I get this question all the time: “how to I attach a loop eye to an eyeless hook? Is there a video showing it?” Every single time, I tell myself I’m going to make a simple video about it, but the idea soon falls victim to the same fate as new years resolutions. The topic…
An old adage says that lighter colored flies work best in the spring. Whether you call them “PMDs”, “PEDs”, or just plain “Sulphurs”, I think trout get keyed in on a lighter color during this time of year. This fly works well even though it doesn’t exactly “match the hatch” and is quick and easy…
Asking a fly angler to pick their favorite fly pattern is a little like asking a mother to name her favorite child. We love them all for different reasons. But if pressed, most anglers will be able to come up with at least a short list. So, I thought I should put together mine. These…
In 2014, I came up with a pattern that became my go-to fly for many years: the Japanese Lantern. It was just a simple sakasa kebari, but instead of thread for the head, I used pearlescent Mylar to give it a little flash. The fly performed swimmingly and I had the utmost confidence in it.…
People often share which kinds of music they listen to while they’re tying flies. Music and tying just seem to go hand-in-hand for many. For me though, it was always listening to A Prairie Home Companion on NPR. This is back when it was still hosted by Garrison Keillor who left the show in 2017…
Yes, I know. The party line is that traditional tenkara flies are unweighted. Purists say that you’re supposed to use plunge pools or longer drifts to sink your flies. But this isn’t always possible (especially on my home waters). Most of my local streams are high-gradient with short, fast-running pockets. You might only get a…
This is a boring fly. But there’s a reason for that. It’s my variation on one of my favorite all-time flies: René Harrop’s Hair Wing Dun. The Hair Wing Dun has proven itself on waters all over the world. It’s easy to tie, floats well, is durable, and versatile. Here’s my version and the theory…
Here’s a great resource for shorter lengths of Shetland Spindrift yarn–one of my favorite materials for tying simple and durable tenkara flies.
There’s been a lot of buzz around Vicuña dubbing lately and I was lucky enough to get a box from DRAGONTAILtenkara. I’ve probably got hundreds of packages of dubbing dating back 20+ years, but I can tell you, I really like this stuff. First of all, it’s hand-dyed alpaca wool so it’s scraggly, but still…
Like many of you, this pandemic has been difficult for me. I sold my house right before it started and have been house and dog sitting for some friends who were in Guatemala for a couple of months. The library of fly tying tools and materials I’ve collected over the years (including my beloved roll-top…
The following is a guest post. I almost never do them, but when someone as prominent in the tenkara community asks for one as Jason Sparks, my ears perk up and I listen. Here are a few more of his great theories on fly design and presentation … There have been several points of conversation…
I’m often asked where I get my fly tying materials. And my answer is, “from my desk”. Over 30 years of tying, I’ve amassed a collection of materials that would make some fly shops’ inventories seem lacking. So whenever I sit down to tie, I already have all the ingredients necessary. I’ll probably never have…
Being a fly tyer is part of my self-identity. I’ve often said that even if every river and ocean on Earth dried up, I would still tie flies. It’s one of my passions in life and I consider it a high art. As such, I’m always interested in learning about how other tyers practice the…
Years ago, my friend told me a story about how he used to save all of his beat up flies in an old coffee can. Anything that lost its tails, had unravelled thread, or got chewed up beyond recognition went in there. He had a master plan. One day, when the can was finally full,…