• RiverKeeper Flies YouTube Channel

    Fishing has slowed down for me so I’ve returned to the vise, filling orders and the provider box. In addition, I recently taught a Zoom fly tying class for Gretchen and Al Beatty’s BT’s Fly Tying Friday where I demonstrated my RiverKeeper Soft Hackle Cripple, one of my favorite flies to trick selective trout. This…

  • Kinney’s Reverse Spider

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Mike Kinney’s Reverse Spider. I was asked recently if I would tie the Reverse Spider for a client and thought it would make a great TBT fly. So today I sat down and tied one. I believe the fly pattern he provided was from Les Johnson’s Sea Run:…

  • Rio Trout Leaders

    What brand of leader do you use? There are a lot of good manufacturers to choose from, including Trouthunter, Umpqua, Scientific Anglers, Orvis, and the one I’ve been using for many years – RIO. I recently purchased a different RIO trout leader, the Powerflex Plus to see if I like it. Besides leaders in today’s…

  • Doc Spratley Wet Fly

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Doc Spratley Wet Fly. This is a fly I used at Pennask Lake in British Columbia back in 2007. We stayed at Pennask Lake Lodge with friends who were members there. Yes, it was a few years ago. According to Flies of the Northwest (1979) by the…

  • Atherton No. 2 Dry Fly

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Atherton No. 2 dry fly. I’ve highlighted a couple other Atherton flies recently, the Atherton No. 5 and Atherton No. 3. John Atherton (1900 – 1952) was an artist by trade and incorporated his impressionistic art into the flies he tied. The tail, body, and hackle of…

  • Atherton No. 3 Dry Fly

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Atherton No. 3 dry fly. I posted my first Atherton dry fly last week, the Atherton No. 5. John Atherton (1900 – 1952) was an artist by trade and incorporated his impressionistic art into the flies he tied. The tail, body, and hackle of the Atherton No….

  • Odds and Ends

    It’s time for another odds and ends post because I have several topics rattling around in my head. The end of October is a time of transition for me. The dry fly fishing opportunities are fewer every day I’m on the water and I hear the vise calling my name. I hope to catch up…

  • Atherton No. 5 Dry Fly

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the John Atherton No. 5 Dry Fly. John Atherton (1900 – 1952) was an artist by trade and incorporated his impressionistic art into the flies he tied. Interestingly, he didn’t name the flies, choosing instead to number his dry flies from 1 to 7, representing lighter to darker…