• How Many Fly Patterns

    I’ve been thinking…how many fly patterns do I really need to successfully fish rivers? Kind of a crazy question coming from a fly tyer, isn’t it? I didn’t say flies…fly patterns. The style of dry flies found in your fly box. Is there a difference? Absolutely! You can never have enough flies!!!

  • Western Coachman

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday fly is the Western Coachman. It can be fished wet or dry. I got the idea for this fly after reading my most recent copy of Northwest Fly Fishing. There was a very nice article called Masters at the Bench by David Johnson, featuring Buz Buszek. Looking through the list…

  • NW Fly Tyer & Fly Fishing Expo

    Last weekend, I attended the 2015 NW Fly Tyer & Fly Fishing Expo in Albany, Oregon. I was the Chair for this year’s event, sponsored by the Oregon Council of the International Federation of Fly Fishers. I was pleased to meet several of you who are frequent readers of RiverKeeper Flies. Thanks for stopping me to…

  • March Brown Wet Fly

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday fly is the March Brown Wet Fly. I decided to continue the theme of my last post – March Brown Time. I tied this fly many years ago. Can’t remember what book I found it in, but I’m sure it was for a “just in time” fly fishing trip. Probably…

  • March Brown Time

    Spring is here. That means it’s March Brown time. I saw a small hatch on the river last week. Here is one of them. I think it’s early, but our weather has been so mild I’m really not surprised. In fact, I was looking for them. I took one of my bug vials filled with Purel…

  • Carrie Stevens Pink Beauty Streamer

    Time for another Throw Back Thursday fly…the Carrie Stevens Pink Beauty Streamer. Some of you may have seen the Carrie Stevens Pink Beauty Streamer before, but this is the first time as a TBT fly. There is a certain beauty about Carrie Stevens streamers. The sleekness of lines, combination of colors…I’ve only tied two of them,…

  • Crooked River Flies – Done

    If you’ve been following my posts lately, you know I’ve been working on a project to complete a box of flies for the Crooked River. Well, it’s finished. Here are the Crooked River Flies – done! These flies are variations of established fly patterns created by Bill Seitz, who I call “Crooked River Bill.” He…

  • Bees and Throw Back Thursday

    Yes, another week has passed and it’s time for the next version of Throw Back Thursday Flies…how about bees? I found these bees in one of my antique fly wallets. Sorry, I can’t help you with the name. I’m just guessing it’s a bee pattern. But I could be wrong. What do you think it is? But I…

  • Craig Mathews Winter Seminar

    What a great weekend. I had an opportunity to attend the Craig Mathews Winter Seminar sponsored jointly by my own Central Oregon Flyfishers and Sunriver Anglers. I’ve written about Craig Mathews in previous posts (Craig Mathews and Blue Ribbon Flies) and how much I like and fish flies from Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone,…

  • Zebra Midge

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday fly is the Zebra Midge. Some quick Internet research indicates the Zebra Midge was developed in 1996 by Ted Wellington. Ted had completed a fly order for Wendy Gunn of Lee’s Ferry Anglers in Arizona and continued to sit at the fly tying desk and tyed a dozen each of…