I don’t consider myself a fly tyer. But I tie flies. I tie flies because it is economical. I tie flies because I don’t fish dozens of patterns, and I’ve learned to tie what I like to use. I tie flies because it is fun. It is a challenge, but it is fun. If I’m …
It is easy to judge your skill as a fly tyer by how a fly looks. While pretty flies are indeed fun to look at, the real goal ought to be flies that fish well. (It can’t be ignored that often the flies that fish well do look good.) So what are you doing to …
Look at that fly. Isn’t it something? Want to know what its deal is? Okay. First: I tied it. Second: I designed it. Third: I haven’t fished it. I’m sure it would catch fish. If it could. But it can’t. Because there’s no hook point. So, what’s the point? There is a very valid point …
Chances are there is a fly tying event that is held on a regular basis somewhere near you. Fly shops, fishing clubs, and TU chapters are all getting in on these gatherings. Whether you are a beginner tyer or an expert, I think you should go. In this episode, I share 5 reasons why tyers …
“Running silent, running deep, we are your final prayer…” That is a line from Iron Maiden’s Run Silent, Run Deep off of the 1990 release No Prayer for the Dying. Decent song, decent album. It is nothing near as good as 1988’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. But I digress. The song, and the …
Hardcore, devoted fly tiers own and use good tools. If you are tying every fly you fish or offering dozens upon dozens of patterns up for sale, you’ll get a lot out of premium tying accessories. To any fly fisher, that makes a lot of sense: we want the best tool for the job. But …
Every now and then, Fridays on Casting Across are devoted to other people’s contributions in the fly fishing community. Articles, pictures, social media accounts, videos, podcasts, products, and more are featured on The Last Cast of the Week. Today, I’m sharing items from: Casting Across – 3 Year Giveaway International Fly Tying Symposium – IFTS …
It the short history of Vedavoo Vise Night, the monthly fly tying event at the Vedavoo workshop, we’ve seen the creation of some impressive flies. Seasoned tiers have produced microscopic midges, cutting-edge saltwater patterns, and intricately articulated streamers. Plus, someone tied a fly that lights up. And another guy wove mop material. And a few …
It was a damp fall morning. The kind of morning where the weather wasn’t great but at least it wasn’t damp and summer. There wasn’t any humidity to speak of, just a little wet. You could see it on the changing leaves, sense it underfoot, but not feel it in the air. We had gotten …
I’ve been tying a lot more flies as of late. I’ve also been trying to be more consistent in the quality of my tying. To best achieve this, I’ve turned off the television. But I can’t have silence. That just won’t do. The solution is easy: podcasts. I already listen to them while I am …
