“Whoa, whoa, whoa … Joel? Let’s not waste any blood on a nymph.” Yeah, it’s a bit late for us to post the trailer for a Halloween fright-fest film—even if it’s a trailer to a film that doesn’t really exist. But Hank Patterson’s newest fly-fishing spoof (with the egregious support from Orvis) that draws on … Read more
As a son of Colorado, I can attest to the wonder and beauty found high in the small waters of the Centennial State’s mountains. Chasing trout in off-the-grid creeks is, to this day, my favorite fly-fishing pastime. Above, Todd Moen of Catch Magazine, teases us with a trailer on a yet-to-be-completed film that focuses on … Read more
The bucktail wing is one of the elementary ingredients in a number of popular flies, from Clousers to Coachmen … even some caddis patterns call for bucktail. But, man, can it be hard to work with or what? I’ve always struggled with bucktail—I either lash it too tightly to the hook shank, which makes it … Read more
If flies were measured by their appearance, quill-bodied mayfly patterns would take Best in Show honors every single time. Sleek yet buggy, streamlined, yet high-floating, quill-bodied flies are stylish and functional. But they can be a bear to tie, especially if you’ve never done it before. The quick video above shows you the best way … Read more
As anglers, we naturally spend more time thinking about the big stuff—where the fish might be and what flies they might be after—than we do about what makes the big stuff so rewarding. You know … like ensuring our equipment is in good shape, our knots are solid and our hooks are sharp. Above, Wayne … Read more
So you like brown trout? Nahuel Stauch has the fish for you. And thanks to Todd Moen at Catch Magazine, you can get a look at what is likely the largest population of sea-run brown trout on the planet in the Rio Grande of Tierra del Fuego. Stauch, the guide for Scottish angler Gordon Armstrong, … Read more
The Woolly Bugger’s less-sophisticated cousin, the Woolly Worm, is an excellent searching pattern for subsurface trout, and it has the added benefit of being an excellent pattern for panfish, like crappy and bluegill. Above, Tim Flagler ties a really durable version of this venerable pattern. If it’s meant for non-stop action on bluegill, it needs … Read more
Many of us, particularly those who walk and wade with a fly rod in hand, incorporate the upstream mend in order to get a better, longer drift when we’re nymphing or floating a dry fly through fishy water. But for anglers who are swinging streamers or soft-hackles, the downstream mend needs to be a part … Read more
We all have a passion in life, even if, like my kids, we haven’t really figured out what it is yet. For fly fishers—real, die-hard, rather-fish-than-eat anglers—our passion is simple. A rod, a line, a fly and some water are all it takes to ignite the lamp in our souls and put our passion to … Read more
Steelhead are never easy to catch. If they were … well, they wouldn’t be steelhead. But they might be especially difficult to catch on a skated dry fly. One western river, the desert section of the lower Deschutes, is known for big, fresh-from-the-Columbia chromers that will, indeed, hit a dry fly on the skate. Captured … Read more
