Diving Damsel | www.johnkreft.com

Diving Damsel

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Diving Damsel nymph. I learned about the Diving Damsel nymph from a customer who contacted me to tie up a few custom flies. He had saved an article from the March/April 1997 edition of American Angler magazine. The article title was Designs on Damsels by John Shewey….

Sheep Creek Special | www.johnkreft.com

Sheep Creek Special TBT

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Sheep Creek Special. I found the fly was developed by George Biggs of Jerome, Idaho in the 1960’s where he fished it at Sheep Creek Reservoir on the Nevada/Idaho border. Some say the Sheep Creek Special imitates leeches is larger sizes and midges in smaller sizes. It might…

Janssen's Damsel Nymph | www.johnkreft.com

Janssens Damsel Nymph

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Janssens Damsel Nymph. I selected the fly because it incorporated a small piece of turkey in the wingcase…very appropriate for a Thanksgiving Day post! This is the creation of Hal Janssen, another talented California fly fisher. He is a noted writer, artist, lecturer, and video personality. I’ve read that…

Denny's Stillwater Nymph | www.johnkreft.com

Dennys Stillwater Nymph

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Dennys Stillwater Nymph. As I thought about which fly to choose for a TBT Fly, this one came to mind. It seems appropriate as I’ve recently posted pictures on my RiverKeeper Flies Facebook page and the fly was front and center in this week’s Fly Fishing at Diamond Lake…

Dougs Damsel Nymph | www.johnkreft.com

Dougs Damsel Nymph

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Dougs Damsel Nymph. And here is what it looks like when wet. And a picture of the real damsel nymph. I began tying and fishing these flies in the mid-1990’s. I found the fly in Tying Nymphs book by Randall Kaufmann. I tied a lot of flies from that…

Steelhead Green Rock Worm | www.johnkreft.com

New Fly Patterns

Here are a half dozen new fly patterns I learned to tie the last few months during the Winter Fly Tying Classes that look pretty good to me. I’ll give you a caveat…I haven’t fished these, but they sure look fishy and I can’t wait to try them out. Here are a trio of flies Peter Bowers…

Denny's Stillwater Nymph | www.johnkreft.com

Lake Flies

One inch long and green. What? Yup, if there’s any question about what lake flies to use, a friend of mine always says “Try something one inch long and green.” Dennys Stillwater Nymph I like simple flies for a variety of reasons, but even that recommendation is a little too simple for me. It’s like saying…