I received an email from a friend recently asking for help understanding dry fly hook comparisons. Then someone left a Comment on my RiverKeeper Flies website about a compatible hook for the Tiemco 102Y. In fact, I read a similar question in an online forum about a Tiemco 102Y hook. I thought it was a…
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly are some Cate’s Turkey flies. I tied these many years ago. I found this fly pattern in Randall Kaufmann’s American Nymph Fly Tying Manual (1975). It was one of my first fly tying books. There were 8 colored pages out of the 90 plus pages showing…
I’ve been tying flies, trying to complete orders for several customers. But I have a dilemma. Fish are still rising on my home waters, although for shorter durations. Shall I tie flies for customers or myself? I’ll try to squeeze in both! Included in the image above are #14 Sparkle Dun Green Drakes (left), #8…
This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is another Pray’s Optic Steelhead Fly. This is the second of Pray’s Optic steelhead flies in a friend’s collection with a note on the fly stating it was tied by C. Jim Pray (1885 – 1952) of Eureka, CA in 1947. I did some research but didn’t find a…
This is the fifth 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 2020 Fly Fisher’s Christmas list. Many of these items can be purchased at your…
This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the In-The-Film CDC Midge Emerger. I found this fly recently while reviewing Ed Engle’s Tying Small Flies book. I tied up four size 22 In-The-Film CDC Midge Emergers and placed them on a dime to show how small they are. I met Ed through a friend while fishing…
I’m back to tying flies and filling orders. Why? The weather changed. Remember last week’s Fall Fly Fishing on the Metolius post where I mentioned someone throwing a switch on November 1? Well, they finally did, although a few days later. What a difference a week makes. A week ago our high temperature was 67…yesterday…
This week’s Throw Back Thursday post is about Hoffman Super Capes. The image above is of two grade 1 Hoffman Super Capes from many years ago. For perspective, I placed them beside a Whiting bronze grade cape I purchased last week. The Hoffman Super Capes are grizzly dyed brown and black. The cape on the…
It’s the first week of November and fishing, or more like catching, is changing. I always say it’s like someone throws a switch on November 1. Some years there is a bonus week as the mild weather continues. But usually, the first week of November is my transition week where I get back to tying…
This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Pray’s Silver Demon steelhead fly. C. Jim Pray (1885 – 1952) of Eureka, CA is known for starting fly fishing for salmon and steelhead on the heavy winter waters of the Eel River and other Northern California rivers. Joseph Bates, Jr in his Streamers & Bucktails The Big…
