I’m headed back to the vise this week to stock up on trout flies.

I finished my last “plate” fly for the season. It was an Atlantic Salmon fly called the Blue Charm, a “Simple Strip Wing”, my contribution for a Central Oregon Fly Tying Guild fly plate. This plate will be at the NW Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Expo on March 10 and 11, 2017 in Albany, OR. (See this week’s upcoming Throw Back Thursday Fly post for more information on this fly.)

Blue Charm | www.johnkreft.com

I’ve enjoyed learning new fly tying techniques. The Green Butt Skunk Spey fly was the other “plate” fly I tied and donated. I hope it is one of the Spey Plate flies for the NW Expo as well.

Truth be told, there were a few frustrating times tying both these flies. I’m getting better with my technique, but the biggest problem I encountered was selecting the proper materials…or having the right materials to tie Atlantic Salmon and Spey flies.

It is so much easier to tie flies with the right materials. I reinforced that point as I taught the Sparkle Dun during last week’s Central Oregon Flyfishers Winter Fly Tying class. I demonstrated how the right deer hair made the fly easy to tie. 

After struggling with wing materials for the Blue Charm, that point hit home with me. I really don’t have a lot of selection to choose from to tie these flies.

But overall, I was very happy with how these two flies turned out.

Now I can spend a little time stocking the provider box.

Provider Box | www.johnkreft.com

You may not have a provider box, but I’m guessing if you fish much, there may be a few holes in your fly box. This is a good time to take inventory and stock up on trout flies. If you don’t tie, leave a comment below and place an order for a few RiverKeeper Flies.

What should I tie? I need to fill in lots of holes. It can be overwhelming if I think about all the flies I should be tying. I tell myself – “just start”!

Here are a couple nymphs that are a staple in my nymph fly box:

Lightning Bug

Lightning Bug | www.johnkreft.com

RiverKeeper Stonefly Nymph

RiverKeeper Stonefly Nymph | www.johnkreft.com

McPhail’s Golden Stonefly Nymph – Variant

McPhail's Golden Stonefly Nymph - Variant | www.johnkreft.com

But I think I’ll start with a Parachute Adams.

Parachute Adams | www.johnkreft.com

A friend of mine is tying them and has asked for a tip or two. If I tie a few of them, I’ll be prepared to offer some advice.

Ok, I’m headed to the vise…right after I take the snow blower out again!

Enjoy…go fish!

 

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