While sitting at the vise today, I decided to celebrate the 4th of July. Here’s what popped out the jaws.

While sitting at the vise today, I decided to celebrate the 4th of July. Here’s what popped out the jaws.


This is my final post for the year and I’d like to share some of my favorite memories from 2024 on RiverKeeper Flies. The image above is from the Kaldakvisl River in Iceland. We took a photography tour in May, coinciding with the bird migration and ended our trip with a couple days fly fishing for…

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Stewart’s Black Spider. Stewart’s Black Spider is from his book entitled The Practical Angler (1857). Copyright laws no longer apply and you can download the book by clicking HERE. Be sure to check out my Links to Free Old Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Books. One of my readers…

This is a post Steve Haigh from The Destination Angler published on 3/2/2026 to summarize the episode we recorded with him titled Dry Fly Nomads Across the American West | John & Karen Kreft. I shared links to his YouTube channel and podcast earlier, but if you didn’t have time to watch or listen, here…

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Girdle Bug. Frank McGinnis of Anaconda, Montana is credited with developing the Girdle Bug, sometimes call a McGinnis Rubberlegs. The fly was first fished on the Big Hole River in the 1930’s and 1940’s. You might recognize this fly if it used a variegated chenille body and…

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Rosborough Dark Stone Nymph. I found the fly on display at the International Federation of Fly Fishers Museum in Livingston, MT and took this picture of the Rosborough Dark Stone Nymph through the glass display in a dark room. I think it turned out quite well. It was…

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Silver Stork, one of the wet flies Ray Bergman cataloged in his book entitled Trout, first published in 1938. The Silver Stork is from Plate No. 8. I tried to research a little history for this fly, but was unable to find any. If you have a little history about…
John,
I find the representation of the colors of our flag to be inspiring and beautiful in your hands. I suspect that patriotic fish everywhere would be similarly attracted to this fly. It is a shame that it is too beautiful to fish with, in my humble opinion. I hope you had a great Fourth of July. I enjoy the weekly RiverKeeper Flies and your other posts.
Thanks.
Jerry
Thanks for your nice comment! Pleased you like the July 4th fly as well as RiverKeeper Flies!
John