Welcome to the J. Stockard Fly Fishing Blog. We’re here to share advice, how-to’s, news and inspiration about fly tying and fly fishing.
J.Stockard Pro Tyer: Brandon Bailes, Athens AL
When most people hear the words “ redeye bass” they instantly think of the Rock bass species, which carry the nickname Redeye or Goggle eye here in the south, and while they can be fun from time to time ( or an annoyance if you are after smallmouth bass) there’s actually true Redeye bass species that inhabit Alabama. They are colorful, full of fight, and live in some beautiful places! more…
Guest Blogger and YouTube Fly Tyer, Darren MacEachern of Piscator Flies
When I first started fly fishing, the easiest access to water was the still water pothole lakes of Alberta. I quickly grew to love chironomid patterns and their ability to catch fish in a variety of conditions. While chironomid patterns are simple, they cover a great range of colors and sizes. With them having hundreds of species spread over every corner of the globe, you can almost be assured any body of water will have the wriggling pupa hanging around. more…
Guest Blogger: Mike Cline, Bozeman, Montana
In 1966, the year I graduated from high school, the Academy Award for best musical score went to a farcical musical film named: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Staring Zero Mostel and among others, Buster Keaton, the film was an adaptation of the successful Broadway play by the same name. It is a classic tale of a Roman slave seeking his freedom by helping a young noble woo a young Roman maiden. Funny as hell but having nothing to do with fly fishing. Much like Buster Keaton’s character—Erronius (A befuddled old man who is partially blind and always confused). A bit of trivia, this was Keaton’s last film in an acting career that spanned 49 years from 1917-1966. But the title did spur some thought about forums, particularly forums related to fly fishing.
In lay terms, a forum can be described as: a gathering place of great social significance, and often the scene of diverse activities, including political discussions and debates, rendezvous, meetings, markets, etc. Forums supplemented the function of a conciliabulum. That would be a great name for a trout fly if you could just figure out what it looked like. Angler to fly shop clerk, “I need a dozen #12 Olive Conciliabulums.” more…
