Another easy nymph technique for a long slender nymph body style that with a little adjusting will work for most larger mayfly nymphs. Hook: Mustad R75 # 10 Tying thread: UTC 70 Flou Green & Sheer 14/0 Brown Tail: … Continue reading Ultra Lace Mayfly nymph
Another winging technique that gives a realistic flat lying wing, ideal for midges and stoneflies. With this technique all you have to do is change the hook size and colour and you can cover most small stonefly hatches. There is … Continue reading Wonder wing stonefly
A nice technique for making realistic mayfly nymph abdomen with simple materials. Hook: Mustad S82 # 8-14 Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 olive Tail: Peasant tail Abdomen: Larva Lace & peacock herl Wing case: Pheasant tail fibres Thorax: Peacock herl … Continue reading Gill Abdomen nymph
The lovely little Welshman’s button or chocolate drop, as it’s also known, is a simple but rewarding pattern to tie. With three nice techniques to learn for the body, wings and antennae. Tie a few up for coming hatch of … Continue reading The Welshman’s Button
If you are a subscriber to The Feather Bender, you may have noticed a new look to the site over the last few days. It’ been a long time coming, but its here now! As a little celebration I will be drawing one lucky subscriber to win a signed copy of my latest book and a small box of flies tied by me. If you all ready subscribe, all you have to do is like this post and share it to one of the social media tags to the left. If you are not a subscriber, scroll down the column … Continue reading The Feather Bender’s Tying Techniques giveaway
This yellow mayfly dun tutorial has a simple technique I developed for making the Wally wings process quick and simple! Hook: Mustad C53S # 14 Thread: UTC Yellow Wings: 1 Mallard flank feather Tail: Mallard flank dyed yellow Rib: 3/0 … Continue reading Yellow mayfly
A robust yellow quill buzzer for those hatches of midges. Fished alone or as a dropper with a team. A seriously effective pattern on still waters. Hook: Mustad C49S # 10 & smaller Thread: Sheer 14/0 Black Underbody: Black tying … Continue reading Yellow quill buzzer
An extremely mobile nymph, that uses only marabou and a copper wire rib. Although very simple the technique has to be learned in order to tie it correctly. Once you have seen this pattern wet or swimming, you’ll be tying … Continue reading Generic Marabou nymph
It’s soon that time of year again! This adult blue damsel is a semi realistic but easy pattern to tie. If you are on the water and the fish are taking them they can be extremely selective, so having a … Continue reading Adult blue damsel dry fly
An nice little wet pattern that imitates a diving egg laying caddis fly. The small Tungsten bead head will put this caddis where it needs to be. The wing and collar creating a trapped air bubble effect. Again a few … Continue reading Bead Head Diving Caddis
A quick little deer hair midge that pushes all the buttons. Not only a great fishing pattern but also a couple of nice techniques with deer hair and a very simple CDC parachute hackle wing. Deer Hair Midge materials: Hook: … Continue reading Deer Hair Midge
Clarkes All Purpose Emerger is without doubt one of my absolute most productive trout & grayling patterns. Tied on a # 12,14 or 16 hook, as here, it makes a fantastic caddis pupa but on smaller sizes, even down to … Continue reading Clarkes All Purpose Emerger
Another easy tie with basic materials that is guaranteed to catch. An elk hair caddis variant that has a little extra attractor factor. Continue reading Hot Butt Caddis
A real quick and easy basic material hatching midge pattern, that can be fished static or twitched to give a little movement. One of my go-to flies for hatches of midge on still water. Continue reading Pay day midge
The RS 2 or Ray’s Semblance 2 is, in my humble opinion, one of the best fishing flies ever designed. If you haven’t fished with the RS 2, you don’t know what you have been missing. Tie a couple of … Continue reading Tying the RS 2
A little variant of an Al Beatty pattern with quite a few good techniques for larger Dun mayflies. A good pattern that floats well, gives a natural footprint and can be twitched to stimulate takes. Continue reading Muddler mayfly
Gary LaFontaine’s little emerger that has become a modern classic. This simple technique shows you how to create the gas filled shuck case of an emerging caddis fly to great effect. A pattern that no caddis fly specialist should be … Continue reading LaFontaine Sparkle pupa emerger