Rainbow trout | www.johnkreft.com

A Fall Fly Box

What flies do you carry in your fall fly box? Fall is a wonderful time of year and in my opinion, one of the best times to catch some great fish. Here’s one of them. There are still bugs that need to hatch and only so many warm days left for them to complete their…

Denny's Stillwater Nymph | www.johnkreft.com

Lake Flies

One inch long and green. What? Yup, if there’s any question about what lake flies to use, a friend of mine always says “Try something one inch long and green.” Dennys Stillwater Nymph I like simple flies for a variety of reasons, but even that recommendation is a little too simple for me. It’s like saying…

Provider Box | www.johnkreft.com

Callibaetis Mayflies

Callibaetis mayflies are a staple of lake fishing. I fished East Lake last weekend with Central Oregon Project Healing Waters. It was my first time this year on a lake and I’d heard the Callibaetis mayflies were out. So I checked the “provider box” (that’s what my wife calls it) to see what Callibaetis mayflies I…

Pale Morning Dun - PMD|www.johnkreft.com

Pale Morning Duns – PMDs

Pale Morning Duns, otherwise known as PMDs, are an important hatch for fly fishers. These flies are a size 16 -18. The hatch begins in late May and will continue through September. Generally, they will hatch in the afternoon. Mayflies in general spend much of their life as a nymph, rummaging around the rocky stream…

Sparkle Dun PMD | www.johnkreft.com

Sparkle Dun Mayfly

This is a size 16 Pale Morning Dun Sparkle Dun Mayfly or PMD for short. One of my favorite flies. It’s in the top 5 of many fishermen in the know. The Sparkle Dun is a Craig Matthews pattern from Blue Ribbon Flies. I tie this simple, yet effective fly in size 22 Blue Wing Olive…

Rusty Spinner - Biot Body | www.johnkreft.com

Rusty Spinners

OK, I know it might be a little early to think about fishing Rusty Spinners, but I taught a fly tying session that included a couple of great patterns for you to use later this year. Spinners are the final mayfly stage, after a nymph molts into a dun. It’s amazing to me that another…