A common misconception amongst inexperienced fly tiers is that prepped materials are the only ones worthy of a place by the vice. Veteran tiers eventually learn that being creative and using unlikely…
With many different types of scissors available to the avid fly tier, trying to pick out a quality pair is not as easy as it might sound. Different sizes, styles and lengths can all effect how…
Many fly tiers won’t skimp when it comes to purchasing fly tying materials such as hackles or dubbing for fly tying but never pay any thought to the thread they’ll be using. Other than the hook, fly…
Over my years in fly tying, I have been lucky enough to test nearly all fly tying bobbins. There are so many different varieties and styles of bobbins on the market today, it amazes me that fly tiers…
*/
Similar to purchasing the tools for fly tying, trying to decipher what the
essential materials are can put a beginning tier into a head spin. Many of
the materials available are not…
Seeing as the Hex Hatch is just a few weeks away, I thought it would be good time to share the three most useful tips I have learned over the years about tying Hexagenia patterns. These patterns…
When I first started tying flies, I tied bucktails. That's fairly standard for most of us because bucktails are relatively uncomplicated and inexpensive to tie.
When I gained competence tying those…
In case you haven't heard of it the term "hot spot" in fly tying, it simply means adding brightly colored fluorescent material (beads, thread collars or tails) to your fly. The Hot Spot technique…
Thinking about all the different equipment/materials a beginner fly tier needs to start tying, a quality fly tying vise should be on top of the list. Vises have evolved drastically over the last few…
The great thing about fly tying is that it encourages creativity, skill and thought. All you need to do is look at countless variations of well-known flies like the wooly bugger or a host of wet fly…
Recently a good friend had asked me what I preferred — synthetic or natural materials — when constructing my favorite fly pattern bodies. As I thought more about this question, I would have to say…
When I think about the most successful flies I have used over the years for smallmouth and largemouth bass, trout, pike and panfish, I realize that marabou is, in most cases, a common denominator. In…
