DEMYSTIFLY

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 in my house there's about 3 or 4 pairs laying around in various drawers, but they are all the same familiar style. Having more than one pair of these is more of a matter of convenience than utility. After all, cutting things like paper, tape, or loose thread doesn't really require much precision. On the other hand, us fly tyers

If someone asked me what the most legendary flies were, several would immediately come to mind. The Woolly Bugger would likely be at the top of my list. Woolly Buggers are simply fish-catching machines that provide a generalized imitation which can represent forage such as 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 just about any freshwater angler. Lot

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 at all. It may not matter to some, but I'm a firm believer in adding flash to some of my flies for certain scenarios. I really believe it helps get a few extra bites at times, but at other times I also feel it can definitely be a turnoff as well. And let's be honest — there are times when it

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intro/Construction Blane Chocklett is known as one of the most creative and skilled fly tyers today. With many patterns to his credit, his Game Changer fly has caused quite a ruckus within the fly fishing world in recent years. Not only is it big, bold, and supposedly swims with an impressive action, but it also catches a huge variety of species. As an enthusiast of conventional swimbaits both hard and soft, I look at this fly as the flyrodder's equivalent—and that's pretty i

Loon Outdoors is well-known for their quality fly fishing and fly tying products. Some of Loon's most popular offerings include a lineup of UV resins made for everything from fly tying to repairing busted waders. Rather than sitting around waiting for a typical formula to dry and cure, these UV resins take mere seconds to harden when exposed to UV light. Since you'll want to apply these special Loon resins indoors or in the shade so they actually remain liquified and usable,

I can still remember the very first fly I tied. It was in the early 90's and I was no more than 12 years old. Since I don't think I had actually taken up fly fishing quite yet, I was equipped with absolutely NO fly tying materials or tools. Lucky for me, my mom came to the rescue! Her sewing kit in the hall closet had a nice selection of threads, so one day I poked around in there for a few minutes and emerged with some black and yellow thread. Over the next hour, I construct

Most streamers that you'll see are tied on a standard hook with a straight shank. These hooks get the job done well and can be easily found at any fly shop. However, like many things in life, improvements can be made. Aside from sprucing up or modifying an existing fly pattern's materials, changing the hook style itself can make a difference for the better. That's where the jig hook comes into play! The jig hook's difference in design over a standard hook is pretty obvious. T

Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship I like brand new stuff as much as anyone else, but some things I tend to hold on to for years. Besides my now 12-year-old truck, my old fly tying vise was another item getting up there in years. Well, as far as belongings go, it was actually downright ancient! I can't recall exactly when I bought it (buying a vise isn't exactly one of life's milestones), but a fair estimate would be back around 1994. Despite a semi-busted and cheesy c-clamp base, it

Bozeman Bug Collars are machined brass beads that are relatively flat in shape with a small cone side and a larger more open side. Bug Collars are designed to be able to slide right up behind a regular round bead to add a hint of color to your fly pattern. Great for all types of nymphs and streamers, they come in five different sizes with fluorescent, metallic, painted, or plated color schemes. Bozeman Bug Collars are available in packs of 25 and are priced between $3.50–$6.0

Okay, so maybe "heavyweight" is too strong of a term, but there's several ways to add weight to your fly during the tying process to help it sink faster. While of course every fly isn't weighted, having some heavier patterns on hand can make a huge difference in your success. Let's run through a few ways to easily add extra heft to your bugs! Weighted Heads: Adding a weighted head to your fly can be as simple as sliding it onto the hook and up against the hook eye. Weighted h