• Braided Butt Damsel

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Braided Butt Damsel. I first found this fly in Randall Kaufmann’s book Tying Dry Flies (1991) in the early 1990s. I tied the fly using the instructions from the book and took it to Antone Ranch in Eastern Oregon when it was a pay-to-play lake. I can still remember…

  • Another Wonderful Year

    Once again, RiverKeeper Flies has had another wonderful year! I always use the last week of the year to reflect upon the previous 12 months. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading all the posts as much as I have creating them! Thanks to all who continue to utilize the fly fishing and fly tying resource I’ve created….

  • Lawson’s E-Z Caddis

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Lawson’s E-Z Caddis, developed by Mike Lawson from Last Chance, ID. I bought this fly a several years ago in Maupin, OR for a fly fishing trip with friends on the Deschutes River. I really liked the profile of the fly and the under and overwing made of…

  • Back to the River

    I finally got back to the river after several days of winter weather that saw Sisters get a couple of feet of snow. Yes, that’s me being a good neighbor clearing a driveway. I did that for three of my neighbors and kept our driveway clear as well. Some days the high temp’s were in…

  • Benn’s Coachman

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Benn’s Coachman, a fly developed by John Benn (1838 – 1907) in the 1890s. Since I’ve been working with red and white married wings for the Green Butt Skunk Spey, I decided to use a fly from John Shewey’s book Classic Steelhead Flies. Benn’s Coachman seemed appropriate. I wasn’t aware…

  • Still Working on Spey Flies

    I haven’t tied any trout flies in the last week because I’m still working on spey flies. Specifically, the Green Butt Skunk Spey. The two flies on the book Steelhead Flies by John Shewey are the first (left side) and third (right side) I’ve tied. You’ll find this fly on page 193 of John’s book….

  • White Wulff

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the White Wulff, a Lee Wulff fly pattern. A friend of mine let me borrow this fly to use as a TBT fly. You know who you are! The White Wulff imitates the Ephemera guttulata mayfly or Eastern Green Drake spinner. Walt Dette and Ted Townsend developed the Coffin Fly in…

  • Black Prince TBT

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Black Prince TBT…the Clarence Gordon version. This is another steelhead fly pattern from John Shewey’s Classic Steelhead Flies. If you haven’t had a chance to peruse this book, go to your local fly shop and see if they have it in stock. Otherwise, go to the link above and…

  • Back to Fly Tying

    Remember how I said fishing changes on November 1? Well, after a couple weeks reprieve we are definitely into November.  The river is still beautiful, but much of the streamside foliage is gone.  So back to fly tying. I’m beginning to stock the provider box by tying Sparkle Dun mayflies this week. In fact, it…