Fly Tying: Devin Olsen's Blowtorch

Competition fly fishing these days is a lot about high-stick or Euro-nymphing—it's easily among the most effective fish-catching techniques in the fly-fishing discipline. And today's competitive fly anglers are becoming real innovators when it comes to fly patterns. While the size 22 emergers and the like are still found in every competitive fly caster's fly box, we're seeing more and more flies that I would consider to be "attractors" being used to bring fish up under long-rod nymph rigs.

Above, Tim Flagler ties Devin Olsen's Blowtorch, a fly that ought to make every angler who's go-to nymph rig includes the venerable Prince Nymph smile—this fly doesn't imitate anything in particular, and as Flagler points out, it does a good job of incorporating both natural and attractor features, like the peacock herl and the red antron. With the hen-neck soft-hackle, it even has a bit a of wet-fly magic tied in, too. 

Not all of us competition fly fishers, but we all like to catch to fish. And if guys who use this fly to catch fish are winning international competitions with it, we might want to pay attention. 

— Chris Hunt