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Fly tying: Brace yourself
When finishing tied flies to get rid of any stray materials or to simply make the fly look better, it's important that you don't just "free hand" it. Not all of us are Cool Hand Luke—we need a little help to be precise when we go after small fibers with a pair of tying scissors…
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Trout Tips: For streamers, sometimes bigger isn’t better
Smaller streamers have their place when chasing aggressive fall trout. There was a definitive nip in the air as we drove up into the central Idaho backcountry last week in search of migrating bull trout. Irrigated hay fields sported fresh "snow" from the sprinklers, and the cottonwoods along the river were definitely shifting from deep…
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Fly tying: Freestyle Fall Favorite
It's a little tough this year to get excited about steelhead season here in Idaho—if there's a season at all, thanks to what could be the smallest return of ocean-going rainbow trout to the Clearwater and Salmon rivers in 40 years. Nevertheless, steelhead flies are some of the most enjoyable to tie, and there are…
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Fly tying: Splayed Micro Fibbet Tails
Working with micro-fibbets can be a real pain, particularly for tiers who sport fat fingers (like I do!). But they can really add appeal to a fly, particularly mayflies that depend on that realistic look to attract trout. Video of Splayed Micro Fibbet TailsThe video above offers up an amazingly simple way to properly splay…
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Trout Tips: How the fly looks to fish
Remember, it's about how flies look to the fish. Photo by Chris Hunt. Some flies are meant to catch fish, and some flies are meant to catch anglers. I am always surprised by how some of the patterns I think are sure-fire winners because they look so snazzy turn out to be duds. And sometimes,…
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Fly tying: The Mop Hopper
Last week, I shared Tim Flagler's video on building round rubber legs for terrestrial patterns. It's a brilliant (and relatively simple) way of crafting rubber legs that always rest at that perfect 90-degree angle. Video of Mop HopperAbove, Tim puts the method to use in his Mop Hopper pattern, a great high-floating terrestrial that trout…
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Trout Tips: The value of midges
The venerable Griffith's Gnat. Editor's note: The following is exerpted from TU's book, "Trout Tips," available online for overnight delivery. More than 50 percent of a trout's food, in most places in North America, is comprised of midges—those tiny bugs that are seemingly everywhere. Some of us don't like fishing patterns that small, but remember…
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