I long heard about the Walt’s and Sexy Walt’s flies, but didn’t take them seriously. I mean, they look so simple. How could they work? My interest was piqued when competitive fly angler Alec Baker (interview here) mentioned that he really likes those flies. So, I started to tie them. They work really well. I
A Black Friday Outing
I awoke at 4 a.m. on Black Friday in order to get to the Swift before dawn. The morning started with a bit of frustration, as I went one-for-seven with dry flies. Seven takes and one landed, with three fish popping off in the middle of the fight and three missed hook sets. When surface
Fiddling with Soft Hackles
Noted Swift regular Gary often fishes a soft hackle fly. So, that pattern intrigues me. Unfortunately, when I fished them, I was blanked. I’ve often scratched my head and have wondered why. Then, I recently started to tie some of my own. The good news is that those soft hackles are now among the most
UV Knot Sense Saves Time
Sometimes, a little technology has a big impact. I’ve been using Loon UV Knot Sense, which is a thin liquid adhesive that bonds when you shine upon it ultraviolet light. It is pretty cheap. I did so because sometimes a big fish breaks me off high up in the leader of my Euro-nymphing rig. It