There’s no denying the effectiveness of the infamous Mop Fly. What other fly has been featured in the Wall Street Journal? “Fake news!” say the purists, and they’re right – literally. We love to theorize what the Mop might represent; crane fly larva, caddis larva, beetle grubs, cigarette butts, Cheetos, the list goes on. If
Category: Flies and fly tying
At the Vise: Landon Mayer’s Mini Leech
A few years ago, I decided to tie leech patterns. I had heard that they worked and was very excited that this was The Magic Fly. I’m a huge fan of Tim Flagler’s and was fortunate to take a fly-tying clinic with him. So, when he posted the video below, complete with his exhortation that
At the Vise: Winter Stoneflies/Snowflies (Again)
With the sun starting to feel stronger and the daylight period extending, my mind is turning back to a cold day in 2016. The water was 32 °F and there was a snow squall. I was bobber-nymphing and for some reason I couldn’t keep the fish off the flies. The trout at times were puking
At the Vise: The Frenchie 2.0
Before I started to target big-and-wild browns, as a new angler, I focused on the the rain-bros at the Swift, Westfield, Millers, and Squannacook. It was a lot of fun, and those waters aren’t too far away from metro Boston and offer obvious spots so that you don’t need a guide (our compendium of DIY