This is a pattern that continues to grow in popularity, the Utah Killer Bug.  Mentioned to me by my buddy Tom, this is a no-nonsense pattern that catches fish.  It's a simple tie, and looks extremely buggy when wet.  There are also additional colors you can select, which opens up even more possibilities for the Utah Killer Bug.

Napoleon's Dynamite is a fly that has grown in popularity with many nymph fly fishermen, especially those who enjoy European nymphing.  The pattern rides hook point up, and its thin body and heavy bead allow this fly to get to the bottom of the water column quickly.  There are a couple hot spots that can be added to this pattern, thus feel free to vary the materials to meet your fishing needs. 

The Czech Catnip, created by George Daniel, is a fly intended to be tied in larger sizes, and fished deep.  There is a lot of weight to this pattern, and I frequently use the Czech Catnip as an anchor fly.  This is an easy fly to tie, and has been successful for me in faster currents for trout.

One of the most popular flies to fish today, John Barr created a keeper with this pattern.  The secret to this fly's success is the fact that the heavy weight allows the Copper John to remain at the bottom of streams and rivers when fished.  During this tutorial, I modify the pattern slightly by giving it some qualities of Frank Sawyer's Pheasant Tail, thus making it easier to tie for beginners. 

Varying Frank Sawyer's classic Pheasant Tail, this version includes flashback material covered with UV glue.  This is an extremely effective fly that does a great job of imitating mayfly nymphs.  The Flashback Pheasant Tail is a fly I turn to frequently when initially fishing a river or stream with little knowledge of the insect life.

Created by Ian Colin James, the Brass Ass is a fly that was originally designed as a steelhead pattern.  Its popularity has grown, and the Brass Ass is quickly becoming a favorite of many for trout, especially with those utilizing European nymphing techniques.  There are many color variations available to you, thus have fun experimenting with this pattern.

The Skinny Nelson, created by Tracy Peterson, is a fly that has performed well for me over the last few years, most likely due to the slim body profile.  In this tutorial, I discuss the procedures for this nymph, but also get into the notion of variations available, including a great one for the Skinny Nelson as a midge pattern.

Though not the traditional soft hackle most expect, Mark DeFrank's pattern is intended for steelhead from the Great Lakes.  Combining traditional soft hackle with modern materials, this is a fly that works excellent on steelhead, though also versatile when fly fishing for trout.  I recommend trying out this DeFrank's Grim Reaper!

The Hot Wire Prince nymph combines key qualities from the Copper John and Prince nymph, hence making it an excellent searching pattern.  I prefer to fish the Hot Wire Prince in faster water currents, and have a variety of color combinations in my fly box.