As Tim Flagler, of Tightline Productions says at the beginning of this video lesson, “Form, function, and simplicity. What more could you want out of a fly pattern?” Hans Weilenmann’s CDC & Elk is an excellent caddisfly imitation that builds on the original Elk-Hair Caddis. (Al Troth, who designed the original EHC, died earlier this month.) Replacing the original. . .
Read Morefly-tying videos
Video: How to Tie Al’s Trico
It’s Trico time in much of the country, and fishing these tiny bugs (genus: Tricorythodes) can be frustrating, especially when the fish get selective. The late Al Miller fished the Tricos on Pennsylvania’s Little Lehigh River for 45 years, so he knew a thing or two about what patterns work best. In the late 1990s, he developed a remarkably simple yet effective fly that lacks wings or tails. Miller said that he originally left these features off the fly because he couldn’t see well enough to. . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie the Double Standard (Repost)
Two of the most effective–and most popular–trout flies in the world are the Pheasant Tail Nymph and the Hare’s Ear Nymph. So what could be better than a single nymph that combines the two? The Double Standard features the tails, abdomen, and wing case of a traditional PT and the buggy-looking hare’s-ear thorax. Put a gold bead up front, and you’ve got yourself a pattern that imitates many mayfly nymphs and has enough attractive features to work as. . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie a Yellow Sally Stimulator
 |
Editor’s Note: We posted about the history of the Stimulator pattern last August, and it’s interesting enough to repost here:
Read More
Most folks think of Randall Kaufmann, famed West Coast angler and shop owner, as the inventor of the Stimulator, but the question seems up for debate. The fly’s true originator may be. . .
Video: How to Tie a Saltwater Popper, Part II
In last week’s video, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions demonstrated how to build the foam body of a saltwater popper. Now it’s time to finish the popper by attaching eyes, coloring the body, and adding a tail. The techniques Tim uses here will allow you to create an array of poppers in different color combinations to mimic the local baitfish or create different kinds of. . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie a Saltwater Popper, Part I
Most fly fishers will agree that catching fish on top is just more fun, no matter what species you’re after. And when you’re casting in the salt for stripers, bluefish, redfish, or anything else that will come to the surface, “on top” usually means a popper. This is where fly tying and old-school C. Boyd Pfeiffer-style tackle craft come together. Constructing a popper body bears little. . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie a Trico Spinner
The tiny mayflies known as Tricos (the genus is Tricorythodes) offer great fly fishing across the country from July through October. The females hatch in the morning, while the males usually hatch at dark. But anglers really love the spinnerfalls, which usually happen not long after the morning hatch. Standing in the river, watching a could of mating Tricos, and waiting for the first spinners to hit the water is what angling anticipation is. . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie an Isonychia Emerger
Back in January, we featured a how-to video on tying an Isonychia nymph, and now the folks at Tightline Productions have followed it up with an emerger to match the same genus. Isonychia mayflies, often known as slate-wing or mahogany duns, are prevalent throughout the eastern half of the United States, and trout feed on duns and spinners throughout the mid- to late season. Even though Isonychia. . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie the Sulphur Usual
The original Usual dry fly was created by Fran Betters of Wilmington, New York, who specialized in fishing the fast water of the West Branch of the Au Sable. To do so, he needed flies that floated well, and his first famous creation, the Haystack, used a single clump of deer hair as both the wings and legs of a fly. Building upon that concept, he created the Usual, which substituted. . .
Read MoreVideo: How to Tie Bob’s Banger
New Jersey angler Bob Popovics is one of the pioneers of fly fishing for striped bass, bluefish, and anything else that swims in the briny deep. His 2000 book Pop Fleyes introduced many tiers to the joys of using epoxy, silicone, and other artificial materials to make innovative patterns that are durable and catch fish. The beauty of his Bob’s Banger is that it requires none of the. . .
Read More