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Fly tying: Cleaning a Dubbing Needle
For those of us who tie flies and work with various resins, from head cement to full-on UV materials, a dubbing needle is likely our tool of choice for applying the goo. For years, I used a square of craft foam to clean the needle after each use—I'd just poke the needle through the foam…
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New gear: Tom Morgan Rodsmiths gift creel
In the fly-fishing world, some "gear" items aren't terribly functional. But Tom Morgan Rodsmiths fly rods are that and more—they're made for you by craftspeople who have discussed the implement with you, and know exactly what you're looking for. Working with graphite, glass and bamboo, these artists craft exceptional fly rods of the highest quality,…
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Trout Tips: Barefoot on the boat
This may go beyond actual trout fishing, but it's a good lesson, and one that can be frustrating to learn. The simple truth is that fly line piled at your feet actually seems to look for something on which to get caught, and it usually finds it just as you're making that money cast to…
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Fly tying: Wood Duck Heron
As a utilitarian fly tier, if I can find a fly that's both simple to tie and effective on the water, I'm in a pretty good place. I like flies that I can a dozen of at a single sitting and not feel like I've been hunched over the vise for hours. Video of Wood…
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New gear: Simms G4 Pro Shift Pack
I was pretty sure that nothing could convince me to step away from my newfound "less is more" approach to trout fishing. Years ago, I was a vest guy—load up the pockets of the fishing vest with everything you need and off you go. Then I tried the lanyard approach, which I also loved, but…
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New gear: Cheeky’s new pliers and backing
As Cheeky's Ted Upton says, "We like to have a little fun with our designs." That would explain the rainbow of color options for the manufacturer's quality fly reels—the color options give customers the ability to add a little personality to their angling. And now, Cheeky is expanding it's "fun" product line to include new…
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Fly tying: The hobby knife
Back in my early newspaper days, when we actually used flats to lay pages out on lightboards, I never went anywhere without my trusty X-Acto knife. I used it to trim border tape, surgically slice columns to fit the allotted space and do all sorts of trimming once the actual journalism was done and producing…
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