Have you ever had a hankerin’ to have something just because it is handmade and truly beautiful besides beings a great tool? Well, if so, you need to have a close look a Faruk Ekich’s DamaSeal Vise. Faruk is the developer and manufacturer of the Ekich Ultimate Bobbin (see review under Fly Tying, Fly Tying […]
Here’s another caddis design that I find exceptional. Others have fished it with shot like a nymph, pulled it under and fished it with a rapid retrieve, and many other ways. It’s one of my favorites for the Down Dry/Up Wet tactic discussed in Fishing the Film. All you need is some deer hair and […]
Yes, Virginia, there really is a Woolly-Worm-looking insect. Several in fact. They are all larva of various aquatic insects, including The Hellgrammite, fishfly larvae, various beetle larvae, alderfly larvae, and the larvae of the aquatic moths. All of them have many lateral appendages that are nicely simulated by the palmered hackle of the Woolly Worm […]
While the mayflies are hatching well, now in this warm weather, the caddises are not being left behind. One of the adult caddis patterns that I use is the Poly Caddis. It’s easy to tie, rides well in the surface film, and has the glint of reality in the winging material. It can be readily […]
Our weather has gone from cool and rainy to hot and then some with powerful T-sotrms, hail, and tornadoes in only a few days. Today, June 7, the temp. in north central Wisconsin will hit 91-93. That’s August weather. Of course it has really played a mind game with the hatches. The Hendrickson’s which had […]
When dressing dun imitations in sizes 16 and smaller, the tyer has a serious challenge: Tying a fly that is close to the weight of the natural. Even the weight of the hook is equal to or greater than the weight of such small insects. So for these small duns I like to use a […]
When I wrote Designing Trout Flies in 1991, I had not yet discovered Twinkle Organza as a winging material. It was up to Bob Brooks, then manager of the Hot Creek Ranch, to show me this material one July when I was there with Nancy and Jason to fish the Trico spinner fall. His little […]
Of all the medium-sized mayfly designs that I’ve fished over the years, this one is the best. Its single wing causes the fly to slide aerodynamically through the air when cast. The poly yarn of the wing sparkles and twinkles like the wing of the natural while still allowing some light to pass through. The […]
When the fish get picky in the Hendrickson hatch, it’s time to give them the emerger. The one I use is easy to tie, gets right down in the film at the fish’s level, and looks just right. It uses a dubbing ball for the unfolding wing pads. This is a technique that I first […]
The Hendricksons are upon us, and it’s time to haul out the old vise and crank a few imitations. I love the Hair Leg Nymph style for all my mayfly nymph imitations. It’s a very easy design to tie, quite rugged, and highly effective. While mayfly nymphs vary in color, this Red Brown Nymph works […]