There’s another great way to add a bit of flash to the Bullhead Sculpin design, and that’s by adding it to the collar. The effect is very nice because the flash is in the collar and not merely on the inside or on the outside of the fly. The flash sparkles within the hair and […]
This is a variation on the Down and Dirty leech that I demonstrated at the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton, CA, last weekend. It adds a very dense head of dubbing to give the imitation even more water pushing capacity and to allow the tyer to shape the head if needed. More on shaping the […]
The Down and Dirty Leech design, which can also be modified into minnows, sculpins, steelhead and salmon designs, tarpon flies, bass lures, and so on, has many variations in the way in which materials can be applied to the hook. One way is a layering technique that divides the fly into distinct layers of color, […]
Very often in my designs I use a loop of thread to spin custom chenilles of deer hair, dubbing, furs, soft hair, and other materials. It is critical that a loop be formed that is closed tightly at the top. This is an easy maneuver once you see it done. I’ve added a page to […]
Flies that work are good flies regardless of their complexity. In fact, my goal in fly designing has been to reduce flies to the absolute minimum essential features in order to determine those features that trigger the fish’s feeding response. In the process I have developed a series of Down and Dirty flies that are […]
Interestingly, I’ve had several inquires about the Wet/Dry Fly, so I’ve put up a page showing the fly and discussing the tying. This is one of my “go-to” flies during heavy hatches when the fish are focusing on emergers and cripples. It’s extremely simple, but also extremely effective. Have a look.
I had several requests for the gang at Edmonton to post the tying instructions for the Braided Butt Damsel–so here they are, straight out of Designing Trout Flies.
Today was a busy one at the show. Lots-o-people, and then some. I held a casting class from 8:30 to 11 am, had a book signing from 11-12, gave a talk entitled “Where the Trout Are,” and finished with a casting talk/demo from 3:15 until 4:15. Yesterday I met Jackson Leong and we talked fly […]
Many anglers don’t realize that water absorbs light wavelengths differentially. That is to say, red light is absorbed differently that blue or green or yellow or orange. On top of that, different waters will absorb light differently. Here’s a chart from my book, “Presentation,” showing this differential absorption of different waters. What this means is […]
Fly fishers have spent an inordinate amount of time studying the visual acuity of trout. That’s good because it has given us some remarkable data that have helped shape not only our flies but also our angling tactics and the clothing we wear. But, in the process, we have neglected the acoustic acuity of fish. […]