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 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 Mysis shrimp fly
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 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. Midge emerger pattern recipe Hook: Partridge_Sprite … Continue reading Midge emerger
A lovely little CDC ant 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 … Continue reading Cdc ant fly pattern
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. Detached bodied daddy long legs pattern … Continue reading Detached bodied daddy long legs
Black Pheasant tail 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. Black pheasant tail nymph … Continue reading Black pheasant tail nymph
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. Gartside’s Sparrow nymph pattern recipe … Continue reading Gartside’s Sparrow nymph
One of my favourite patterns for when the fish won’t have anything bright and prefer something more buggy and natural looking. Hares ear muddler streamer pattern recipe Hook: Sprite barbless streamer S2200 # 8 Tying thread: Dyneema 55 or GSP … Continue reading Hares ear muddler streamer
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 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. Marabou muddler pattern Hook: Mustad S74 Salt water streamer # … 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. Solomon caddis pupa variant pattern recipe Hook: Ahrex FW560 # 12 Tying thread: Sheer … 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 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. Partridge and Orange wet fly pattern recipe Hook: Partridge_Spider # 14 Tying thread: Cobweb 6/0 Orange Hackle: Brown … Continue reading Partridge and Orange wet fly
A little jig with a couple of nice techniques for breathing gills and a shell back. Bottom crawler jig nymph pattern recipe Hook: Barbless jig # 12 Bead: 4mm silver slotted Tungsten Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 Olive Tag: Red Floss … Continue reading 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. Red hot chilli pupa pattern recipe Hook: Mustad C49S # 10 Bead: Slotted Tungsten silver 2.8 mm Tying … Continue reading 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 Parachute ant fly
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 John Goddard 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. Corixa – water boatman fly pattern recipe Hook: Mustad R … Continue reading Corixa – water boatman fly
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 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 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. Green Machine pattern recipe … Continue reading Green machine salmon fly pattern
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. Stick fly … Continue reading 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 ? Brassie Jig nymph pattern recipe Hook: … Continue reading 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 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. October Caddis fly pattern recipe Hook: Mustad R43 # … Continue reading October Caddis fly
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 Mallard slip wings dry fly
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 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 Strip nymph – streamer
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. Large mayfly nymph pattern: Hook: Mustad … Continue reading Large mayfly nymph
Purple Haze is extremely popular attractor started life as a parachute Adams with a purple body. There are many interpretations of the purple haze, this is just one of them. Why it works, we don’t know but the fish just … Continue reading Purple Haze fly parachute
