Grasshopper | www.johnkreft.com

Terrestrial Fly Box

It’s August and the middle of hopper season and I thought I’d share my terrestrial fly box. While walking to the van today to get some flies, I saw this hopper on the driveway. I think it was a sign from the fish gods! For me, August is a month where I experience a lull…

Jassid Flies | www.johnkreft.com

Vince Marinaro’s Jassid Fly

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Vince Marinaro’s Jassid Fly. I met some friends for coffee last Friday. One of them, Jim Ferguson, was sharing a fly he tied recently I recognized…a Jassid. I asked him if I could take a quick picture at the table and this is the result. These images aren’t…

Fat Albert | www.johnkreft.com

Taylor’s Fat Albert

This week’s Throw Back Thursday fly is Taylor’s Fat Albert. The fly was created by Brent Taylor in 2001. Brent guides in the Dillon, MT area and Chile, which is where the fly was initially used to imitate Cantaria beetle. I recall being introduced to a black/red version on a trip to Chile in 2005….

Card's Cicada | www.riverkeeperflies.com

Charlie Card’s Cicada

This week’s Throw Back Thursday fly is Charlie Card’s Cicada. I recently tied a few of these flies for a customer, which is why I’m posting this fly today. I wanted to know who was behind Card’s Cicada. Charlie Card is a well-known guide on Utah’s Green River, which is where this Cicada fly pattern…

Stranahan's Black Ant | www.johnkreft.com

Stranahan’s Black Ant

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Chuck Stranahan’s Black Ant. I returned to Chuck Stranahan’s Flies & Guides a couple of weeks ago. I was fortunate he wasn’t too busy and I caught him behind the vise. We caught up a bit and he talked more about his original Stranahan’s Brindle Chute I presented back in November 2019….

Dave's Hopper Flies | www.johnkreft.com

Dave’s Hopper Fly Pattern

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Dave’s Hopper fly pattern. This is another fly pattern I haven’t tied in years. A customer recently asked me to tie the fly and I thought it was a great candidate for a TBT post. So here it is. Dave’s Hopper was designed by Dave Whitlock in the…

McMurray Ant | www.johnkreft.com

McMurray Ant

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the McMurray Ant. Ed Sutryn invented the McMurray Ant in the early 1960’s while fishing on a stream in McMurray, Pennsylvania. He watched trout crazily feeding on ants. Sometime later, he found out they were timber ants and set about designing a fly using monofilament, cork, and black…

Provider Box with Beetle Bailey Flies | www.johnkreft.com

Fishing with Beetles

I had a recent fly order for Beetle Bailey flies and decided to keep tying them and fill the provider box. I ended up tying over 11 dozen. Why? Because fishing with beetles can be effective at certain times of the year and I didn’t want to run out of them. In fact, terrestrials can…