Dave Hughes ties some very buggy-looking flies. I recently read his Wet Flies book and think it ranks up there as one of the best fly tying books I’ve read. Some of his flies incorporate pine squirrel fur, which is very lush and spiky at the same time. He uses the fur for the tail,
Category: Flies and fly tying
Prep for the ‘Trophy Stretch’
There’s a period this summer when all of our kids will be out of town. The Mrs. asked me if I would teach her to fly fish. We will head to the “Trophy Stretch” up in Pittsburg, NH. I’ve booked a room at Tall Timber for a long weekend. It will be her first stay
At the Vise: Soft-Hackle Streamers
As a complete fly-fishing rookie, I fished the Trophy Stretch in Pittsburg, NH, and landed a huge broodstock brook trout. Talk about beginner’s luck! The fly? A Jack Gartside-style soft-hackle streamer bought at a fly shop. Recently, I read Dave Hughes’ excellent book Wet Flies, about which Joe Drake had written and one which I
At the Vise: Top Secret Midge and Red Brassie
I’ve been organizing my fly boxes and re-ordering my line-ups (how I organize my “starters,” “back ups” and “in reserve” flies here). I’ve demoted a bunch of flies to “off the team.” There were probably a few dozen of them, experimental flies that just never worked. I’ve stripped them down to bare metal and will