Small Flies

Small flies for selective trout-midges, ants, PT's... The largest fly pictured is a size 22 Pheasant Tail.

Happy Holidays!!!

(The picture from the book titled "An Album of the Chalk Streams" by E. A. Barton. Barton was a fly fisherman, physician and an amateur photographer, who published his photographs of English chalk streams in 1946.)

Pink Bear Trout Streamer

I like sparseness in tying hairwing streamers for trout. Hair of a black bear is a great material for salmon hairwings, but I like it a lot for trout streamers instead of bucktail.

Thirteen Diawl Bach nymphs for Fiberglassflyrodders fly swap are done, and ready for mailing.

Holmfridur Streamer

I found out about this Icelandic streamer in 1991, and it has found a place in my fly box ever since. It is a great warmwater and coldwater streamer, and a super easy fly to tie.

Body: No body! Instead, tie a small bulb of red tying silk or estaz (pictured) to help offset the wing;

Wing: Brown over yellow marabou;

Beard: Red or orange hackle fibers mixed with flashabou.

Woodcock Feathers

The wing feathers of European Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) have a stunning combination of brown, rust, tan and grey tones. Known for centuries as a traditional fly tying material, they are somewhat similar to snipe covert feathers. They are indispensable for classic wet flies, but can also be useful for various dries and emergers. I've been playing around with several variations on the familiar theme (see previous blog entries)...


Woodcock & CDC Flymph

Tail: Lemon wood duck
Body: Wrapped CDC feather
Collar: Woodcock covert feather


Soggy CDC Caddis (Freshly Hatched Caddis)

Body: Cream opossum
Wing: Ginger CDC
Support hackle: Grizzly-brown rooster, clipped on the bottom
Front hackle: Woodcock covert feather (single turn), slightly oversized

March Brown Dry (Triple Hackle)

A high floating dry fly for freestone streams, this March brown imitation utilizes three kinds of hackle: undersized badger hackle (body), grizzly-brown (support hackle), and reverse tied woodcock soft hackle in the front.

Waterhen Soft Hackles

Feathers of water birds are fascinating... I have just received some waterhen (moorhen, Gallinula chloropus) feathers. The close up shows beautiful olive colored covert feathers, while feathers found under wings are drab grey. The texture of barbules is superb for both wet and emerging dry soft hackles.


Waterhen Bloa (traditional)

Body: Yellow silk dusted with mole dubbing
Wing: Grey feather from under wing of waterhen


Large Olive Soggy Dun (V. M.)

Tail: Microfibetts
Body: Olive silk dusted with mole dubbing
Support dry hackle: Badger clipped on the bottom
Front hackle: Waterhen olive covert feather tied in reverse