In 1947, Catskills fly tyer Art Flick published his book “Art Flick’s Streamside Guide to Natural and Their Imitations,” which introduced a number of his own personal recipes for tying flies to imitate the foods trout eat. Many of these patterns have become the gold standard in fly fishing, including the venerable bucktail streamer, the […]
Blacknose Dace: The Minnow and the Streamer Read More »
My first cast with a Mickey Finn almost caught a 20-pound Atlantic salmon. I use the term “almost” very loosely here. What really happened was that the fish turned toward the fly, inspected it, and quickly deemed it unworthy. According to my friend, an Atlantic salmon fanatic, no matter what else happened from there on
The Mickey Finn: An Effective Streamer with a Unique History Read More »
The following interview with Evan Brant of Sideling Hill Hackle first appeared in the February/March 2025 issue of Dark Skies Fly Fishing Magazine. DSFF: How did you get into raising chickens and roosters for fly tying? Evan Brant: My family has owned a farm since 1866. I started tying flies when I was 12, and
Choosing and Using the Right Hackle for Fly Tying Read More »
The Little Black Stonefly is one of the first insects to hatch every late winter/early spring. Sometimes it occurs when there’s still snow on the ground, earning the nickname “the snowflake hatch,” and can provide some of the first surface fishing opportunities here in the Eastern United States. But don’t get too excited yet. There
Fishing and Tying the Little Black Stonefly Read More »
Perdigons are Spanish nymphs, and their name loosely translate to mean “pellet,” like the pellets found in shotgun shells. Indeed, these slim, dense flies drop as quickly as lead balls through the water column, which contributes to their effectiveness on all water types, but especially high and fast water. Although they were originally developed by
Fishing and Tying Perdigons Read More »
I started tying flies about 30 years ago, but I still remember the first handful of patterns I learned to tie and fish. Maybe that’s more proof that I’m getting old – things that happened decades again are crystal clear in my memory, but I can’t quite recall what I had for breakfast this morning!
Fishing and Tying the Picket Pin: A Classic Fly for Trout and Panfish Read More »
My introduction to the Golden Retriever came in a fly shop in Rangeley, Maine, in early June. A few friends and I had planned a trip to the “land of legends” in hopes of experiencing brook trout fishing the way it should be. And, of course, every good trip starts with a stop by the
Fishing and Tying the Golden Retriever Streamer Read More »
Semperfli’s Dirty Bug Yarn is a specially designed mix of natural and synthetic materials, and in many ways reminds me of a modern version of Chadwick 477, the original material used to tie patterns such as the Utah Killer Bug. In fact, Semperfli also now offers a material called Chadwick 477 Substitute for tying this
Tying with Semperfli Dirty Bug Yarn Read More »
In my box of terrestrial tricks, you’ll invariably find the Letort Cricket. Developed by Ed Shenk in the 1950s, Shenk often touted the Letort Cricket as his most effective fly, and he wasn’t wrong. He said he’d used it to catch trout on rivers all across the United States as well as Argentina, and although
How to Fish and Tie the Letort Cricket Read More »
The Smokejumper was developed by Montana fly fishing guide Mike Hoiness for fishing the Bighorn River. The fly works everywhere, though, and is particularly good in small sizes for matching midge hatches here in the Eastern U.S. One of the things I appreciate about this pattern, other than its effectiveness at catching trout, is that
How to Fish and Tie the Smokejumper Fly Read More »
