#Flies

Paul

Mar 15, 2021

Get Acquainted with Fly Tying Scissors

Household scissors usually come in pretty standard form, which is to say they are typically on the larger side and relatively inexpensive. I know that about three or four pairs are sitting around in various drawers in my house, but they are all the same familiar style. Having more than one pair of these is more about convenience than utility. After all, cutting things like paper doesn't require much precision. On the other hand, we fly tyers have different needs. We require s

Paul

Mar 1, 2021

The Versatile Woolly Bugger

If someone asked me what the most legendary flies were, several would immediately come to mind. Of course, the Woolly Bugger would likely be at the top of my list. Woolly Buggers are simply fish-catching machines that provide generalized imitations of forage like insects, leeches, shrimp, crawfish, or baitfish. Easily found at pretty much any reputable store selling fly fishing gear, they're also staples in the streamer boxes of most freshwater anglers. As a result, many firs

Should You ALWAYS Be Using Flash on Flies?

Paul

Oct 8, 2020

Should You ALWAYS Be Using Flash on Flies?

Flashy fly tying materials come in several forms ranging from thin tinsel to gaudy Flashabou. Fly patterns can incorporate a tiny bit of flash, a modest amount, a whole lot, or often none. It may not matter to some, but I'm a firm believer in adding flash to some of my flies for specific scenarios. I know it helps get a few extra bites at times, but at other times I also feel it can be a turnoff. And let's be honest—there are times when it probably doesn't matter. Of course,

Paul

Aug 17, 2020

My Current Solution to a Bulky Fly Box

Other than actual fishing tackle, do you own a piece of gear that you just simply can't part with? Whether that's a trusty old vest or a handy gear bag, not matter how old, tattered, or ugly it is, you just can't let it go. For me, that's my Fishpond waist pack. I acquired it back in 2014 and just can't find one I like better overall. For someone that turns over their gear pretty frequently, the fact that I'm still using the thing says a lot. I have been tempted a few times t

Paul

Aug 13, 2020

4 Ways to Customize a Clouser Minnow

Invented by the legendary freshwater guru Bob Clouser, the Clouser Minnow is one of the most important and versatile patterns in all of fly fishing. Often referred to as the fly angler's equivalent of a bucktail jig, countless species have fallen to the Clouser's darting, jigging action. I quickly became a fan of the fly many years ago and have successfully used it on species like trout, largemouth bass, stripers, snook, and false albacore. Despite all the fancy streamers ava

3 Facts About Fishing With Terrestrial Dry Flies

Paul

May 28, 2020

3 Facts About Fishing With Terrestrial Dry Flies

Fishing with dry flies. What's not to love? Dry fly fishing means high levels of anticipation and totally visual strikes. The abundant fun factor there is awful tough to beat! While all dries are immensely entertaining to fish, for me the biggest excitement comes when fishing terrestrials. Flies in this category includes imitations of insects like ants, crickets, beetles, and grasshoppers — those bugs that live on terra firma; aka dry land. Terrestrials are my favorite types

The Best Fly Tying Tools for Beginners to Start Out With

Paul

Apr 6, 2020

The Best Fly Tying Tools for Beginners to Start Out With

Interested in learning how to tie flies? Fly tying is something that every fly angler who's immersed in the sport should learn how to do. It's not just fun and can save money; being able to create or customize patterns that are tailored to exactly where you fish can also help boost your success. If whipping up your own bugs seems even remotely intimidating, please throw that notion out the window. Some flies can certainly require pricier materials and more expertise, but the

Paul

Dec 9, 2019

3 Ways to Add Action to Your Streamers

Streamer fishing is a pretty easy way to catch fish, right? After all, you just have to tie on a fly, cast it out, and strip it back in! It depends on the type of streamer, species, and conditions at hand, but many times you have to go beyond the basics to enjoy consistent success. There's a reason why some anglers seem to always catch more fish than others—it's the little things that can make the difference. You can definitely get bit on streamers by keeping things simple, b

Paul

Oct 21, 2019

IFTD 2019: Umpqua

(words and images courtesy of Umpqua/Russel Miller) Many would argue that presentation is the most important aspect of catching tough fish. So, for 2020, Umpqua has assembled a completely new and technically advanced offering of leader and tippet to help you match the right leader/tippet to the right fly and situation. Our quest for the ultimate and all-inclusive offering of leader and tippet has resulted in five new materials, each with unique properties designed to solve sp

Fly Fishing for Bass: Don't Be Without Topwaters!

Paul

Jul 29, 2019

Fly Fishing for Bass: Don't Be Without Topwaters!

Fly fishing for bass is addictive no matter how you slice it, but on topwater? Ohhh yeahhh....now we're talking! Throwing topwater bass flies is not only a surefire way to quicken the pulse, but it can also sometimes be the best way to catch bass. It's really eye-opening how you can throw a subsurface streamer down a likely stretch and come up with zilch, only to go back through with a popper or diver and get hookups. You'd think a fly swimming down at the bass' level would a

Paul

Jul 5, 2019

New 2020 Fly Lines from RIO

Words and photos courtesy of RIO Products FRESHWATER RIO’s new Technical Trout line has been designed for the angler fishing at range with long leaders and needing pinpoint accuracy and feather-weight presentation. The line has a long head and back taper to increase loop stability and for long range control, and a weight distribution that easily turns over long leaders for wary trout. The line comes in both weight forward and double taper options and is ideal for fishing drie

What I Like About Tying Streamers with Bucktail

Paul

May 24, 2019

What I Like About Tying Streamers with Bucktail

Natural vs. Synthetics. Some fly tyers will likely favor one heavily over the other, but for my fishing and the flies I tie, I use both materials with about a nearly even split. While synthetic fibers can be great for certain styles of flies and certain water conditions, bucktail is a material that any serious streamer tyer can't be without. I love the stuff. Used on many flies including famous ones like Lefty's Deceiver and the Clouser Minnow, it's undoubtedly a great materi

4 Tips for Better Success With Baitfish-Imitating Streamers

Paul

May 5, 2019

4 Tips for Better Success With Baitfish-Imitating Streamers

I'm a straight-up streamer junkie, period. I've always gravitated more towards bass and saltwater fly fishing where streamers obviously reign supreme, but even when trout fishing, streamers are my favorite way to catch 'em......dry flies being a very close second, of course! With the species I target, finding baitfish flies in my box is a given. Through the years of catching fish like largemouth, snook, and stripers, I've gained a lot of confidence using these flies and have

A Must-Have Accessory for Streamer Anglers

Paul

Feb 7, 2019

A Must-Have Accessory for Streamer Anglers

I tie a lot of my flies for snook and largemouth with Puglisi or "EP" fibers. These long, soft fibers come in a huge array of colors and are amazing for crafting a plethora of flies imitating baitfish and other morsels. At the vise, the material is very easy to work with, and on the water it produces an excellent breathing/swimming action underwater. The one downside I do encounter is that larger patterns tied with these fibers can become a big tangled wad after a fish is cau

Are you SURE You're Getting Deep Enough?

Paul

Nov 29, 2018

Are you SURE You're Getting Deep Enough?

Many fish often feed on or near the bottom. That's just how it is. When those fish are totally keyed in to that particular zone, your fly had better be there or you may come up empty. That's one of the simplest mistakes anglers can make—not fishing deep enough. You might be in the right spot, using the right fly, and even using the right line/leader combination, but your presentation or simply your patience can keep the fly from reaching that critical strike zone. It's also a

Paul

Oct 11, 2018

BIGGER Flies for BIGGER Bass

Small flies certainly have their place. Whether imitating insects or other types of small forage, a downsized fly is often a great choice to "match the hatch" when it comes to accurately representing these little morsels. With that said, of course all fish don't always hunt for tiny food 100% of the time. Even fish like rainbow trout will munch on a pretty substantial meal from time to time. A prime example here are bass; in particular largemouth bass. With a mean attitude an

Paul

May 31, 2018

Fly Fishing for Bass: Popper or Diver?

Say what? You've never fly fished for bass?!?!?! These highly-accessible fish can be found in a ton of locations and offer incredible sport on a fly rod. Of course there's many different flies that will trigger a bass to strike, but none offer the sheer overall awesomeness of a topwater fly. Getting that first blowup on the surface is nothing short of addicting and might cause you to temporarily forget about trout. As I type this post here in late May, you folks out there in

Basic Things to Look at When Choosing a Fly Tying Vise

Paul

Mar 12, 2018

Basic Things to Look at When Choosing a Fly Tying Vise

When I first began tying flies as a kid, I started the typical way—with an ultra-cheap, super-basic vise. It worked fine at the time, but I soon upgraded to a slightly better model that would most definitely still fall into the "cheap" category. Despite its price and lack of features, it worked well enough that I kept tying on that thing for probably close to 20 years. In 2017, that all changed when I FINALLY upgraded to an actual quality vise called the Griffin Odyssey Spide

Paul

Feb 5, 2018

The Power of (Streamer) Attraction

I was just clicking around online getting reacquainted with what's out there in the world of streamers. Most of my fly fishing here in South Florida is done with just a few different but very simple patterns, all of which produce very well for me. With that said, it's still fun to stay in-tune with the flies that far more creative minds are coming up with and even experiment with patterns I've never tried. Fly designs are all over the map, and of course so are sizes. With thi

4 Reasons To Try Fly Tying With Flat Waxed Nylon Thread

Paul

Jan 4, 2018

4 Reasons To Try Fly Tying With Flat Waxed Nylon Thread

Without a need for a huge variety of patterns and materials, my fly tying is relatively basic. Despite this, I do like to have a handful of different thread styles on the table. On top of "standard" tying threads, I also keep a supply of clear mono thread in addition to my current favorite, Danville Flat Waxed Nylon. Although I've used the latter for quite some time now, I've recently warmed up to it even more and have just really come to enjoy consistently working with it. I

DEMYSTIFLY

Demystifying the Gear and Art of Fly Fishing