Tag: flies

The first time I experienced an eastern green drake hatch it was just getting dark, and I had no idea what was going on. My brother and I had spent a long day floating a river in northern New York, and we hadn’t seen a whole lot of action. We were just about to reach the takeout, when I heard a loud splash. “What the hell was that?” I looked toward...

Cheech from Fly Fish Food—a fly shop in Orem, Utah—is not just a great fly tier, but he's also an entertainer. In this great video, he shows us how to tie a version of the venerable Chubby Chernobyl that's even more buoyant than the original. The secret? Foam, foam, and more foam. Here’s how Cheech describes it: We all know the good old Chubby...

Late May into June is sulfur time on rivers across the country, and one of the classic imitations is the Light Cahill. The pattern's history is somewhat in dispute. Some researchers believe that it was designed by Dan Cahill—a railroad brakeman and fly fisher from Port Jervis, New York in the late 1800s—while others are convinced that it is a version of...

Question: How do you fish caddis-pupa imitations? Just like a regular nymph? —Nick, St. Louis, MO (via the Ask MidCurrent form) Answer: Spring brings prolific caddisfly hatches on many trout rivers, and trout often feed heavily on the pupa stage. Unlike mayflies, adult caddisflies don’t linger on the water—they fly off almost immediately—so trout...

Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions was a featured tier at the Denver Fly Fishing Show, and he walked us through his version of a parachute March-brown imitation. He is a strong believer that a mottled body looks more realistic, and he also demonstrates his twisted-yard posting method. here's lots to learn here. Here's the recipe: March Brown Parachute...

This week’s Tying Tuesday features everything from an imitative dry fly to a ridiculously gaudy nymph, to a flashy streamer—with a buggy beetle thrown in for good measure. We kick things off with a variation on the classic Comparadun that uses synthetic fibers, rather than deer hair, for the wing. I particularly like the way that tier Brandon Moon uses...

Are you looking for a project fly, something that might eat up a whole rainy evening at your tying desk? Then look no further! Cheech from Fly Fish Food—a fly shop in Orem, Utah—walks you through the many steps to create an articulated imitation of a baby duck designed to attract big predators, such as pike, largemouth bass, and big pickerel. Here's how...

“Found one!” Eric shouted from downstream. I hustled along the bank, making sure to stay well away from the water’s edge, until I reached his position. Crouching next to a bankside willow, he pointed to a spot near the opposite bank, where a stick protruding above the surface created a small seam. “Watch just downstream,” he whispered. Sure...

A good searching pattern floats well and is easy to see on the water. In this video, Fulling Mill signature tier Jack Arnot teaches us how to tie one of his modern dry-fly patterns: Arnot's New Age Silver Surfer. A buggy mixture of natural and synthetic materials, the pattern was inspired by the Spanish CDC split-wing tying style. This pattern works well in...

Looking for a buggy, heavy, fast-sinking Baetis nymph? Curtis from Fly Fish Food walks you through the steps to create his latest version of the Aero Baetis, a pattern he has tweaked a few times over the years. The fly features several elements that will trigger strikes, from a good bit of flash to a dark wing case (suggesting a nymph about to hatch), and...