Trout tips
The ethics of the dropper
The ethics of fly fishing can get pretty sticky, or at least I’m gleaning that from social media, where some folks aren’t afraid to scold fellow anglers for teetering on the edge of angling impropriety, whether that impropriety is real or perceived
Prospecting blue lines
A trail generally follows the stream on its gentle course to Shoshone Lake. If you walk the trail, you might occasionally see a tiny brook trout finning in a deep, dark corner of the creek. More likely, if you’re not an angler and staring keenly through polarized lenses through clear water isn’t really your thing, you might notice a fish dart for cover as your shadow crosses the stream
Last Chance Purple Haze
I spent a couple of days last week on the Henry’s Fork’s upper reaches, trying to fool uber-educated trout in the Box Canyon and Railroad Ranch stretches of the river. This time of year, those tailwater sections of the river are likely the most hospitable...
Fishing a two-fly rig downstream
Fishing two-fly rigs downstream is a great way to pull trout from under rocks and structure
Building a better ‘Bugger
Tim Flagler ties up his version of a ‘better ‘bugger’ using weighted wire and a tougher construction
Hopper season
Fly fishing with grasshopper patterns can bring big trout to the top, even on small, backcountry streams
Add movement to mimic subsurface insects
Learn about the bugs we mimic when we fish, and work to match not only how they look, but how they move
Finesse Dubbing Part II
Applying dubbing can be tricky, but Tim Flagler share some great tips for making it easier, and for making a great-looking fly.
The Chubby Chernobyl
There are some flies that, upon first blush, make you wonder aloud as you pick through the offerings at the fly shop
Finesse dubbing
Using dubbing to craft fly bodies and collars shouldn’t be that difficult, regardless of the material you use in the process. But, for those new to the craft, dubbing can often give them fits at the vise
The Green Drake
Here in the West, the Green Drake is the harbinger of summer. Dependably, our largest mayfly shows up within a few days of the summer solstice, give or take a few days, and, if we happen to get some rain, this hatch can last for weeks
The Sulphur Klinkhammer
The legendary sulphur mayfly hatches on East Coast rivers have likely started for some attentive anglers, and the evening duns will continue to emerge for some time, with the famed bugs coming off wistful cream-colored clouds. But as any angler who has fished the sulphur hatch knows, getting the size and silhouette exactly right is vital — with so many natural bugs on the water, fooling trout with an imitation can be tough
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Brown and grizzly hackle mix
Avoid the temptation to use one or the other — use both a brown and grizzly hackle stem for patterns that call for them
Ease young anglers into fly fishing
Let kids come to fly fishing at their own pace
Matt Callies’ Hare’s Ear Nymph
Tying a great Hare’s Ear variant, thanks to the creativity of Matt Callies of Loon Outdoors.
Making tough casts for big fish
Bigger fish will often lie in hard-to-reach habitat.
The Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph
The venerable Pheasant Tail Nymph turns up in most fly boxes, as it should. It’s a buggy pattern, and the iridescence of the peacock herl tied in as the bug’s abdomen always seems to draw trout to this classic fly. Over the years, the patterns has evolved...
Tying easy extended bodies
Tying an extended-body fly … with ease
The Chuck Caddis
Watch as Tim Flagler ties the simple, yet elegant, Chuck Caddis
Prepping for high-country angling
For backcountry anglers, now is the time to make sure your gear is ready
Shiney Hiney Caddis Pupa
Tying the Shiney Hiney Caddis Pupa
Gila trout recovery on Mt. Graham
The effort to restore Gila trout in their native range continues to move forward
Atherton No. 2 Nymph
Tying the Atherton No. 2 Nymph
Fly fishing tips from north of the border
Fly-fishing tips from our friends up north
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