Muddler Minnow from Tightline Productions on Vimeo.
The Muddler Minnow was first tied by Minnesota angler Don Gapen in 1936 on the Ontario’s Nipigon River, where he owned a sportsmen’s resort. The fly was designed to catch the huge brook trout of the Nipigon, but variations of the fly have since caught hundreds of species, in fresh and salt water. Although most anglers consider it an imitation of a sculpin, you can fish the. . .
Read MoreTying A Polar Chenille Leech from Rob Weiker on Vimeo.
Sometimes the most effective patterns are the simplest ones to tie. Here’s a great leech from Rob Weiker of Lakestream Outfitters in Whitefish, Montana. Here’s what he has to say about it: . . .
Read MoreShucked Up Emerger from Richard Strolis on Vimeo.
We have featured many patterns from Connecticut-based guide Rich Strolis—such as his verion of a Blue-winged Olive Thorax pattern—and here’s a great emerger pattern to go with it. Blue-winged olives are among the most important insects in early spring out West, often hatching on overcast days or even during snow squalls. In the video, Rich says the fly is so effective he’s even a little hesitant to share his recipe, but I guess he can’t help himself…which helps us.
Read MoreOne of the oldest modern nymphs, the Pheasant Tail was created by English River Keeper Frank Sawyer, who wrote about it in his 1958 book Nymphs and the Trout. Ever since then, it has been one of the most popular nymphs for fly fishermen around the world. The fly is so successful because it seems to imitate a. . .
Read MoreRich’s Winter Stone from Richard Strolis on Vimeo.
Here’s a good, simple winter-stonefly pattern from Connecticut-based guide Rich Strolis. Winter stoneflies are common across the country, so this pattern should work almost anywhere. Rich says he primarily fishes this fly deep under an indicator in the winter, usually as a dropper. . .
Read MoreLast week, we featured a simple, diminutive midge pattern, so I figured we’d with go with something a little more garish this week. The Pumpkin Head Midge combines a dark body with a fluorescent-orange head—hardly mimicking the natural—to create something that’s both eye-catching and “buggy.” I know first-hand the power of fluorescent orange. When my friend Joe Phillips introduced me to. . .
Read MoreThe Serendipity is a variation on the British Buzzer midge patterns that have been around forever. This modern American version is credited to the late Madison River guide Russ Marigold, who showed the fly to Craig Mathews—owner of Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, Montana—in 1988. Marifold’s original had a smooth floss body of brown or olive, wrapped with a gold wire rib. He later. . .
Read MoreI grew up fishing the traditional Hornberg Special pattern, which is a New England favorite—although it was first tied by a Wisconsin game warden named Frank Hornberg in the 1920s. In fact, it’s possible that the very first trout I ever caught on a fly was a brookie that fell for a Hornberg trolled behind a canoe paddled by my older brother and me on New Hampshire’s. . .
Read MoreAs Tim Flagler notes at the beginning of this video, some anglers think that egg patterns aren’t “proper” flies and are effectively bait. Of course, at other times, similar arguments have been made about beadhead nymphs, so don’t think there’s any kind of agreement on this subject. I can tell you that, when I was a fly-fishing guide on Alaska’s Copper River, egg flies were the only patterns the big rainbow trout would eat once. . .
Read MoreBlue-winged olives are the last great hatch of the year in many parts of the country, though the autumn versions of these bugs are considerably smaller than their springtime counterparts. These diminutive bugs often have difficulty breaking through the surface tension of the water, so you want a fly pattern that sits low. Flies with CDC wings are a great choice this time of year for that very reason. Fish these flies in slow-water sections and eddies, where trout will often slurp up lots of mayflies in an attempt to fatten up before colder. . .
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