tctrout

Thanks for sharing the article, and I think this is a topic that many miss out on, unfortunately. As a young tyer, two of my mentors always had a bowl or glass full of water at their bench, and as they tied (or created) patterns, they would submerge the flies to see how the color varied when wet. The majority of colors (including synthetics) became darker, and that's something we have to keep in mind. More importantly, guessing is not beneficial, when we have the ability to truly see the change that may occur. This then moves the discussion to capturing insects and keeping their color intact to attempt the best possible color match. Is the needed? Yes and no, and I think the situation dictates the degree of detail you have to carry out regarding color. On some local western PA streams, I feel the color matters, but is not always critical. When fishing a tailwater that receives more pressure, I have many experiences regarding incorrect color(s) being discarded from fish, whereas they were more accepting of others. Thanks again for starting this discussion...and by the way, I keep a bowl of water on my desk, as my mentors showed me many years ago. ;-) TC

Thanks, Chuck, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, too! TC That's a pretty looking jig fly. I've really got to get on to some of those. Happy Thanksgiving TC!

Jig nymphs are coming out of the vise! Happy Thanksgiving to all... TC

This is the second video in my two-part series on materials needed for mayfly nymphs. If you feel there is anything major I'm missing, be sure to let me know your thoughts. Thanks, TC

It's a larger pattern tied on a size 14, and they are Realistic Mayfly Wings I got from FrostyFly.com. I actually posted this in the videos section of this website, so you can see it tied there. TC

Thanks for mentioning the CA; I appreciate it! Does it cause a lot of build-up on the pattern? I also really appreciate the kind words, and glad to know you've been subscribed for awhile! TC

I have, and I agree that the larger the wing, the more difficult the pattern can be to cast. The tippet can get a little twisted, though the larger concern with these wings is that they can tear off at times, depending on how they have been secured. I've heard from others that by dubbing the thorax, more security is added to the wings, hence that's a nice addition to consider. At the end of the day, I tend to keep the fly as you saw it in the video. This is a pattern that I don't fish all day long; instead, I tend to use it in situations over difficult fish, and may give it a maximum of three-to-five casts before going onto another pattern if it doesn't work. For that reason, that's why I wondered how others secure the biots, since I normally do so just in nymph patterns. By the way, I think it's my casting that causes my tippet to look so funky, not the fly! ;-) Thanks for the comment, TC

One of my "go-to" patterns for difficult fish near the surface: Biot Body CDC Dry Fly. TC

I wanted to share a pattern that has some great features to fool difficult fish. This dry fly has a biot body, cdc thorax, and easy-to-tie Realistic Mayfly Wings; all are features that help to make this Biot Body CDC Dry Fly very effective. The fly also rides low, and can resemble both a dun and emerger in the water. Finally, though I tie a BWO in the video, this pattern can be modified to represent most mayflies ouy there. If you've used biot bodies in the past, let me know your thoughts on them, and if you add any type of reinforcement to ensure they stay secure. Thanks for checking it out, TC

Regardless of the modifications you had to make, that's one nice looking fly! Plus, great pics of it... TC

Kevin, I've actually been asked that a couple times, and the main piece that needs converted is the screw to complete the initial tighten of the hook. After that, everything else is the same. I'll look over it and let you know if there is a way, otherwise, you can contact Stonfo and see if they know. Good luck! TC

It's definitely a neat vise, and the place where I purchased sold out after I posted the video. Being that Stonfo is an Italian company, these are typically sold out of Europe. I've added some new links since I initially posted, and the prices are similar (though shipping is different, based on where you live). TC

Great recommendations for CDC, though easily my current favorite supplier is my dad's best friend, who is an avid duck hunter! TC

In this video, I share my newest vise, the Stonfo Transformer. This is my current favorite, primarily because of the price point, accessories that come with it, and the fact that it has three heads for differing fly types (regular, streamers, and tube flies). As I love to say, if you ask 20 tyers which vise they prefer, you may possibly get 18 different replies! I wanted to share my thoughts on this one because I know it is tough to see many vises in person. If you have any specific questions about this vise, feel free to post here and I'll do my best to answer. TC

Tube flies are a lot of fun to tie...and even more so to fish! I made a series of videos on them, and the link is: That should bring you to the playlist, but if not, just let me know and I can get you links for all six episodes. Enjoy! TC

Very informative site, Eide; good luck with it! TC

In my opinion, fly tying scissors are an important tool when tying, and I discuss their qualities during this video. I show my first pair of scissors from over 25 years ago, then feature those that have become a staple at my bench. If you use a pair that you would recommend, consider adding your thoughts on the "Comments" section of this video's Youtube page. Thanks! TC

You're welcome, Adam; thanks for post! TC

For those of you who like to fish waters with the Iso mayfly (in my area, that means Central Pennsylvania!) as much as me, here's one that is tough to go without. The "Purple Soft Hackle" was introduced to me by Eric Stroup and Skip Galbraith, and hasn't left my box since. In this video, I show how to tie the pattern, and then discuss the various methods used to fish it, from early summer to fall. Any additional thoughts or techniques used for Iso's are welcome! TC

Ha ha, I feel like we're being "baited" either way! Great flies and pics, though from my human eyes, both appear to be a little fuzzy around the edges. Either way, I prefer my emergers to show what many refer to as a "proof of life," thus if you're holding me to one, I'm going fuzzy. Great post, as I feel emergers are an extremely important area of our sport underutilized (due to lack of knowledge and experience) by many new to the worlds of fly tying and fly fishing. TC

In my recent video, I discuss many recommended materials for tying mayfly nymphs. I tried to keep the list to a minimum, but if there is anything you feel I missed, please take a moment to comment on the actual YouTube page. This is Part 1 of 2, and I look forward to releasing the next one in a few weeks. Thanks! TC

Thanks for the feedback, Mike, and I've been contemplating that over the last year. It's tough for me to shoot video like you're suggesting, especially being that this is a passion, not my "day job." It involves a second individual, an upgrade of my camera, and fishing time turned into filming. I normally fish with others, taking care of the first problem, but the others are more difficult to achieve. Because I've received many emails with similar thoughts to yours, I filmed some native brook trout fishing a few weeks ago (discussing possible fish locations, and then showing the actual fishing and results), though my reservations in editing are that more of the fishing videos will be expected from viewers and subscribers. In short, I agree with you. Stream footage can really do wonders, and with this particular fly, some of the methods I discussed (such as the tuck cast) are more easily examined when seeing them in action. One of my newest series of videos, "From Vise to Water," is my next step in taking the fly tying to the water, and my goal is to eventually create a series of videos featuring stream footage with various topics examined. As you can probably tell, I've put some thought into this, and will continue to do so until I believe everything is right. In the meantime, this fall I will be hosting some live shows (which is new for my channel), and then this winter, I plan on hosting a "Brewery Takeover" in western Pennsylvania, with all flies tied there to be donated to a Project Healing Waters chapter. I honestly appreciate the feedback, and if you have more suggestions, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Tim

In the following video, I tie a generic jig nymph, and give suggestions for a variation of it. In the last segment, I share some of the ways that I fish them, most notably in fast-moving water. I have really turned to jig nymphs over the last few years, and have done well with them, especially on PA streams close to where I live . I am positive many of you fish them, too, thus I'd love to hear what kind of patterns you use on jig hooks. Thanks! TC

Great article, and definitely informative; thanks! TC

It's been crayfish time for me... TC