fish shallows with it. You will love the copper/gold combination and the flash it provides.
It’s Time to Load Up
There is never a bad time to take inventory of your streamers. Do a little homework and see what is popular on the water you are fishing. It may vary depending on the time of year you are on the water, but knowing what to use and when goes a long way to putting fish on the reel. These streamer fly patterns will have you taking more pictures of fish and fewer pictures of the sunset.
