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…
As promised, here is another look at one of the antique fly wallets in my collection. This leather Deluxe brand fly wallet is well used. Check out the “notebook” style to allow different types of “pages”. Felt leaves are included to soak moisture out of the flies after use. The name is on the inside…
Yup – it’s time for Salmonflies to hatch. We all wait for this time of year when these BIG bugs become active and the fish go crazy. As in reckless with voracious appetites. Trout have already seen March Browns and Caddis this spring. But these bugs are BIG! Have you ever looked into the gullet of…
Old leather, sheepskin, metal. Those are the materials for what was a very common sight years ago – fly wallets! We didn’t have the plastic containers so many of us use today. Many of our fly boxes consist of foam slots or clear plastic, materials unavailable decades ago. A friend of mine recently gave me this…
How many fly fishing leaders do you use in a year? Here’s a tip to make your fly fishing leader last longer. The problem: you connect a standard 9′ leader to your fly line and go fishing. How many times do you change flies? If you’re lucky, you catch fish on the first fly tied…
OK, so I’m walking up the river trail yesterday and something caught my eye. Floating down the edge of the river was this little guy: My immediate thought was, why is this mouse floating down the river? Secondly, I wondered what would happen if a Bull Trout was near? He stopped at this bunch of…
I like simple flies. There’s something elegant about making a beautiful fly with only a few materials…that catches fish! Some people call them “guide flies.” While I’m not a guide, I enjoy sharing my flies with friends and strangers. And it feels good when someone says “hey, I caught a fish on your fly!” The…
The NW Fly Tyer & Fly Fishing Expo is this weekend at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany, OR. I’ll be tying each of the three days. Stop by and say “hi”. I’ll be watching many of the 72 concurrent tyers and catching up with friends I only see once a year. I always find…
