Alright, let me tell you about this little gem I've been crushing trout with lately - the Rock Worm. You know how trout just can't resist those squirmy caddis larvae crawling along the bottom? Well, this fly's about as close as you'll get without actually dunking your hand in the river and grabbing the real thing.

Here's how I tie 'em - and mind you, I've tweaked this pattern more times than I can count after evenings on the Madison watching what those picky browns were keying in on. Start with either a curved or straight nymph hook - honestly, I kinda prefer the curved ones for this pattern, gives it that natural hunchback look caddis larvae have when they're crawling around.

For the body, grab some fine dubbing in whatever color matches your local bugs - greens work great out here in Montana, but I've had days where tan or brown absolutely killed it. Trick is to keep it sparse, you don't want some bloated thing that looks like it's been eating too many algae burgers. Wrap it with some fine wire or contrasting thread for segmentation - that little ribbing makes all the difference when the light hits it just right underwater.

Now here's where I differ from some tiers - I always build up the thorax just a bit with extra dubbing. Makes it look like it's ready to pupate, and trout seem to go nuts for that. Some folks slap a bead on the head for weight (and let's be real, we've all lost enough flies to the river gods that any extra help getting down is welcome), but I find it can spook fish in clearer water.

The real magic? That soft hackle collar. Partridge is my go-to - the mottling just looks so damn natural in the water, gives that perfect little leg movement as it drifts. I remember one time on the Gallatin, switched to partridge after my hen hackle wasn't getting touches and bam - three fish in as many casts. Some patterns skip the hackle entirely (like that one in the picture up there), but to me that's like serving steak without salt - technically edible, but why would you?

Speaking of movement, that's what makes this fly sing. Those caddis larvae aren't just sitting pretty - they're twitching, drifting, doing their little underwater dance. Fish this thing dead drift with occasional tiny twitches and hold on. Works great as a dropper behind a bigger attractor, but don't sleep on fishing it solo with some euro tactics in those deeper slots.

Best part? It's not rocket science. Find where the caddis are thick (check those rocks in slower currents), match the general size and color, and get it down near the bottom. I've taken everything from brookies to hogs with this pattern - just last week watched a 20" rainbow absolutely inhale it after ignoring everything else in my box.

Now where was I... oh right - main thing is keep it simple, keep it natural, and for god's sake don't overthink it. Fish are dumb until they're not, and this fly makes 'em act real stupid. Tight lines, buddy.