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…
The uses for deer hair in fly tying are almost endless. Spinning, stacking and layering deer hair are just a few instances where the quality of the hair can spell the difference between good flies…
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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…
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…
Our fly fishing season in Ontario is about to start in earnest and with that comes the panic and excitement of ensuring that you possess all the right gear and, especially, all the right flies.
I've…
If you were to look at my spring, summer or fall fly boxes you would notice that 95 percent of the flies that I use have beads. Whether they are shiny (gold, silver or copper) or natural (black,…
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…