J. Stockard Fly Tying Blog: Techniques, Reviews, Hacks

Beautiful Flies vs. Ugly Flies

Clay CunninghamAug 31, 2016

Do you have to be able to tie flies that look like the perfect flies tied by professionals to catch fish? Absolutely not. One of the finest fly fishermen I know who fished the waters of the world from Scotland to the Rockies and Alaska is one of the worst fly tiers I have ever known. The flies that come off his fly tying vise look like one of your most productive flies that have been chewed on by dozens of trout. This expert fisherman catches fish regularly in spite of the fact his flies look like they had been chewed on for a week by a goat.

Beautiful Flies vs. Ugly Flies

Clay CunninghamAug 31, 2016

Do you have to be able to tie flies that look like the perfect flies tied by professionals to catch fish? Absolutely not. One of the finest fly fishermen I know who fished the waters of the world from Scotland to the Rockies and Alaska is one of the worst fly tiers I have ever known. The flies that come off his fly tying vise look like one of your most productive flies that have been chewed on by dozens of trout. This expert fisherman catches fish regularly in spite of the fact his flies look like they had been chewed on for a week by a goat.

The Eggie Special Dry Fly

Paul BeelJan 13, 2016

The Eggie Special is a classic Michigan dry fly that was designed by a Grayling, Michigan fly fishing legend, Eggie Bugby. This fly is known throughout the area, but intricate details have been difficult to solidify. Until now.

This May Be The Only Mouse Fly Pattern You'll Ever Need

Steve CultonNov 18, 2015

The Master Splinter mouse makes no such pretensions. It is impressionism all the way. A tail, yes, but one that creates movement in the water. An underbody of rabbit fur that pulses and breathes with the slightest touch of current. And an overbody of foam that not only forms a lifelike silhouette, but also floats like a cork. That’s it. Simple. Easy to tie. And oh so effective.

The "Killer" Beetle Fly Pattern

Joe DellariaMay 07, 2015

In my previous post, I covered the creation of a Strike-Indicator-Fly (SIF). I began developing a beetle pattern as a modification of the SIF. That is the topic of this article.

Nano Silk – World’s Strongest Thread?

J. StockardDec 09, 2014

When we first heard of Nano Silk thread and the maker’s claims of amazing strength, we were confused. A super strong silk? Maybe spun by super silk worms born on Krypton and brought on Superman’s rocket in the 1940’s? No - turns out, this product is not silk at all but fine, stranded GSP thread from SemperFli in the U.K.