Fly fishers have always eyeballed insects fluttering around them, picked an imitation that looked close enough from their box, and had great success. Those who acutely studied the real mayflies or caddisflies before making a decision had even better success when it came to fooling trout. For decades, Art Flick’s New Streamside Guide was the …
Time. Money. Frustration. And the things on the table in front of you look more like debris from the lint trap than anything that a fish might eat. I’ve been there. Early in my fly fishing, I had some missteps and fruitless moments. Somewhere along the line I got into a groove. And while I’m …
Imposters, by Skip Morris, is closest you may ever come to a collection of fly fishing stories where the flies are the main characters. Now, those tying, choosing, and employing these flies are certainly part of the plot. The fish make appearances as well. But the real stars of Morris’ excellent writing are the flies. …
The name Orvis is synonymous with American fly fishing. If you are at all interested in the history of the sport, you’ll certainly enjoy learning about the fly tying daughter of the company’s founder: Mary Orvis Marbury. Mary was more than an angler, of course. But her contributions to her father’s fledgling brand and the …
Just because they’re “no see ‘ums” to you, it doesn’t mean the fish can’t see and eat ‘um. Midges are a staple of trout diets. Imitations of these tiny insects and their cohorts deserve a place in your fly box. And, assuming you have the eyesight or gadgets to tie them on without too much …
A good fly tying demonstration doesn’t just give you the how. It also throws the what and why in to really help you understand what you’re doing. The best ones? They add high-quality photographs, throw in some anecdotes, and reference the top voices in fishing today. Sound like a high standard? Well, Tim Cammisa of …
No matter if you’re a beginner or an expert, there are ways to improve your efficiency on the water. Now if that sounds clinical and not at all cohesive with the artistic flair that accompanies fly fishing, bear with me. Efficiency is all about being able to to what you want to do when you …
Nearly every fly tyer wants to get better. With focused repetition, patterns become more consistent and come together more quickly. It isn’t in the cards for everyone who sits behind a vise to produce professional-looking bugs. It isn’t necessary, either. Practice makes productive flies that fill boxes and catch fish. Along with guidance, know-how, and …
There are more storied pools, riffles, and confluences in New York’s Catskills region than many states can boast in total. Theodore Gordon, Joan Wulff, and the Dettes are just a few of the prominent names that are associated with the tight concentration of valleys. But countless other men and women have chased trout, tied flies, …
I mean that in the absolutely most positive way possible. Heck, I had to dumb down my fly tying when I started (and restarted) so that I didn’t get so frustrated that I threw my vice through the wall. So, apologies out of the way, what do I mean by dumbing down fly tying? Some …
