Have you ever fished with adult damsel flies? Talk about exciting! These bugs are quick, so when a fish takes your fly, it’s more like a toilet bowl flushing…a big ring from the fish taking the fly with gusto! At times, there can be massive hatches or swarms. Here is a recent picture of a…
Well, here it is again. I keep making changes to my webpage and thought I’d highlight a few recent changes you might have missed. Seems like whenever I write a new blog, I need to develop and provide links to new fly pattern sheets. Remember, even if you don’t tie flies, there may be some…
Callibaetis mayflies are a staple of lake fishing. I fished East Lake last weekend with Central Oregon Project Healing Waters. It was my first time this year on a lake and I’d heard the Callibaetis mayflies were out. So I checked the “provider box” (that’s what my wife calls it) to see what Callibaetis mayflies I…
Are you fly fishing with beetle patterns? You should. Why do fish eat beetles? Who cares. All I know is my wife and I have caught some of our biggest trout recently with Beetle Bailey. We were sitting along the river bank waiting for the Green Drake hatch a couple of weeks ago and started reminiscing about…
If you haven’t checked lately, I’ve added a few fly patterns. Not a tyer? That’s OK. Check out a pattern sheet or two. Not only will you find pictures of the fly pattern, I’m trying to include pictures of the real bugs the flies imitate. Use the fly pattern pictures when shopping at your local…
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…
This is a size 16 Pale Morning Dun Sparkle Dun Mayfly or PMD for short. One of my favorite flies. It’s in the top 5 of many fishermen in the know. The Sparkle Dun is a Craig Matthews pattern from Blue Ribbon Flies. I tie this simple, yet effective fly in size 22 Blue Wing Olive…
Sometimes, I’m a “just-in-time” fly tyer. This video was shot on a Montana road trip. We’re headed east from Spokane towards the Big Hole river and I was trying to tie up some Spruce Moth patterns. Well, we seemed to find a section of bad road on the interstate with lots of bridges. As you…
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…
