• 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…

  • Craig Mathews and Blue Ribbon Flies

    I’m really looking forward to this weekend, February 21 and 22, 2015. Craig Mathews from Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, Montana will be in Bend to provide a 2-day fly fishing seminar entitled Exploring Yellowstone Country’s Overlooked Waters. Craig is a wealth of information, so you better not miss an incredible opportunity to learn…

  • Copper John

    John Barr’s Copper John is this week’s TBT fly. He completed the fly design in 1996 after three years of development. The Copper John is such an effective fly design, John Barr ties it in many colors and variations. The original fly is tied in sizes 10 – 18. But in his book, Barr Flies, he…

  • Crooked River Flies

    A few weeks ago, I highlighted a new page on Crooked River Flies. Well, I’ve had time to add a few fly pattern sheets and thought I’d share them with you. The best way to show my progress is with a picture of my “work in progress” fly box. Here’s what’s in it so far…60…

  • Birds Stone Fly

    The Birds Stone Fly was created by Cal Bird and is this week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly. Cal Bird had a small fly shop in San Francisco in the 1940s and 50s. At least that’s what my quick Internet search found. An interesting side note is he lived across the street from Frank Matarelli. Does…

  • Blue Wing Olives

    It’s the middle of winter and the major hatch on the river these days are Blue Wing Olives.  I get confused what to call these bugs…Blue Wing Olives…Blue Wings… BWOs…Baetis … I’m no expert, but I think they are all the same insect. Or close enough for a fly fisher. To be sure, I consulted one…