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A northern pike caught on a size 2/0 fly. Photo by Chris Hunt.
Among the more confusing—and intimidating—aspects of fly fishing is how the fly-fishing world sizes the hooks upon which our flies are tied. There may be nothing more off-putting to a beginning angler than asking a fly shop sales... [ READ MORE... ]
The author, when he had mojo.
By Sam Davidson
Mojo is a term of American origin that refers to a magic charm or spell. It also has come to mean, more broadly, a quality or ability that brings good fortune or helps one be good at something.
It’s not uncommon that I hear anglers speaking of their... [ READ MORE... ]
Winter is a tough time to fish, simply because, more often than not, the elements are stacked up against you. And, unless you see trout working an active hatch—usually a midge hatch—on the surface, most of your fishing will be of the "searching" variety with a nymph or, occasionally, a streamer.... [ READ MORE... ]
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... [ READ MORE... ]
By Toner Mitchell
During our short friendship, Andrew Romero and I summitted neighborhood trees and hunted lizards, raced our Hotwheels and wrestled in his mom’s living room. I also remember his fly tying kit and a dedicated few days of exploring the very limited extent of what could be tied with... [ READ MORE... ]
Landon Mayer has made a living out of catching big tailwater trout, so when a fly bears his name, you might want to pay attention. Such is the case with his Mini-Leech, tied in the video below by Tim Flagler.
Landon Mayer's Mini-Leech
Video of Landon Mayer's... [ READ MORE... ]
Yes, it's still January, and here in Idaho, most of spring's upcoming runoff is either stacked a couple feet deep along our rivers, or it's yet to fall as still more snow. But when the weather does warm up, and that snow begins to melt, many anglers will be looking for the ideal high-water fly... [ READ MORE... ]
I built my first fly rod 20 years ago—a 9-foot, 4-weight on a St. Croix SCII blank. It was a supple implement that I still have in a case in the rafters of my store room. It fished well. In fact, I caught one of the biggest trout of my life using it—26-inch rainbow on Colorado's White River.
But,... [ READ MORE... ]
Crystal flash and tinsel are great for tying flies—particularly patterns that need to attract attention, like baitfish patterns, Woolly Buggers and other streamers. But handling those shiny materials can be a real pain. I can't count the times I've found strands of crystal flash that have managed... [ READ MORE... ]
As I watched Tim Flagler tie the Last Chance Cripple Hendrickson, I inadvertantly cringed at the language used in the video below. Fly tying may the last refuge for the antiquated term, "cripple."
Meant to imitate a mayfly that, for some reason or another, is struggling to break loose of the water... [ READ MORE... ]