fly tying tip

Streamer Fishing for Trout – 5 Techniques

From Deneki Outdoors a good run-down on five streamer fishing techniques that target bigger fish. A really worthwhile read.

“… However, we’ve found that most anglers fish streamer patterns using only one technique before giving up on the streamer and reaching back for the nymphs. Every day, every river, and every run is different, and successful anglers know that changing up retrieves is key in fooling more trout. Here are 5 ways to fish a streamer more effectively…”

Full story Here

Posted by Tony Bishop in fly fishing, fly fishing how-to, fly fishing tips, Fresh water how-to

Simple to Make Fly Holder for Fly-tying batch tasks.

fly-ring

OK this is not about to be earth shattering, but I was looking for a fly holder that would hold flies securely, so I could “batch” process tasks i.e. adding UV cure resin, or head cement.

So I grabbed an old fly-line spool, joined the two halves together, put a blob of 5 minute epoxy regularly spaced around the outside edge, and added line-testers. Just one thing, make sure the clip of the line tester is parallel to the edge of the spool.

Jobs done. ‘

Now I can hold the spool in one hand and do what I have to do to finish off the flies. It is also good for taking outside on a sunny day to get a really good UV resin cure.

Posted by Tony Bishop in fishing flies, fly fishing how-to, fly tying

Pretend for Real: Small Fish as Big Fish

“The skills for catching big fish [are] different and certainly more refined than the skills for catching small fish. Big fish require a more stealthy approach, fewer casts, better positioning and equipment to prevent drag, superior fish fighting skills, and really better "everything" in the presentation than do small fish. In short, they require the very best predatory skills from the angler. So the question becomes: How does one learn big fish skills when at least 95 percent of the fish are small ones? …”

An excerpt, from Gary Borger’s latest book "The Angler as Predator". Read the whole chapter on Hatch magazine site. It is well worth it!

Posted by Tony Bishop in fly fishing how-to

Seeking Perfection in Fly-Fishing? Forget it!

Nice little piece in MidCurrent by kirk Deeter in his Fly Fishing Jazz column:

“… For both the angler and the jazz artist, no matter what they do, and how they play, there is always room for improvement.  Always something they wish they could re-do differently.  Something they wish they could have anticipated or imagined better… perhaps played with more effect when they had their chance to do so.

That’s not to say, however, that the jazz artist, nor the fly angler, cannot or should not ever be satisfied.  But there is a distinct difference between satisfaction and perfection.”

Good to have lurking in the very back of your mind when you are having one of those days when nothing goes how you want it to. Full article here.

Posted by Tony Bishop in fly fishing, fly fishing tips

Fly Tying – Put a cap on the mess

Cap rubbish collector

One of the more irritating features of fly-tying is the mess that can be created by the cut, hacked, sliced and diced bits of fur, feather, wire, thread, and more. The mess invades the fly-tying desk and the floor. All guaranteed to create disharmony in a previously happy home.

I have tried all kinds of proprietary gizmos to capture the dross – typically expensive, invariably pretty much useless.

But I have come up with a cheap and effective demessifier, that takes seconds to make.

Grab an old baseball cap, cut off the peak, undo the clip at the back of the cap and place it around the stem of your vise. Job done.

That is it – harmony returns to your desk, floor and home. Beaut eh!

Posted by Tony Bishop in fly tying