Dumbell eyes add weight to a streamer pattern, plus they allow the fly to ride hook-upward and impart a jigging motion when you strip line. The problem is that they also tend to rotate around . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Attach Dumbbell Eyes
fly-tying tips
Video: How to Accurately Measure Materials
Many fly-tying recipes call for a tail or a wing that is as long as the shank of the hook. But how do you ensure that you’ve got the proper measurement? In this video, Tim explains how hold the . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Make Distribution Wraps
Some patterns, such as the Bird’s Nest, call for hackle fibers all the way around the body, which can be a pain. But Tim has a great trick that makes the process ridiculously easy. It’s all in how you prepare the feather and then tie it in. Try it out, and your . . .
Read MoreVideo: Barbed vs. Barbless Hooks
Although there are places where regulations require barbless hooks, the decision of whether to go barbed or barbless is usually left to the angler. In this video, Tim Flagler discusses the pros . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie Mike’s Honey Ant
Mike Lawson’s Honey Ant is easy to tie and very effective.
One summer afternoon, we had a reception on the back lawn here at Orvis HQ, and we were treated to a massive flying-ant hatch. Bugs were flying into people’s hair, eyes, and ears, and it was kind of frustrating to be in the middle of a conversation and have to be digging ants out of your collar. But fly fishermen know that trout love ants, and a lot of folks began. . .
Read MoreBook Excerpt: How to Tie the Deer Hair Sedge
In 2013, I became a big fan of fly-fisherman and writer Bob Wyatt. His book, What Trout Want: The Educated Trout and Other Myths first seduced me with great writing, then convinced me. . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Hold Fly-Tying Materials Out of the Way
When you’re tying a pattern that features long hackles, legs, or other materials, keeping them out of the way while you tie can be a frustrating process. As Tim notes here, some vises feature special material-holding springs or . . .
Read MoreUPDATED: Tying with Tom Fly-Pattern Schedule!
By now, you’re surely aware that Tom Rosenbauer is hosting fly-tying sessions on Facebook Live. For the next two weeks, he will be tying every Monday and Friday at 12 p.m. EDT. In the interest of giving you enough time to . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie the Sunken Trico Spinner
Tricos are small mayflies of the Tricorythodes genus that produce one of the longest hatch periods of the season, emerging in prolific numbers from July through October. It’s when the spinners return to the water to lay eggs, however, that trout . . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Create an Easy Extended Body
You may have seen mayfly patterns with extended bodies and wondered, “How do they do that?” It looks complicated and scary, but in this video, Tim explains a simple method that uses a standard sewing needle and a piece of stretch tubing. You’ll be . . .
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