Sharp Dressed Man

The Sharp Dressed Man is a small stonefly nymph pattern designed to imitate one of trout’s most reliable year-round food sources. Redd’s version comes in sizes 14 and 16, making it a compact stonefly option for technical nymphing situations.

It imitates small stonefly nymphs, which live in rocky, oxygen-rich water and are a foundation of a trout’s diet. It can also work as a general buggy attractor nymph when trout are feeding subsurface.

Fish it throughout most of the year in riffles, pocket water, fast seams, rocky runs, and deeper slots where small stoneflies naturally live. It is a good choice when trout want a smaller, realistic nymph instead of a larger stonefly pattern.

Fish it under an indicator, on a tight-line/Euro nymphing rig, or as the smaller trailing fly behind a heavier nymph. Keep it drifting close to the bottom, especially around rocks and current seams where stonefly nymphs are likely to get dislodged.

Small stoneflies are available to trout for much of the year, so this pattern gives fish a familiar, natural-looking meal. Its smaller size makes it useful in clearer water, pressured conditions, or anytime trout are refusing bulkier nymphs.