• Comparadun Mayfly

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Comparadun mayfly. I first tied a Comparadun mayfly in the early 1990’s. The fly was a pattern I found in Randall Kaufmann’s book Tying Dry Flies. Kaufmann presented the Comparadun along with a Sparkle Dun. Al Caucci developed the Comparadun mayfly in the early 1960’s as a…

  • Old Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Books

    Have you ever wondered about the history of fly fishing? It’s an interesting topic to me, which explains why I’ve been reading old fly fishing and fly tying books lately. Why? First, they are a source for my Throw Back Thursday Flies. Secondly, I wonder how previous generations fished and what some of their streamside conversations…

  • Walla-Walla

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Walla-Walla, another Ray Bergman wet fly. The Walla-Walla can be found on Plate 9, page 254 of Ray Bergman’s book Trout (1938). I’ve selected several wet flies for my Throw Back Thursday Fly segment from Ray Bergman’s book . An easy method of finding all of them is…

  • Odds and Ends

    I’ve taken a break from the snow in Sisters and have been soaking in the sun from Kona, HI. And you know me, I can tie flies anywhere! This week’s post includes a few odds and ends. I’ve tied flies in paradise before as well as in the car, even during rough conditions! The biggest…

  • Crossfield

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Crossfield, a strip-winged Atlantic Salmon fly. The Crossfield is the second Atlantic Salmon fly I’ve tied from Poul Jorgensen’s book entitled Salmon Flies – Their Character, Style, and Dressing (1978). The first fly I tied from his book is the Blue Charm. Some quick research finds the…

  • Royal Coachman Dry Fly

    This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the classic Royal Coachman dry fly. This attractor fly pattern is one that many older fly fishers recognize. It truly is a classic! It was one of many flies I found in a friend’s old fly box. There are many variations to the first Royal Coachman, which was…