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Fly tying: The Cream Variant
As Tim Flagler notes in the video below, the Cream Variant is "an oldie, but a goodie." Indeed, I remember seeing this pattern for the first time as a child—it is the epitome of delicate fly fishing, and I remember thinking that all flies used for fishing should be this beautiful. Video of Cream VariantAlso,…
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Trout Tips: Putting the line through the guides
Editor's note: The following is exerpted from "Trout Tips," TU's new book that can be shipped directly to you, overnight. The problem: When stringing a line on your rod, who hasn't reached the tip, only to drop the line and then watch it fall all the way down through all of the eyes? The solution:…
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Fly tying: The Slumpbuster
The Slumpbuster is a John Barr creation, and it's intent is exactly as the name implies. It's big. It's heavy. It pushes water. It's the "look at me!" fly that we all search for when things are slow, the action suddenly ceases or under high water when finding fish might be a bit of a…
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Fly tying: Mercer’s Missing Link
Stumped. We’ve all been there — thrown everything in our boxes at a handful of rising trout until, one by one, we’ve put them down.Fishing the Snake River with some friends, we watched fish after fish slash at stoneflies and completely ignore our imitations as the cleanly drifted past. We’d tried every stonefly imitation we…
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Trout Tips: Lessons from the gear guys
Editor's note: You can own TU's newest book, "Trout Tips," and have it delivered overnight. The book is a compilation of tips and tricks from TU staffers and volunteers from all over America. I'm in Duluth, Minn., for the annual Outdoor Writers Association of America conference, and got the opportunity to do some great public…
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Fly tying: The Renegade
Years ago, I navigated our old Toyota Landcruiser high into the mountains off the shoulders of Monarch Pass in southern Colorado. The gravel road was a nightmare, even for my seemingly indestructable beast of a vehicle, and I was forced to come a stop when I reached a snowbank even the Landcruiser couldn't charge through.…
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Trout Tips: Lessons from the Firehole
Editor's note: For great fishing tips and tricks from TU staffers and volunteers all over America, you can buy TU's new book, "Trout Tips" online and have it shipped overnight. I spent an afternoon last week on the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park. It's one of the West's iconic rivers, and it's also one…
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