Currently browsing… fly tying
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Is it good … or bad to obsess?
Fly fishing is arguably the ideal pastime for someone with obsessive tendencies. Inches matter on the stream, as do thousandths when it comes to spools of tippet or fly-tying thread. A guy I once fished with said he never saved leftovers from home-cooked meals; it was a sanitary thing. Sure. I remember thinking he probably ironed his underwear before putting them away, but…
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Use dubbing to make a solid base
Certain materials, when tied to a hook shank, just don't take well to being secured with thread. The lack of friction between the material and the metal of the shank makes it very easy for some tying materials to spin, even after multiple wraps and efforts to tightly bound them to the shank. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hV1KNILIhM Above,…
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How to use shanks for articulated flies
There are a few choices when it comes to choosing which shank to use for the flies you're tying, but, generally speaking, the idea is the same: shanks let you make longer fly bodies and then hang a "stinger" hook off the rear of the fly
And which ones to use, depending on the patterns you're tying I started using shanks for tying articulated flies a couple of years ago, and last year, in Argentina, I enjoyed some great streamer days for big trout using the fruits of my labor. There are a few choices when it comes to choosing which…
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Building a better ‘Bugger
Tim Flagler ties up his version of a 'better 'bugger' using weighted wire and a tougher construction
The Woolly Bugger might be the most-tied fly on the planet — for many of us, it was the first fly we ever tied. There's a reason for that, of course. It's among the easiest patterns to master, and, no matter how many times some creative vise-wizard comes up with the next great streamer pattern,…
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Finesse Dubbing Part II
As we noted last week, applying dubbing can be a little tricky. But, as Tim Flagler showed us, there are ways to make it simpler. Below, in his second installment video on the topic, Tim shows us how to take the dubbing noodle we've created and carefully move it closer to the hook shank for…
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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, "What was the guy who tied this thing smoking?" A couple of decades ago, this was certainly the reaction many traditional fly anglers had when foam became an accepted fly tying material, and…
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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. Below, Tim Flagler shows us how to craft the simple dubbing "noodle," or a length of dubbing that…