Fly Tying
Fly Tying Bobbins 101: Everything You Need to Know
Welcome, fellow fly tying enthusiasts! If you're new to the world of fly tying or looking to upgrade your to...
Resolution: Parachute Fly 2024
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.
Matching Colors in Fly Tying and the Borger Color System
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.
Winter Fly Tying
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.
Versatile Fly Tying Materials – Pheasant Feathers
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.
Beginner Fly Tying: Matching Fly Hook and Bead Size
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.
Beginner Fly Tying: Understanding the Anatomy of a Fly Fishing Hook
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.
Anadromous Fly Company Fly Tying Scissors
J. Stockard Pro Tyer John Satkowski reviews Anadromous Fly Company and their line of high-quality, reasonably priced fly tying scissors.
Parachute Post Duel: Picking the Best Color and Material
Guest Blogger: Joe Dellaria, Learning from the River
Years ago, I thought parachute st...
My Love Affair with the Girdle Bug Fly
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.
Drowned Hopper Fly – a Life Saver
I assumed the grasshopper was floating (I find assumptions most often get me into more trouble!). I kept thinking about this as I had been using a grasshopper for over a month and had caught a few browns and turned a couple of decent fish in riffles that had missed the fly (I have often wondered whether lending these trout my trifocals would help them see the fly better!). None of the fish I had seen were anywhere near 16”. Eventually it occurred to me, maybe the grasshopper wasn’t floating. I asked him at church the next week.