Purple Haze

Purple Haze

The Purple Haze is a western attractor dry fly that has earned a devoted following among trout anglers for its ability to produce strikes when more imitative patterns fail. Developed by Andy Carlson on the Gallatin River in Montana, the Purple Haze combines a purple body with a parachute-style post and grizzly hackle — creating a highly visible, versatile pattern that imitates a broad range of insects while standing out enough to trigger reaction strikes from opportunistic trout. It's a reliable searching pattern from early season through fall, and a go-to fly when you want to cover water and find active fish.

Pattern Details

• Style: Attractor dry fly / searching pattern
• Color: Purple body with grizzly hackle — proven attractor color effective across a wide range of conditions and water types
• Best water: Rivers, streams, and freestone runs — riffles, runs, and pocket water throughout the season
• Techniques: Dead-drift through riffles and runs, or skated across the surface to trigger strikes from aggressive fish
• Sizes available: 12, 14

A western dry fly staple — the Purple Haze is one of those flies that just works, producing consistently as a searching pattern wherever trout are looking up.