• Snipe and Purple

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Dark Snipe or Snipe and Purple. The Snipe and Purple is another old soft hackle fly pattern listed in The North Country Fly – Yorkshire’s Soft Hackle Tradition (2015) by Robert L. Smith. Many of these older soft hackle fly patterns come from the Yorkshire Dales in northern England….

  • Salmonfly Season

    I’ve heard it’s time. The first few big bugs are just beginning to hatch. Salmonfly season is here! These are the biggest bugs of the season (I tie flies as large as size 4 to imitate them) and this hatch is much anticipated by many fly fishers. The image above is of an adult breaking…

  • Light Spanish Needle

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Light Spanish Needle. The Light Spanish Needle is another old fly pattern listed in The North Country Fly – Yorkshire’s Soft Hackle Tradition (2015) by Robert L. Smith. Many of these older soft hackle fly patterns come from the Yorkshire Dales in northern England. Wharfedale is a small area…

  • Where Will I Fish?

    It’s May already. Can you believe it? And I have a problem…where will I fish? As I review my own May RiverKeeper Flies posts from previous years, I see it’s a common occurrence. There are so many options now…the Metolius (my home river), Crooked, Middle Deschutes, and Lower Deschutes. Then I could list a few…

  • First Fenwick Fly Rod

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday post is my first Fenwick fly rod. Yes, this is a departure from my normal TBT post where I highlight a fly pattern. But these posts are designed to trigger good memories and this is one of mine. This was my first REAL fly rod, the classic Fenwick 8 1/2′…

  • Ray Bergman Dark Spinner

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Ray Bergman Dark Spinner. The Ray Bergman Dark Spinner is a wet fly listed in his book entitled Trout (1940 – fourth printing) on page 38, Plate No. 2. I usually tie just one fly for my TBT posts. I’m not trying to make them perfect, just…

  • Re-Stock the Hook Supply

    I’ve been busy tying flies for customers and trying to refill the provider box. Since the first of the year, I’ve tied over 60 dozen flies. That’s more than 700 hooks, which means I need to re-stock the hook supply. I reviewed my hook inventory recently to determine how many hooks remained for the wide…

  • Ray Bergman Abbey

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Ray Bergman Abbey. The Ray Bergman Abbey is a wet fly listed in his book entitled Trout (1940 – fourth printing) on page 22, Plate No. 1. As I’ve mentioned many times, I enjoy highlighting a Bergman wet fly because it forces me to sit down and…

  • Updated April Fly Box

    I wrote a post a few years ago entitled My April Fly Box. I tried to provide some ideas for you to consider when filling your fly box. I’m encouraged this time of year because more insects begin to show in April, whereas winter seems to concentrate on small flies, like Blue Wing Olives in…