Fly Tying Recipes & Patterns

Designed by J. Stockard Pro Tyer Paul Beel Follow Paul on InstagramPaul Beel of Frankenfly fame came up with this little monster he calls the Yellow Meanie. As you can probably see there's a lot going on here in terms of color and textures all of which seem to contribute to the fly's effectiveness. Paul tied it to mimic the Tippecanoe Darter bait fish common to many of the rivers and streams he regularly fishes. Retrieved with strips and pauses which allow the fly to wiggle. The yellow meanie has been an extremely productive smallmouth pattern. Materials Hook: Partridge Attitude Extra hook, size 2. Thread: Olive, 6/0 or 140-denier. Eyes: Yellow-and black Double Pupil Lead Eyes, small. Tail: Cree or Dark Barred Ginger-grizzly saddle hackle. Body: Canadian-Olive Arizona Mega Simi Seal, blended with green, orange, and yellow Franken Dub. (Since FrankenDub is no longer manufactured, Paul said to just use Rabbit dubbing in the same colors.) Flash: Rootbeer Krystal Flash. Wing: Olive arctic fox. How to Tie the Yellow Meanie 

Tied by Matt O’Neal of Savage Flies on YouTube Follow Matt on InstagramThe Slump Buster is already a fish-catching classic, but sometimes you need a more subtle option—especially in clear water or when fish are keyed in on smaller bait. That’s where this Micro Slump Buster comes in.Tied by Matt O’Neal of Savage Flies, this is a downsized version of the John Barr original. Matt trims down the profile without sacrificing the core action and realism that make the Slump Buster so effective. It still has that signature movement thanks to the zonker strip, and the conehead keeps it swimming true and getting down into the strike zone quickly.This micro version is perfect for trout, smallmouth, and even panfish in the right situations. It’s also a great fly for technical water where fish spook easily at larger streamers. Whether you’re stripping it through runs or swinging it near structure, the Micro Slump Buster is a great “get-it-done” pattern when bigger flies get refused.Materials Hook: 3x Long streamer Bead: Any, optional Thread: Black Rib: Any wire Body: Cactus chenille Wing/tail: Zonker, any color rabbit or squirrel How to Tie the Micro Slump Buster 

Originally developed by Jeff Blood for targeting lake-run rainbow trout in the Great Lakes—still commonly referred to as steelhead—the Blood Egg has proven itself as a highly versatile egg pattern that works far beyond its original intent. Tied here by Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions, this fly is simple, quick to tie, and incredibly effective.While it was designed for big migratory fish, anglers have discovered that the Blood Egg also works exceptionally well on inland trout, especially in cold water or during spawning periods when fish are keyed in on eggs. Its dense, round profile mimics a freshly dropped egg drifting naturally along the riverbed.The Blood Egg is made using a single piece of egg yarn and a unique cinching technique that forms a realistic, durable egg with very few materials. It’s a minimalist fly that packs big results.Materials Hook: Scud/emerger hook (Mustad Heritage CO68 is a good one), size 14. Thread: Cream color UTC 140 Denier. Egg Yarn 1: Cream Egg Yarn Blood Dot/Yoke: Roe How to Tie the Blood Dot Egg 

Tied by Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions.Sometimes subtlety wins the day—and during a sulphur hatch, a soft hackle can be just the thing to fool wary trout that have seen one too many dry flies. This sulphur soft hackle pattern comes from Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions and was inspired by fellow New Jersey fly tyer Matt Grobert.Tim was introduced to this style of pattern a few years ago and it quickly became one of his go-to flies for sulphur hatches. It’s an incredibly effective option when fish are feeding just beneath the surface or during the emergence phase when duns are struggling to break free of their shucks.Simple to tie and extremely versatile, the sulphur soft hackle can be swung, dead-drifted, or even fished as a dropper beneath a dry. The soft hackle pulses in the current, mimicking movement and life with every drift. Sometimes it’s all you need.Materials Hook: 1X-long nymph hook, sizes 12-18. Thread: Brown UTC, 70 denier. Tail and thorax: Pheasant-tail fibers, Rabbit Dubbing Yellow Abdomen: Fluorescent orange UTC Ultra Wire, size brassie. Adhesive: Zap-A-Gap. Hackle: Hungarian partridge. Head: Thread and head cement. How to Tie the Sulphur Soft Hackle 

Tied by Barry Ord Clarke https://thefeatherbender.com/Probably Jack Gartside’s best known pattern from the early seventies. Originally designed by Jack as a soft hackle muddler minnow but over the years has proved to be an excellent all round sub surface pattern.Materials Hook: Mustad R73 Streamer # 4-14 Tying thread: Sheer grey Tail: Pheasant marabou feather Body: Rabbit and Squirrel blended with a little Antron Hackle: Pheasant Spey hackle Collar: Pheasant after shaft featherHow to Tie the Jack Gartside Sparrow 

Tied by Barry Ord Clarke https://thefeatherbender.com/A functional emerger midge pattern with a few nice techniques. Tie it in any size from large buzzers to the smallest hatching or cripple midges in any colour you like. A must have pattern.Materials Hook: Partridge 15BNY Klinkhamer Barbless Fly Hook Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 Black Thorax: March Brown Antron Dubbing Horizontal wing: Pearl Krystal flash Vertical wing: Three natural CDC hackles (light dun)How to Tie the Midge Emerger 

Tied by Barry Ord Clarke https://thefeatherbender.com/One of the flies that No fly box should be without! This simple but classic dry fly pattern can imitate just about everything on the water that is black and can be fished the whole year round. The ideal sizes are from a # 12 down to a # 20.Materials Hook: Mustad Heritage Classic dry R50 # 16 Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 black Tail: Black cock hackle fibres Body: Superfine dubbing black Wings: Mallard duck wing slips Hackle: Natural black saddleHow to Tie the Black Gnat 

Tied by Matt O’Neal of Savage Flies on YouTubeAnother variation of the October Caddis - one of the bigger caddis flies out there. This bug is active in certain areas from September through November and if you have them in your water, it's a great pattern to fish.Materials Hook: #6-8 2x long wet Thread: Rusty brown or orange Rib: Pearl flash Body: Orange or amber fur Hackle: Partridge Head: Pheasant after shaft featherHow to Tie the October Caddis Wet Fly 

Tied by Matt O’Neal of Savage Flies on YouTubeCreated by Colonel Carey of British Columbia in the 1930s, this fly pattern was popularized by Roderick Haig-Brown in his seminal work, "The Western Angler" in 1939.Materials Hook: #6-12 wet fly Thread: Black Tail: Pheasant rump feather fibers Rib: Thread Body: Pheasant tail fibers Hackle: Pheasant rump feather, collar styleHow to Tie the Carey Special