Currently browsing… fly tying
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Spring Fly Showdown: The final four
The Prince Nymph squares off with the Elk-hair Caddis, and the Adams goes up against the Woolly Bugger
The first-ever TU-Loon Outdoors Spring Fly Showdown comes down to four much-loved fly patterns that likely have homes in fly boxes all over the world. Two classic dry-fly patterns, an old-school, yet still-beloved nymph and likely the best streamer pattern ever tied. Game 1: Elk-hair caddis vs. Prince Nymph https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O24oZLeiEYo Tying the Elk-hair Caddis. Like…
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Spring Fly Showdown: The Prince Nymph vs. the RS2
The Prince Nymph vs. the RS2
The TU-Loon Spring Fly Showdown is down to the final eight flies, including the two classics featured in this matchup. Today, one of the best attractor nymph patterns ever tied goes up against the a tricky emerger that's especially adept at fooling picky trout. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfAFJvbgWTk Tying the Prince Nymph. The Prince Nymph might be a…
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Spring Fly Showdown: Royal Wulff vs. Elk-hair Caddis
The Royal Wulff squares off against the Elk-hair caddis.
The final eight in the TU-Loon Spring Fly Showdown is upon us, and the first matchup is an intriguing contest between one of the great attractor dry flies ever tied and perhaps the most widely used imitation of a mature aquatic insect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWB3BIiKOD4 Tying the Royal Wulff. There are a lot of great fly patterns…
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The final eight: how to tie some great trout flies
Eight flies, one tournament. May the best fly win
The TU-Loon Outdoors Spring Fly Showdown is in its final week, and the tournament is down to its final eight flies. Not surprisingly, given that most of us learn to fly fish for trout before we branch off and try to tackle other species, like bass and pike, or saltwater critters like bonefish and tarpon,…
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Spring Fly Showdown: Chernobyl Ant vs. the RS2
Vote in the Spring Fly Showdown
This matchup in the Spring Fly Showdown pits one of the best big-fly attractors against maybe the best emerger pattern ever tied for picky trout. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GaOWLOM9rE Tying the Chernobyl. Honestly, this fly pattern might be the only good thing to come out of the disastrous nuclear meltdown in the former Soviet Union in 1986 (too…
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Spring Fly Showdown: Bead-head Hare’s Ear vs. March Brown wet fly
Editor’s note: The biggest sporting event of spring, the NCAA basketball tournament, is simply not happening this year thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Anglers, though, can still effectively “social distance” and go fishing in areas where it’s safe and legal to leave the house, using their favorite flies. In that spirit, TU and our friends…
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The TU-Loon Outdoors Spring Fly Showdown
The coronavirus outbreak has changed our lives this spring. Here's a small diversion to take your mind off the crisis for a bit. Right about now, in a normal world, we’d be in the throes of the NCAA National Championship basketball tournament. Many of us would have agonized over the completion of tournament brackets, invested…

