Many fly tiers enjoy debating the relative merits of natural materials–fur, hair, and feathers–versus the myriad artificial products that have been introduced in recent decades. What you choose to tie with is a personal choice, and the proof is in the end . . .
Read Morefly tying tips
Video: How to Make Sure You Can See What You’re Doing, Part 1
To tie well, you need to be able to see what you’re doing, especially when you’re creating tiny patterns. Whether because of genetics or age, many of us need a little help with our vision, and Tim walks us through several options–from dollar . . .
Read MoreHow to Stop Streamer Tails from Fouling
When you’re casting larger flies with long tails (like Zonkers), it’s not uncommon for the tail to become wrapped around the hook bend. Even expert anglers occasionally suffer from fouled flies. Having to constantly readjust your fly is not only frustrating, . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie the Great Blue Heron Soft-Hackle Streamer
This week’s fly is the Great Blue Heron Soft-Hackle Streamer, which is based on the famous Gartside Soft-Hackle Streamer, although Tim’s tube version is considerably more sparse. The tying process is fairly straightforward, involving quite a . . .
Read MorePodcast: All About a Magic Fly-Tying Material, with Tim Flagler
I frequently get questions about CDC, or Cul de Canard, a special feather found on ducks that makes very effective dry flies, emergers, and nymphs. What is it? Where does it come from? Why is it so special? What kinds of CDC are there, and how do . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie the Little Blue Heron Fly
Over the past two months, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions has dedicated six “One-Minute Tying Tips” videos to methods of creating tube flies. So this week’s how-to tying video features a pattern that will allow you to put these new skills to work. . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Make a Pine-Squirrel Collar
If you’ve been a Tim Flagler fan for very long, you realize that he’s a big fan of pine squirrel as a tying material. (See here.) In this great video, he shows you how to make an elegant, buggy collar using the hairs from a pine-squirrel zonker strip. You’ll need . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie the Winter Parachute Midge
In this week’s great tying video, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions discusses his growing confidence in the color blue for winter fishing and then shows us how to tie a tiny, elegant midge pattern. Whenever I think about tying flies smaller than size 20, . . .
Read MoreVideo: Video: Tube-Fly Basics, Part 5
In the fifth part of a new series on tube flies, Tim shows you how to cut a tube to the proper length, making sure you don’t squish the material or end up with a jagged edge. He then demonstrates his method for “softening” the end of the tube using a . . .
Read MoreVideo: Video: Tube-Fly Basics, Part 4
In the fourth part of a new series on tube flies, Tim describes the many fly-tying accessories designed specifically for tube flies–from cones to fit various tubes, to weights that allow you to adjust how the fly rides in the water, and more. Using these tools, . . .
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