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The Copper John
The Copper John is one of the most productive nymphs used for searching—this time of year, with runoff-swollen rivers and high, murky water, it's an excellent option for getting down deep and attracting trout. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbcC1k07XTU The fly, originally tied by its namesake, John Barr, isn't just a high-water fly, either. It's a quality attractor that…
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Wrapping soft hackle
Soft-hackle patterns have earned a spot in my fly box. Over the last half-decade or so, they have gone from seldom-use curiosities from some hidden corner of a rarely opened fly box to my first choice on many waters here in the West. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsP43A2fr84 The sparser the better when it comes to soft hackles. Why?…
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Four-quarter fly fishing
For years and years, fly fishing for trout, for me, was a three-period game, not a four-quarter contest. It was hockey, not football (even though I’m not much of a hockey guy). Depending on the season, the time of day or the weather, I’d go to my fly boxes and choose a fly from one…
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Different posts for different light
Editor's note: The following is excerpted from TU's book, "Trout Tips," available online for overnight delivery. Guide Pete Cardinal reminded me of this one as we fished the Missouri River in Montana in early fall. It's hard to beat a Parachute Adams as an all-around, do-anything dry fly. With a good cast, and a better…
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Flashback Pheasant Tail nymph
The venerable Pheasant Tail nymph is a fly box staple, and there's a reason for that. It works. And it's not the most onerous fly to tie, either, as demonstrated below by Matt Callies of Loon Outdoors, who cranks one out in just a few minutes. https://youtu.be/YgyPaFIEw8s Matt Callies ties the Flashback Pheasant Tail nymph.…
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Three little nymphs
I love the way Matt Callies from Loon ties flies. Check that. I love the way he converses when he ties flies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPalbzdbgu0 You can tell Callies is a fly fishing guide and not just a vise junkie. He fishes what he ties, and he's pretty pragmatic about what comes from his vise when all…
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Selecting CDC, Part 2
Last week, Tightline Productions' Tim Flagler taught us the CDC (cul-de-canard) basics—we know that the feathers come ducks or geese, near their preening glands. These feathers have lots of surface area, which helps them trap air and keeps the afloat quite well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmKTqiQS7Ls Above, Tim shows us how various CDC feathers are used in common…
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