A new series of videos for those that are new to fly tying, to accompany my new book, ‘fly tying for beginners’ out later this year. Here I am showing techniques that may look challenging, but are totally achievable with … Continue reading Fly tying for beginners – Hair wing Dun
A new series of videos for those that are new to fly tying, to accompany my new book, ‘fly tying for beginners’ out later this year. Here I am showing techniques that may look challenging, but are totally achievable with … Continue reading Fly Tying for beginner’s UV Zonker
A new series of videos for those that are new to fly tying, to accompany my new book, ‘fly tying for beginners’ out later this year. Here I am showing techniques that may look challenging, but are totally achievable with … Continue reading Fly tying for beginner’s Hares ear nymph
Although an extremely simple tie, the Zebra midge is an essential pattern to have in your box all year round. Tie it in all hook sizes from a 12 to a 20 and in any colour you fancy, be it … Continue reading How to tie a Zebra midge
A quick and simple, semi realistic pattern to imitate the Mysis shrimp. Ranging from 0.5 to 25 mm long with a slender transparent body. Inspite its small size the Mysis is a very important food item in both lakes and … Continue reading How to tie the Mysis shrimp
Currently one of the most used tied and nymphs, especially in competition circles. An extremely easy tie for an extremely effective pattern for Euro nymphing. Change the hook size, body and collar colour and even tie it on a jig … Continue reading How to tie a Frenchie Fly
A functional emerger midge pattern with a few nice techniques. Tie it in any size from large buzzers to the smallest hatching or cripple midges in any colour you like. A must have pattern. Hook: Partridge_Sprite S2100 Buzzer # 16 … Continue reading How to tie a Midge emerger
A lovely little pattern, that is tied with only one CDC puff and a few turns of hackle. A quick and easy pattern for the most important terrestrial, no matter where you live, that will float all day long! Tie … Continue reading How to tie a CDC ant
Gee! I never thought that it would be this difficult!! This has been going around fly tyers on YouTube, and I thought that it might be a bit of fun, tying a Black Pennell, with a blindfold on! I not … Continue reading Blindfold challenge Black Pennell
Detached bodied daddy long legs a very simple detached body technique for a good daddy long legs that will float all day long. It can also be applied to all manner of extended bodies. Hook: Mustad C49S # 12 Tying … Continue reading How to tie a detached bodied daddy long legs
Pheasant tail black nymph A little, effective variant of the classic that you can fish in both still and running water all year round. A couple of nice techniques here to take further on other patterns. Fly tying materials for … Continue reading How to tie the pheasant tail black
Probably Jack Gartside’s best known pattern from the early seventies. Originally designed by Jack as a soft hackle muddler minnow but over the years has proved to be an excellent all round sub surface pattern. Hook: Mustad R73 Streamer # … Continue reading How to tie Gartside’s Sparrow
One of my favourite patterns for when the fish won’t have anything bright and prefer something more buggy and natural looking. Hook: Sprite barbless streamer S2200 # 8 Tying thread: Dyneema 55 or GSP 50Rib: Fine oval gold tinsel Tail: … Continue reading How to tie a Hares ear muddler
A wonderful little pattern that, as the name suggests, is a composition of several better known patterns. This is a simple tie that will cover most dry fly situations when grayling fishing. Hook: Partridge_Sprite S2401 # 14 Tying thread: Sheer … Continue reading How to tie the Heinz – 57 grayling dry fly
The holidays are quickly approaching us, and maybe some last minute gifts are still needed!There is still time to order ‘The Feather Benders Fly Tying Techniques’ The ideal gift for the fly tyer. Here are a couple of video reviews of the … Continue reading Ideal gift for a fly tying Christmas
For me this is one of the very best emerger patterns that can be used for both midges and mayflies. Named after the famous 3 dollar bridge on the Maddison river this little pattern is quick to tie and a … Continue reading How to tie the three dollar dip fly
Black deer hair flies have been used for decades here in Scandinavia for night fishing in salt water for sea run browns, heres one of my favorites, the marabou muddler. Hook: Mustad S74 Salt water streamer # 4 Tying thread: … Continue reading How to tie a black marabou muddler
This variant of the semi realistic Solomon caddis pupa is a relative easy tie and has a few nice techniques to take further on other patterns. Hook: Ahrex FW560 # 12 Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 Brown Rib: Tying thread Body: … Continue reading Solomon caddis pupa variant
One of the lesser known but still effective old grayling and trout patterns, with a couple of nice body techniques with peacock herl. Hook: Mustad R50U # 12 Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 Black Tail: Goose or duck quill slips dyed … Continue reading How to tie Bristow’s Bug dry fly
This is my take on one of the all time classic soft hackle patterns that in recent years has experienced a comeback. Hook: Partridge_Spider # 14 Tying thread: Cobweb 6/0 Orange Hackle: Brown speckled partridge Buy MUSTAD signature hooks on … Continue reading How to tie a Partridge & Orange spider
A little jig with a couple of nice techniques for breathing gills and a shell back. Hook: Barbless jig # 12 Bead: 4mm silver slotted Tungsten Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 Olive Tag: Red Floss Rib: Fine silver wire Shell back: … Continue reading How to tie the bottom crawler jig nymph
An extremely quick and effective winter pattern for searching pocket water. Try it in smaller sizes with a green or yellow body. Hook: Mustad C49S # 10 Bead: Slotted Tungsten silver 2.8 mm Tying thread: Dyneema or white 8/0 Body: … Continue reading How to tie the Red hot chilli pupa
Being the most prolific terrestrial on just about every river and still water, this extremely simple but effective parachute ant will not only float high and dry, but tick all the boxes for ant feeding trout no matter where you … Continue reading How to tie a parachute ant
One of John Goddard’s lesser known but extremely effective patterns. The original JG emerger used a brown and grizzle hackle mixed for the parachute here I use only a brown dyed grizzle along with a special technique for splitting the … Continue reading How to tie the JG emerger variant
A little pheasant tail water boatman/Corixa that is super quick to tie and can be fished effectively both wet or dry. Tied only with pheasant tail and moose mane hair. Hook: Mustad R 30 # 14 Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 … Continue reading How to tie the water bug / Corixa
The smallest of the up-winged may flies. Although ideally matched on a # 20-26 hook it is possible to get away with a # 18. A couple of interesting techniques here for the tails and wing. Just change the colour … Continue reading How to tie a Ceanis / Trico spinner dry fly
A quick and easy Hares ear soft hackle / wet fly that will work just about anywhere. Fish it up-stream as an emerger / semi dry, let it drift down stream and as it passes you give it a pull … Continue reading How to tie a hares ear soft hackle wet fly
The Best Fly tying Books You Should Read Over the past, 35 + years, that I have been tying flies, there are a few books that have become top reference books for me, some, that I return to on probably … Continue reading 10 Fly Tying Books my recommendation
One of the great Canadian surface flies for salmon and steelhead. As you are probably aware I’m a sucker for deer hair patterns and this is one of my favorites for salmon and sea run browns. Hook: Mustad SL53UBL # … Continue reading How to tie the Green Machine
A little cased caddis fly larva that is extremely simple to tie. You can mix and match the hook size and colour of hackles used to match the debris that the larva use in your your local waters. Hook: Mustad … Continue reading How to tie a stick fly larva
Take a well known pattern and fish catcher and turn it into a Jig that has a couple of nice techniques and is super fast to tie. What more could you ask for ? Hook: Veniard Osprey Barbless Jig # … Continue reading How to tie the Brassie Jig nymph
One of the beautiful bucktail’s. On May 5th 2014 Vermont’s Governor Peter Shumlin signed a law bill that designated Governor Aiken bucktail streamer as the official fishing fly of the state of Vermont, as a tribute to former Governor, George … Continue reading How to tie the Governor Aiken bucktail streamer
A quick but effective pattern for one of the last large bugs of the year. An easy tie with a couple of good techniques that can be used in other patterns. Hook: Mustad R43 # 8 Tying thread: Dyneema Hackle: … Continue reading How to tie the October Caddis
Over the past few days I have been tying up an order of several dozen traditional dry’s with mallard slip wings. I have found this extremely therapeutic , almost Zen like! But tying slip wings can prove to be challenging … Continue reading How to tie Mallard slip wings dry fly
Heres a quick tie of a Cahill variant with mallard slip wings, Coq de Leon tail & moose mane body. Slip wings are easy to tie if you know how! The video will follow shortly. Have a great evening. How … Continue reading Mallard slip wings
Heres one of my moose mane nymphs, that can be fished wet or dry. Although it may look a little challenging, it’s a relatively straight forward tie that includes a few good techniques that can be put to use in … Continue reading How to tie the moose mane nymph
A quick and super easy wire body midge pupa that is almost indestructible. Tie it in whatever colour and size you like. Hook: Mustad C49S # 14 or smaller Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 Black Body: UTC Ultra wire, colour of … Continue reading How to tie the Ultra midge
One of my ‘go to’ patterns for searching big fish. This great nymph/streamer pattern is a relative easy tie, again using only basic materials. The zonker strip used here is mink but all manner of fur strips can be put … Continue reading How to tie a strip nymph
A great pattern when the trout are selective. Only basic materials are needed for this ‘ must have’ pattern for the caddis specialist, that can be fished static or as a skater. An easy tie with a couple of interesting … Continue reading How to tie the Poly wing caddis
A nice pattern for most of the larger mayfly nymphs. Not only an easy but semi realistic tie but an extremely effective pattern with some good techniques that can be used for other nymphs. Hook: Mustad R74 # 10 Tying … Continue reading How to tie a large mayfly nymph