How about an updated version of an old classic steelhead fly for this week’s Throw Back Thursday…the Golden Demon. Zane Grey brought this fly from New Zealand to the Rogue River in the mid-1920s. OK, perhaps this is a spey version of the original…
Look out your window and you’ll be convinced it’s a good time to attend a winter Fly Tying and Fly Fishing show. If you get a chance, attend one of the shows in your area and learn new techniques or check out new fly patterns and gear. I just returned from the Western Idaho Fly…
A Grey Hackle Peacock is this week’s Throw Back Thursday fly. An old one I found in one of my vintage fly wallets. Notice the leader tied into the fly. We don’t tie them like that anymore. Like I said – OLD. A wet fly originated in the 1700’s. Have any in your fly box?
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog Tying Spey Flies – I’m Scared! Well, I’m back to report I’ve successfully tied another spey fly! Actually…two. If you recall, I wanted to tie some spey flies and settled on the Lady Caroline, an old-time pattern from the 1800’s. Here was my first fly:
San Juan Worm. Yup, a worm is this week’s Throw Back Thursday fly from the archives. Developed in the 1970’s by Jim Aubrey for the San Juan River in New Mexico, it’s accounted for many fish and worked so well, the “San Juan Shuffle” is outlawed on some rivers. The “Shuffle” is a technique where…
Another year has come and gone. For many, it’s a time of reflection and celebration of year end. Seems like an appropriate time to reflect about all I’ve done on my website this year. I started the RiverKeeper Flies blog as a way to combine my passion of fly fishing & fly tying with an ability to…
Today’s Throw Back Thursday fly is the Renegade, an attractor fly developed in 1928 by Taylor “Beartracks” Williams. It’s said the original fly had all white hackle and was changed to brown/white when “Beartracks” moved to Sun Valley. Another story states George Herter claimed it was an English fly pattern named the Marryat, tied by Mrs…
It’s the holiday season, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! My wife suggested we take this net to the river the other day hoping we’d catch some rainbows to use on our Christmas card. Well, the first day the pressure was too much I guess as I lost…
It’s Thursday again and this week’s TBT fly is the Stimulator. I first learned of this fly from Randall Kaufmann’s book Tying Dry Flies. Tied many flies from that book. This is an older fly I tied many years ago. I obtained the book in the early 90’s…so old is relative, I guess.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I talk about Craig Mathews and Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, Montana. Craig and the rest of the guys in the shop are responsible for many of the flies I fish. The flies they develop fit my description for success – simple to…
