Matt Callies ties the Balanced Bugger and the Perdigon Variation nymph live tonight at 9 p.m. ET.
Fly tying, for many fly fishers, is an economic necessity. Dropping $50 at the fly shop on tying materials can literally save you hundreds of dollars—if, that is, you factor in the time spent at the vise as enjoyment and, generally speaking, you know what you’re doing.
The folks at Loon are doing their best to help you with the latter (and I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you got your hands on some their tying tying tools to help you get the most out of the flies you hope to tie). Every first and third Thursday at 9 p.m. (ET), Loon streams its “Loon Live” fly tying feature where Matt Callies ties flies for those who tune in. It’s live, free and its informal, conversational and instructional.
I just watched Matt tie two patterns that I use a lot—a salmonfly pattern and a cool variation of the Stimulator (video above). Every Thursday, Matt ties a couple of flies and converses with those who tune in to watch. The episodes are about 45 minutes long and chock full of ideas, tips and tricks that tiers can use at the vise to craft better flies that catch more fish.
The episode airing tonight features the Balanced Bugger and the Perdigon Variation nymph (the latter uses Loon’s UV fly-tying finish that cures under ultra-violet light—a new fly-tying fettish of mine, even though its been around a while). If you have the time, make a sandwich and sit down at the vise with Matt tonight. You never know what he might teach you.
— Chris Hunt