Our new book, Long Flies, is getting closer. Watch for announcements about its release date and any special offers.

Long Flies is a solid look at the developmental history of bucktails, streamers, leeches, buggers, muddlers, divers, collard flies, tube flies, and more, with special attention to design parameters. In addition, it contains an in-depth look at all manner of fishing tactics with long flies, including all the stripping tactics, nymphing tactics, stream drifting, the Baitfish from L, and so much more. But I am especially proud of the incredible photos that Jason has shot of 81 of the numerous flies discussed in the text. These are flies that illustrate the design parameters of log flies.  Here’s a excerpt from the text with the fly that is discussed.

Still Got the Blues for You

Every once in a while one comes across an idea so uniquely creative that it lodges in the old gray matter in a rather permanent way. Thus , when I saw the creative design of Ulf Hagstrom’s “Still Got the Blues for You,” I immediately wanted to know more. He designed this fly to fish for sea run browns along the coast of his native Sweden. It is clearly a long fly with some wiggle room—as in a tail that actually swims. This imitation not only creates a displacement wave, it creates one that imitates the moving tail of a swimming minnow. The Fish-Skull gets it deep, and the tail keeps it rev-ing along like the real thing (Fly 10.75). As Ulf says,

“Now you might ask why I use two feathers for the tail. I haven’t seen any fish with a double tail fin like that have you? Well the answer is simple. The curving shape of any feather will make the fly rotate like a propeller if you only use one, if you use two you will have them work against each other, creating a nice vibrant movement.”

There’s a great deal of potential in this design for all sorts of additions and adaptations. This fly represents not only a creative splash of genius, but clearly indicates that long flies have not yet reached the pinnacle of their design arc.

Fly 10.75: Still Got the Blues for You; tied by Ulf Hagstrom. Photo by Jason Borger.