RiverKeeper Flies Turned 12 Years Old

I bet you missed it. I celebrated another milestone a couple of weeks ago. RiverKeeper Flies turned 12 years old on March 5! That’s right, I’ve been at the keyboard writing these posts for 12 years. It’s hard for me to believe where my journey has taken me.

Before I go too far, I wanted to thank those of you attending last week’s NW Fly Tyer & Fly Fishing Expo in Albany, OR for briefly stopping to mention how much you enjoy my website. It means the world to me. Feel free to leave a Comment occasionally as well.

My focus has shifted over the years. When I started this journey, capturing fly pattern sheets, which were scattered all over the place around my fly tying area, was a priority. I created categories of Mayflies, Caddisflies, Stoneflies, Terrestrials, Euro Nymphs, Steelhead Flies, Lake Flies, Streamers, and Attractor Flies. Today, you’ll find well over 300 fly pattern sheets! Some of them were added as I shared older fly patterns in my Throw Back Thursday Flies. There are around 430 of those TBT posts.

The last few years, I’ve written more about our fly fishing trips in our van and Patagonia. We are grateful to travel and experience different waters and the scenery around them. An easy way to find these posts are on my Fly Fishing Road Trips page where I sort them by state/country and water. I frequently use them myself when planning future trips to recall water conditions and successful flies.

You’ll still find occasional tips and techniques to help with fly fishing along with insect hatch information and flies to imitate them.

One of the benefits of beginning my custom fly tying business in 2016 is I’ve had the opportunity to tie a wide variety of flies. In fact, some of the staples in my fly box are flies customers asked me to tie that I’d never heard of. The IOBO Humpy and Improved F Fly come to mind.

I’ve tied flies for over 50 years and I hope potential customers are able to see the quality and attention to proportions as I try to imitate Caddis, Mayflies, and Stoneflies seen on the waters they fish. I’ve worked hard with intention to create beautiful flies for my customers. I smile at some of the feedback stating they are too beautiful to fish!

Sometimes I receive photos of flies to tie and other times a fly will show up in the mail asking if I can replicate them. They might be an older fly pattern that is no longer available in fly shops or one purchased as a “local favorite” from several states away. I’m always intrigued when customers request flies that are new to me.

I took the photo below to show the variety of flies I tie. I’d just completed tying several #8/0 BEAST Fleyes for a customer and the next order was for #22 Sparkle Dun BWOs.

You have come along with me on my photography journey too. I’ve taken photos for years, but new cameras, lenses, and knowledge has allowed me to more creative.

A closeup of this Salmonfly is an example.

Or a couple Green Drake Spinners I found floating in an eddy.

Capturing insects floating downstream is incredibly difficult, but when the stars align, a final image like the one below is very rewarding.

Or this Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout eating a Golden Stone, capturing the moment exactly as the insect enters the mouth of the trout.

Dancingtrout is learning the craft as well. I carry the camera and lenses, take most of the pictures, but sometimes I catch a beauty that needs captured. A Rainbow Trout backlit during golden hour as fresh water droplets create concentric circles in the water below it is a prime example.

And sometimes, essence of fish is what I’m trying to accomplish to share the natural beauty. It’s only after I return home and view my images I’m able to see all the detail.

Or a close up of a gill plate.

This Dipper from the Metolius River is an example of using my observation skills when fishing is slow.

Here’s to the next post…who knows what it will be. It’s about the journey for me and I hope you continue to come along with me.

Enjoy…go fish!