How to Tie a Pumpkin Head Midge
Matt Grobert ties a Pumpkin Head Midge, a very effective wintertime midge pattern that features a fluorescent orange bead head.
Tying a Simple Scud
Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie a Simple Scud pattern, using a size 16 hook and an Antron-and-Australian-possum-blend dubbing not just for the body, but for the legs and antennae as well.
Tying LaFontaine’s Sparkle Emerger
Matt Grobert ties the late Gary LaFontaine's highly popular Sparkle Emerger, which, Tim Flagler notes, "along with the Sparkle Pupa [is] nothing short of miraculous when catching trout."
Tying a Bird’s Nest
The Bird's Nest is a nymph pattern authored by master tier and San Francisco fly shop owner Cal Bird in 1959. Bird first tied it—without the bead—for trout fishing on the Truckee River.
Tying a Foam-Bodied Ant
Tim Flagler ties one of his favorite terrestrial pattern, a foam-bodied ant that is durable, easy to see, and effective.
How to Tie an Olive Woolly Bugger
There are many different ways to tie a Woolly Bugger, notes Tim Flagler, but he suggests these steps for tying one of the best searching patterns of all time.
Tying a Clouser Minnow
Tim Flagler ties another saltwater classic, the Clouser Minnow, authored by Bob Clouser around 1987.
Tying a Brassie
The Brassie is a simple yet extremely effective pattern which imitates both caddis and midge larvae, with the added bonus that it sinks like a rock, getting the fly down to levels where trout most often feed.
Tying a Foam Cricket
Curtis Fry demonstrates how to tie a Foam Cricket, which he notes not only qualifies "as a dead ringer for a cricket, it can also pass as a cicada or even a dark grasshopper."
Tying a Zebra Midge
As Tim Flagler says, "The Zebra Midge is one of those patterns that really doesn't need an introduction. It's simple, effective, and works over a wide range of fishing situations."
Tying a Double Standard
Tim Flagler offers detailed instruction on tying a fly that is half Pheasant Tail Nymph and Half Bead Head Hare's Ear Nymph.
Tying a Tabory Snake Fly
Tim Flagler says of the Tabory Snake Fly, "If I see mullet pushing in the shallows, this is the first fly I'll tie on. All in all, it's an incredible saltwater pattern."
Tying a Meat Helmet Sculpin
This video details how to tie a fairly quick sculpin imitation that gets down and has loads of built-in movement.
Tying a Gurgler
Tim Flagler shows his techniques for tying one of the most interesting and popular surface patterns in fly fishing.
Tying a PMD Nymph
Richard Strolis ties another of the patterns he came up with on a recent trip to Montana: a variation of the classic PMD Nymph.
Tying an Elk Hair Caddis
Tim Flagler ties one of the most popular caddis patterns of all time, the Elk Hair Caddis. The fly was authored by Al Troth to imitate fluttering or spent adult caddis.
Tying an Articulated Ice Pick
"Going the Distance" is the right lyric for North Fork of the White guide/guru Brian Wise, who ties an Articulated Ice Pick fly in this fast-motion video.
How to Tie a Busted Stone
Rich Strolis demonstrates how to tie his Busted Stone pattern, which he notes will work just about anywhere fish feed on stoneflies.
How to Tie a Simple Caddis Larva
Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie a simple Green Caddis Larva, an imitation of an easily overlooked but important part of a trout's diet.
Tying a CDC & Elk Fly
Tim Flagler ties the CDC & Elk pattern authored by master tier Hans Weilenmann, a high-floating caddis imitation based on Al Troth's classic Elk Hair Caddis.
Tying a Griffith’s Gnat
Authored by George Griffith, the Griffith's Gnat is an effective imitation of virtually any small insect: midges, midge emergers, or tiny mayflies.
Tying a Sulphur Soft Hackle
The Sulphur Soft Hackle is an extremely versatile pattern that can be fished as a dry/cripple on the surface, dead drifted as nymph, or swung and lifted like a wet fly.
Tying a Hendrickson Soft Hackle
"Most fisherman think that soft hackles and wet flies are meant to be fished exclusively in the film or upper part of the water column, but in actuality they're deadly fished deep."
Tying a Hare’s Ear
Richard Strolis ties the very popular and highly productive Hare's Ear fly pattern.
Tying a Chicken Finger
Richard Strolis ties a Chicken Finger for use as an anchor in a weighted euro nymph rig.
Tying a Case Closed
Adjust the size, color and shape and you can cover all the different types of case caddis you will encounter. The body of the fly is very durable and can be trimmed to any shape in a matter of seconds.
Tying the Glo-Bug
Tim Flagler ties the venerable Glo-Bug, a fly that got its start as an egg imitation for fall and spring spring spawning runs.
“Let the Fur Fly”
Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie his innovative Fur Fly, a pattern meant to imitate flat-bodied nymphs.
Tying a Beach Comber
"The Beach Comber was the result of a three-year project that I started to create a lightly weighted sand eel pattern for the flats of Cape Cod during striper season."
Tips for Starting Thread
Tim Flagler offers several tips on starting thread on a hook shank, including showing how to "trim" thread without scissors.
How to Use a Whip Finish Tool
Tim Flagler demonstrates in great detail how to use a whip finish tool, showing both slow-speed and normal speed finishing.
Tying a R-F Caddis
"I have always been a big fan of the X-Caddis and the shuck hanging off the back. I combine that with hares-ear style dub with some added flash in minimal amounts."
Tying a Rock Candy Larva
"A very good anchor fly in any euro-style nymph rig, this pattern in particular was one of my top anchors in 2010."
Tying a Shimmer Stone
""This is the latest medium to large stonefly nymph pattern I came up with. The fly is two-toned like a natural and takes on a woven-fly look without the weaving."
Tying a Classified Caddis
""This particular fly I'm tying is a deep pupa, which I'm usually fishing under an indicator, or in a weight-nymph-style rig. There are different colors of this pattern that I tie, but the one I'm tying for you today is in bright green."
Tying an Ice Pick Streamer
"I was very reluctant to use the new heads as I thought for sure they would be inevitably too heavy. Boy was I wrong. Think of this fly as my tribute to the zonker, only spruced up a bit."
Tying a Magic Caddis
"This is my other favorite caddis pupa pattern, also very simple yet much more flashy. I converted this into a weighted pupa for Czech or Polish nymphing by adding the tungsten bead."
Tying a Tenkara Fly
How to tie a tenkara fly, the Sakasa Kebari (reverse-hackle fly), used in the traditional Japanese method of mountain stream fly fishing.
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