Fly fishing for longnose gar not only offers an opportunity to target an oddball fish, but it’s also tons of fun! These prehistoric fish readily take most fly presentations and put up a good fight as well. I’m honestly surprised it’s not more popular. Most gar fly fishing is quite visual. You will often be … Read more
Is it your first time fly fishing for smallmouth bass? Perhaps you’ve been chasing smallies on the fly for a while, and are looking for new fly pattern ideas? Let’s look at some of the best flies for targeting smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass are perhaps the perfect gamefish. Not only are they pound for pound … Read more
Turtles are not a prey item often considered by fly anglers. Even though adult turtles are mostly left alone, many fish will opportunistically feed on young turtles that they can swallow whole. As seen in the video below, perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss turtles as prey items. Anyone make turtle flies?!?! from … Read more
With the increasing popularity of fly fishing, a larger variety of fish species are being targeted on the fly now. Many of them live in weed-heavy environments and require weed-resistant or weed-proof flies. The techniques for tying weedless flies are surprisingly varied, and I covered quite a few below. The bass and pike anglers reading … Read more
What is a whip finish? A whip finish is the primary knot used by fly tiers to finish off a fly. It is an essential skill to learn for anyone learning how to tie flies. It is necessary to complete (most) every fly with this knot before cutting your tying thread free. Without using this … Read more
Fly anglers live for hatches, and cicada hatches are no different. When we get on the river and a large mayfly, caddisfly, or stonefly hatch is going on, we know we’re in for a good day of fishing. There’s some great cicada fly patterns listed further down and I touch on how to tie cicada … Read more
Mice may seem too large a meal for trout, indeed many anglers think of them more as bass prey than trout food. Many trout populations do indeed feed heavily on mice and other small rodents though. Despite trout’s reputation for being picket eaters, they are often quite opportunistic. Large trout occupy a spot relatively high … Read more
Pike and musky flies are unique in the world of fly fishing. These flies are larger and flashier than many fly anglers are used to. Often, these flies require specialized fly fishing rigs to cast properly. I have personally found the flies below to be very effective while fly fishing pike and musky. The pictures … Read more
When I first started fly tying, one of the first things I noticed was how expensive high-quality dry fly hackle is. This kept me from tying dry flies for a while until I finally did decide to buy a quality cape (neck from rooster) full of good dry fly hackle. Dry fly hackle is an important component of … Read more
A while ago I was thinking about how widely used and effective Rapala’s are in spin fishing. Why not make a fly fishing equivalent of those jointed lures? The result of my efforts is the fly you see above. The lip is made of deer hair soaked with hard as nails nail polish. I think … Read more