• CDC & Elk TBT

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the CDC & Elk TBT. The CDC & Elk is a fly Hans Weilenmann created in 1992. It combines the proven properties of an Elk Hair Caddis developed by Al Troth with CDC feathers for the body and “hackle”. I tied my first CDC & Elk flies after completing…

  • Fall and a Dry Fly

    Last week I talked about how much I enjoy fall fly fishing. It’s been great this year! What I wanted to share this week is how effective one fly has been for me…a Green Drake Sparkle Dun. Yes, Fall and a dry fly just go together. Even the smaller fish eat this bug! It amazes…

  • October Fly Fishing

    October fly fishing is a special time of year. It’s the last hurrah for both fly fishers AND fish. I’ve said before that fishing tapers off dramatically around November 1, so that means I have less than one month to get my fix for awhile. So I need to make sure I have the right…

  • Klinkhåmer Special TBT

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Klinkhåmer Special TBT. You know it’s a popular fly when you can read about it in Wikipedia! Originally named the LT Caddis (the initials LT standing for light tan), the fly was designed by Hans van Klinken in 1984 to imitate caddis larva on Norway’s Glomma River….

  • Odds n Ends

    This week’s odds n ends post has a variety of items you may be interested in. Be sure to read all the way through. First off, there are definitely signs of Fall everywhere I look. From leaves beginning to change on the river… …to something we usually don’t see …bucks in our backyard, except when…

  • Fran Better’s Haystack

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Fran Better’s Haystack. This is another fly I found while reading Mike Valla’s book entitled The Founding Flies – 43 American Masters, Their Patterns and Influences. You might recognize this fly because it is very similar to the Sparkle Dun mayflies I tie and fish so much. But the Fran…

  • Parachute Flies

    I was thinking the other day about the dry flies I use most of the time and the fact they don’t include parachute flies. Sure, I’ll use parachute flies on some rivers and perhaps tie on a Purple Haze in the evening at the spring creek I fish. And sometimes it works. I gave away a…

  • Theodore Gordon’s Bumblepuppy

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Theodore Gordon’s Bumblepuppy. To be honest, when I heard the name of this fly, I thought it was a joke. After a little research, I think the joke is on me. I’ve been reading Mike Valla’s book entitled The Founding Flies – 43 American Masters, Their Patterns and Influences…