As we head into autumn, I’ll be looking out for two BWO mayflies that will be hatching. There will be a Blue Winged Olive in sizes 18 to 20 (Baetis vagans) and another one in sizes 22 to 24 (Baetis intercalaris?). One of my favorite patterns is the plain ol’ Pheasant Tail. In autumn, size will
Tag: westfield river nymphs/streamers
Size 20s
When I occasionally stomach-pump trout these days, I’m seeing a clear pattern. They’re feeding on small bugs. That’s surprising to me. I read online about these major mayfly and caddis hatches starting to happen on our freestones. So, I would think that the fish would be full of bugs in sizes 14 to 18. There
Soft-Hackled Frenchies
(Oct. 13, 2016 edit: I’m starting to call these “Glam Frenchies” because they’re so in-your-face.) Soft-hackled Frenchies rule. They catch plenty of trout, both new stockies and grizzled veterans. Sometimes, trout want a very simple fly with few details, as it means there’s less to which they can object. Sometimes, “busy” flies with many strike
Son of Sexy Walt’s
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
