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Fly tying: Attaching dumbbell eyes
For fly tiers who like big streamers and saltwater patterns (count me in this group—the bigger the pattern, the easier to tie, in my opinion), dumbbell eyes can present a challenge, mostly because, no matter how many times we "figure-eight" the tying thread around the eyes and the hook shank, the eyes, with enough pressure,…
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Fly tying: JC’s Electric Steelie Stone
Being a western angler, I'm not terribly familiar with the steelhead flies used in Great Lakes tributaries. Most western steelhead patterns are purple or pink or some color variation that just looks loud and gawdy. Higher up in the steelhead drainages, like here in Idaho, it's easier to get awa y from the "eggy" and…
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Fly tying: Less Mess Morrish Mouse
I haven’t spent a ton of time fishing mice. Other than a few nights looking for big browns — bushwhacking through the north woods with a underpowered headlamp just to lose most of my flies to unseen trees — my experience is pretty much limited to chucking these bugs into lily pads for largemouth. I’ve…
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Trout Tips: The windshield never lies
Editor's note: The following is exerpted from TU's book, "Trout Tips," available for online purchase and overnight delivery. I recently took a long drive through Kootenay, Banff and Jasper national parks along the border with British Columbia and Alberta. Throughout the entire drive, delicious, glacial-tinged trout water paralleled my path. Trouble was, save for the…
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Fly tying: Craft-fur Clouser
I love fishing Clousers. I hate tying with bucktail. I can never seem to get the bucktail material to lie flat and stay flat. Most of my Clousers tied with yellow and white bucktail have splayed tails and likely swim like nothing a fish predator has ever seen. Video of Craft Fur ClouserThanks to Tim…
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Trout Tips: Pairing flies
Editor's note: The following is experpted from TU's book, "Trout Tips," available for overnight shipping. It's hard not to like tandem rigs—two flies working together for the single purpose of making you happy. But there should always be rationale for the pairing. Sometimes that's merely to help you see better. I can't always see a…
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Fly tying: The Klinkhamer
'Tis the season for emerging insects on America's great trout rivers. Here in Idaho, it's full-on Blue-winged Olive season (in an infuriating size 20!). While traditional dun patterns can work well, I've found that trout are often keyed in on emerging BWOs well into the full hatch. And a BWO tied "Klinkhamer" style perfectly mimics…
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