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…
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:…
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…
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…
This is the sixth year I’ve prepared a holiday wish list for fly fishers. If you read prior year’s lists, there are several items remaining, because I really believe these are great gifts! I hope you find something useful on the 2021 Fly Fisher’s Christmas list. Many of these items can be purchased at your…
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…
I’ve started putting a little thought behind a new project. I was asked to create a presentation about selecting flies from a fly tyer’s perspective, namely how understanding the parts of a fly will help fly fishers purchase more effective flies at their local fly shop. The challenge will be not to overwhelm them. You…
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….
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…
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…
