Fly Tying

Guest Blogger: Mary S. Kuss, Life-long avid angler, licensed PA fishing guide, founder of the Delaware Valle...

Welcome, fellow fly tying enthusiasts! If you're new to the world of fly tying or looking to upgrade your to...

Despite the fact that I’ve been tying flies for more than 60 years, I’ve never really tackled the parachute or paraloop tying techniques with any gusto. Yeah, I’ve tried and if you examined parachute or paraloop flies that have made it into my fly boxes, you’d immediately conclude that I didn’t know what I was doing and you’d be spot on. Notwithstanding having watched countless videos of tiers of creating perfect parachute patterns, I had not even come close to producing a decent parachute style fly. This had to change and with good reason.

Some fly fishers are fairly casual about color. They will simply buy whatever flies are on offer in the in the fly shop bins.  Or, if they tie their own flies, they will purchase a packet of tying material labeled as appropriate for the hatch in question.  Other fly fishers can be quite obsessive on this issue.  They have a very definite search image of what the “right” color is for a given purpose.

Maybe you’re one of those hard-core types who fly fishes all winter. Or perhaps you have the means and opportunity to travel, and pursue your fishing in warmer climes. If not, by the time December rolls around you have most likely packed up your gear until spring.

Pheasant, in particular the feathers of the Common or Ring Neck Pheasant, couldn’t be more versatile—"able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities” for the fly tyer. 

Beads are a common and versatile component used in fly tying. Beads serve various purposes in fly tying and can enhance the effectiveness, attractiveness, and functionality of your flies. Here's some key information about beads for fly tying.

The first step in any fly recipe is ‘choose your fly hook’! Therefore, understanding the various shapes, components, or parts of a fly hook, the ‘ fly hook anatomy’, is a great place for any beginner fly tyer to start.

J. Stockard Pro Tyer John Satkowski reviews Anadromous Fly Company and their line of high-quality, reasonably priced fly tying scissors.

The Poly Dun Poly Dun PMD Fly Recipe Hook: 2X-fine dry-fly hook, s...

Guest Blogger: Joe Dellaria, Learning from the River  Years ago, I thought parachute st...

Blogger Joe Dellaria tells the back story of the girdle bug, an easy-to-tie, durable fly. He then goes in depth on how to tie it, useful variations, and the products he finds work best to tie this reliable fly.