Fly Tyer Magazine

30/08/2024

There is more to terrestrial patterns than just grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and ants. Do you see those regular-looking flies buzzing over the water? The trout do! Adding this snazzy imitation to your fly box will bring fresh excitement to your late-summer fishing.—Nadica & Igor Stancev

Get the tutorial at www.flytyer.com/the-blue-bottle

Blue Bottle

Hook: Tiemco TMC2487 or TMC2488, sizes 16 to 10.
Eyes: Red glass bead. Thread: Black 12/0.
Body: Black polypropylene dubbing blended with blue Angel Hair or Ice Dub.
Wings: Pale gray organza ribbon.
Thorax: Black polypropylene dubbing blended with blue Angel Hair or Ice Dub, and pearl plastic film or foil.
Legs: Black dry fly hackle.

28/08/2024

Want to avoid crowded rivers? Want to catch BIG fish? The lakes and ponds of Colorado’s Front Range see fewer anglers and hold trophy trout. Here’s where to go and the flies you will need.—Al Ritt

Get all the patterns at www.flytyer.com/beneath-still-waters

ARF HUMPULATOR

Hook: Tiemco TMC5263 or an equivalent, sizes 14 to 8.
Thread: Brown 6/0 (140 denier).
Tail: Tan or black calftail.
Back: Tan, brown, or black closed-cell foam.
Rib: Brown, grizzly, or orange dyed grizzly hackle.
Body: Yellow, tan, orange, or black polypropylene yarn.
Underwing: Opal Mirage Tinsel
Wing: Tan, brown, or black Widow’s Web.
Overwing: Hi-vis or white Widow’s Web or parachute post wing yarn.
Thorax: Golden brown, peac**k, or hot orange Hareline Dubbin Ice Dub.
Hackle: Brown or black.

26/08/2024

Using a fly with the proper sink rate is often critical to catching fish. You can adapt this new pattern for catching bass in a variety of situations.—Drew Chicone

Get the pattern at www.flytyer.com/mr-lunker-loves-strawboss

StrawBoss

Hook: Mustad 3407-BN, size 4.
Thread: White 3/0 (210 denier).
Tail: Craft fur.
Lateral line: Chicone’s Wide Cut Crusher Legs or Sili Legs.
Legs: Daddy Long Legs or fine rubber legs.
Wing/shell: Bucktail.
Underbody: Ribbed Tungsten Scud/Shrimp Body.
Body: Nexcare Waterproof Tape. (You’ll find this in larger drugstore chain stores.)
Other stuff: Bic pen plastic case

23/08/2024

Tie the Para-Poly Sedge to match the colors of the caddisflies fluttering across the surface of your favorite stream.—Hans van Klinken

Get the pattern at www.flytyer.com/para-poly-sedge

Para-Poly Sedge

Hook: Daiichi 1280 or 1180, sizes 10 to 14.
Thread: Size 8/0 (70 denier), color to match the body.
Body: Fly-Rite Poly Dubbing or your favorite dry fly dubbing in colors to match the insects on your local waters.
Wing: Polypropylene yarn—white, blue dun, light dun, cream, or brown.
Hackle: Dry fly hackle—light ginger, ginger, light brown, or blue dun.
Note:Although most sedge imitations do not have thoraxes, you can add this component using a couple of wraps of peac**k herl.

22/08/2024

Matching hatching and egg-laying caddisflies is critical to successful dry fly fishing. Barry Clarke shares a fly box full of his favorite patterns that will catch trout around the world.

21/08/2024

"We here in the Eastern United States are fortunate in that we have really good Isonychia hatches. It’s a shame many regions of North America do not. Iso’s, as they’re known for short, are also called Slate Drakes, Mahogany Duns or Leadwing Coachmen."—Tim Flagler

Follow along in the video as Tim Flagler shows how to tie the Isonychia Soft Hackle.

Isonychia nymphs generally emerge by first migrating to the shore, then crawling out onto rocks, where the winged adult emerges from its

19/08/2024

Check out what's in the autumn issue of Fly Tyer magazine at www.flytyer.com/in-this-issue.

15/08/2024

Learn to tie Regan’s spinner at www.flytyer.com/tie-one-on-grayling-michigan-style

14/08/2024

Traditional vs. 90-degree Posts

how to tie a parachute post

12/08/2024

The Ozark Mountains remain one of fly fishing’s best-kept secrets. It is also home to an assortment of can’t-miss flies.

09/08/2024

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. Despite its small size, the Mysis is a very important food item in both lakes and salt water. Watch the video to learn how to tie it!

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 salt water. Heres a few good techniques for getting it right!

07/08/2024

There are a few names in fly tying that scream “out of the box;” Gary LaFontaine and Scott Sanchez come to mind, as does Jack Gartside. Jack had many fish-catching patterns to his credit, and few looked like any form of recognizable fish food. But if you put them in the water and apply some action, they look alive. The Wet Mouse is one of those unique creations.

The name of this pattern derived more from what it looks like dry than what it mimics in the water. This is another pattern that succeeds without the help of synthetic or flash materials. I couldn’t help noticing that this fly looks very similar in the water to the Assam’s Dragon. I guess great minds really do think alike.

Jack Gartside tied the Wet Mouse for the Fall 1978 issue of Fly Tyer.

Wet Mouse

Hook: Mustad 9671, sizes 12 to 6. I substituted a Tiemco TMC5262.
Thread: Black 8/0 (70 denier).
Body: Pheasant aftershaft feathers wrapped the length of the hook shank.
Collar: Pheasant, grouse, or partridge soft hackle.

05/08/2024

The zebra midge is one of those patterns that really doesn’t need an introduction. It’s simple, effective and works over a range of fishing situations. Although easy to tie, there are some tricks that really help to produce a smooth tapered body which results in a better looking fly.

Watch the video by Tim Flagler to see how to tie it at www.flytyer.com/zebra-midge

02/08/2024

“Form, function, and simplicity. What more could you want out of a fly pattern?"

Watch the video with Tim Flagler at www.flytyer.com/cdc-elk-hair-caddis

CDC & Elk Hair Caddis

Hook: Standard dry-fly hook (e.g. Dai-Riki #305), size 16.
Thread: Brown, 8/0 or 70 denier.
Abdomen/Hackle: Single brown CDC feather.
Wing/Head: Elk or deer hair, cleaned and stacked.
Adhesive: Head cement.

31/07/2024

Want to catch more trout? Get all the patterns for hot spots and watch videos on how to tie them at www.flytyer.com/hot-spots-for-better-nymphs

Perdigon

HOOK: Hanak H 450 BL, size 14.
BEAD: Silver slotted tungsten.
THREAD: Fluorescent red, size 12/0 or the finest thread you have.
TAIL: Medium pardo coq de Leon
ABDOMEN: Blue holographic tinsel.
THORAX: Tying thread coated with clear UV resin.
WING CASE: Black UV resin.

29/07/2024

Hans has created many wonderful fish-catching flies, and he travels the world giving fly-fishing and tying demonstrations. Hans is always warm and welcoming, and everyone enjoys his humor and good cheer. And, everyone always learn a lot!

26/07/2024

These past couple of years, here in the Mid-Atlantic, the light cahills have been one of the premier hatches. I use this parachute-style light cahill pattern to imitate nearly all of the insect’s life cycle, save for the nymphal stage.

Watch the video by Tim Flagler to learn how to tie it at www.flytyer.com/light-cahill-parachute.

Light Cahill Parachute

Hook: Dry fly hook (here a Lightning Strike DF1), size 14.
Thread: White Semperfli Classic Waxed, 12/0.
Wingpost: White polypropylene floating yarn.
Tail: Woodduck flank feather.
Body: Light Cahill-colored Superfine dubbing.
Hackle: Cream-colored cape hackle.

25/07/2024

Got a minute? Take a quick tour of master fly tyer Tim Flagler’s fly tying bench.

Take a quick tour of master fly tyer Tim Flagler's fly tying bench.

24/07/2024

The Fat Albert really needs no introduction in the fly tying world as it’s been a mainstream pattern for many many years. Developed by Brent Taylor in Missouri, it’s designed to imitate almost any terrestrial bug that has a fat profile and a lot of legs.

The Fat Albert really needs no introduction in the fly tying world as it's been a mainstream pattern for many many years.

22/07/2024

The Pearl Slipper is an effective imitation of a migrating shad, salmon smolt, or smelt that is migrating downriver. Fish this pattern using a 250-grain or heavier line and a stout leader. Tying on the Pearl Slipper using a Rapala loop knot allows for maximum action during the retrieve. The oval beads I use came from a craft store, but the Pearl Slipper is just as effective tied with round beads. Whatever type of beads you use for the center of this streamer, the Pearl Slipper will catch fish.

Get the tutorial by Walt Grau at www.flytyer.com/tying-pearl-slipper.

The Pearl Slipper

Trailing hook: Gamakatsu SC15, size 2 or 1.
Thread: White 3/0 (210 denier).
Tail: White hackle tips and white marabou fluff.
Front hook: Any strong hook with a ½-inch-long shank. (We will cut off the hook at the bend.)
Connector: 1/8-inch-diamenter oval pearl craft store bead and 25- or 30-pound-test Dacron backing line.
Underwing and body: White ultraviolet-treated synthetic hair.
Wing: Natural mallard flank and black Krystal Flash.
Hackle: White and black deer hair.
Eyes: Painted dumbbell.

20/07/2024

You can make the Matuka using a vast combination of materials and colors to imitate just about any baitfish, or you can create attractor-style patterns that imitate nothing but still catch fish. The fly we make in the tying exercise, which is one of my own patterns, has proven excellent for catching sea-run brown trout here in Northern Europe. This was the very first original pattern that I tied using exotic materials commonly found on salmon flies; they have become known as the “saltwater classics.”

Read more and get the tutorial by Barry Clark at www.flytyer.com/the-mighty-matuka.

Leprechaun Matuka

Hook: Mustad L87-3665A, sizes 6 to 2.
Thread: Gel spun.
Wing: Green hackles.
Body: Green Antron yarn or thick floss.
Rib: Medium oval silver tinsel.
Throat: Red hen hackle.
Cheeks: Jungle c**k.

19/07/2024

We have the right imitation and are using a textbook presentation, but the trout don’t care. What to do? Toss the fish something unexpected, and hold on!

18/07/2024

Jeff Blood’s Blood Dot Egg has become nearly synonymous with Great Lakes steelhead and brown trout fishing. Developed by Jeff in the early 1980’s, it’s often used in combination with another one of Jeff’s fabulous patterns, the White Death. The White Death is really just a super simple white Zonker that does a remarkable job of imitating Emerald Shiners, which are particularly abundant in the Great Lakes. Here, however, let’s talk about just the Blood Dot Egg.

Jeff Blood’s Blood Dot Egg has become nearly synonymous with Great Lakes steelhead and brown trout fishing. Developed by Jeff in the early 1980’s, it’s often used in combination with another one of Jeff’s fabulous patterns, the White Death. The White Death is really just a super simple white...

17/07/2024

All fly shops carry squirrel tails. Here are a few great ideas for tying better flies using this common and inexpensive fly tying material.

>>> www.flytyer.com/fan-tail-perfection

Squirrel-Tail Sofa Pillow

Hook: 3X-long dry fly hook, sizes 10 to 6.
Thread: Red or orange 6/0 (140 denier).
Tail: Red yarn or dyed calftail.
Body: Red or orange floss.
Wings: Squirrel tail hair.
Hackle: Brown.

15/07/2024

This is one of the most challenging flies you will ever make, but the rewards are great. When the fish are feeding on swarming clamworms and similar forms of bait, it will be the most important pattern in your fly box.

One of the most challenging flies you will ever make, but the rewards are great.

13/07/2024

Shrimp Fly

Hook: Regular saltwater hook, size 4 or 2.
Tail: Two or three pairs of neck hackles
Flash: A few strands of your favorite flash material.
Body: Hackle spiral-wrapped up the hook shank.

12/07/2024

Synthetic Minnow

Hook: Gamakatsu SC-15, sizes 2 to 2/0.
Tail: Craft fur.`
Flash: Flashabou or Flashabou Accent
Wing: Craft fur or a substitute.
Throat: Craft fur or a substitute.

Note: Color the fly with permanent markers as desired. Use your favorite synthetic hair material.

11/07/2024

American fly tyer Randall Kaufmann created the original Stimulator, and it remains a popular dry fly across North America. Originally tied to imitate the adult giant stonefly, under the right conditions it also works as a grasshopper and caddisfly.

A well-dressed Stimulator is perfect for fishing rough, fast-flowing water. You can easily see this pattern at a distance and it fl oats like a cork. A Stimulator is versatile, and although it looks difficult to tie, it is relatively easy to make. It’s all about using the proper proportions of materials.

You can imitate most adult stoneflies by varying the hook size and color of ingredients. If you want to include even more triggering features, or if you intend fishing it as a grasshopper, add rubber legs to your Stimulator; this is similar to tying a pattern called the Madam X.

Learn how to tie it at www.flytyer.com/high-dry-2.

Stimulator

HOOK: Curved-shank terrestrial/nymph hook, sizes 12 to 6.
THREAD: Fine gel spun.
TAIL: Spirit River UV2 elk hair.
BODY: Golden yellow Antron floss.
BODY HACKLE: Golden badger or furnace.
WING: Spirit River UV2 elk hair and golden yellow Krystal Flash.
THORAX: Golden stone dry-fl y dubbing.
HACKLE: Grizzly.

10/07/2024

Closed-cell foam is an excellent fly tying material. Here are some tricks for using this common and inexpensive ingredient.