I’ve been at the vise lately, completing a fly order for a good customer. I thought you might enjoy some fishy looking flies! I took materials with me to the Big Island of Hawaii and tied all the Sparkle Duns, a total of 60. Since I’ve been home, I finished the order and thought I’d... The post Completing a Fly Order appeared first on RiverKeeper Flies ..read more

I’ve been tying flies at the vise recently, filling orders for my patient customers. Between my trips and periodic surge of orders, my list of flies to tie grew. If you are looking for flies, be sure to contact me in the near future and I can add you to the list. I’ve stopped providing... The post Tying Flies at the Vise appeared first on RiverKeeper Flies ..read more

I’m back to fly tying and thought I’d share some of the flies from the vise. I’ve been spending more time at the fly tying vise, completing orders and getting ready to teach a couple of flies at this week’s Central Oregon Fly Tyer’s Guild on Thursday night. Be sure to check below for links... The post Flies from the Vise appeared first on RiverKeeper Flies ..read more

A couple of weeks ago, I published a post entitled Flies for September. I checked my fly boxes and didn’t see too many open slots. But when I was at the river and pulled out a box to select a fly to fish, I noticed several flies I wouldn’t fish. What did I do? Probably... The post Replace Rejected Flies in Your Fly Box appeared first on RiverKeeper Flies ..read more

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is an Andre Puyans Loop Wing Dry Fly. Jeff Smith, a friend of mine from the Salem, OR area tied this fly several years ago. Six of these flies will be part of an online auction to benefit the Southern Oregon Casting for Recovery retreat my wife leads. I’ll... The post André Puyans Loop Wing Dry Fly appeared first on RiverKeeper Flies ..read more

It’s that time of year when I spend more time fly fishing and fewer flies from the vise are tied. The official start of summer is tomorrow. I’ve been on the water more days than not, looking for hatching insects and rising fish. In fact, I finished my last customer order last night, several Beetle... The post More Fly Fishing and Fewer Flies from the Vise appeared first on RiverKeeper Flies ..read more

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Vince Marinaro’s Jassid Fly. I met some friends for coffee last Friday. One of them, Jim Ferguson, was sharing a fly he tied recently I recognized…a Jassid. I asked him if I could take a quick picture at the table and this is the result. These images aren’t... The post Vince Marinaro’s Jassid Fly appeared first on RiverKeeper Flies ..read more

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Grouse Hackle, a fly from the mid-1800’s. I’m always searching for the next Throw Back Thursday Fly, using a variety of sources for inspiration. I’ve used Mike Valla’s The Founding Flies (2013). The first chapter is about Thaddeus Norris (1811-1878) and the Grouse Hackle fly is mentioned.... The post The Grouse Hackle appeared first on RiverKeeper Flies ..read more

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is George Anderson’s Peeking Caddis. This cased caddis fly pattern was developed in the 1970’s by George Anderson, owner of Yellowstone Angler in Livingston, MT. The fly imitates the Mother’s Day caddis (Brachycentrus) on the Yellowstone River (and other rivers as well). The bright green banding imitates the body... The post George Anderson’s Peeking Caddis appeared first on RiverKeeper Flies ..read more

This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Dr. William Baigent’s Brown. I found Baigent’s Brown recently and pulled out the materials to tie one. Robert Smith, author of The North Country Fly: Yorkshire’s Soft Hackle Tradition (2015), writes his own blog entitled The Sliding Stream. I encourage you to check it out. Here is a... The post Baigent’s Brown appeared first on RiverKeeper Flies ..read more