If you’ve ever supervised others you understand how closely work resembles high school. Inkwells replaced by cubicles and communal refrigerators, pigtails a thing of the past, but the guy that dries his shoes in the microwave, or thumbs the donuts is a worthy substitute. Come lunch I’d like to be in a happy place, tossing [...]

Ask anyone who’s ever fiddled with materials and you’ll see the involuntary shudder when Black is mentioned. While it enjoys status of being a must-have color among fly fishermen, getting a good permanent black will drive both professional and hobbyist to tears. … and you don’t have to do it yourself to grit your teeth, [...]

Wanting something more than what’s offered on the shelf is understandable, but bringing that vision to fruition can be hell to pay. Six months ago, after a particularly dismal showing at the local shop, I’d resolved to enter the dubbing market utilizing all those techniques and foibles learned in youth, drummed into my head by [...]

-via R.M. Buquoi Photographics Which do you see? Three deer. One deer and two fawns. One deer, one fawn, and a mess of Dark Humpies? OK, don’t answer … See the last row clearly? Congratulations, you are now a management trainee, guaranteed a heady career with minimal supervision, long hours, and low wages. Marks / [...]

The other day I was in one of the better shops, and my non fly tying buddy asked me why the Whiting neck was $85 and the J. Fair Saddle was only $20. My explanation was overheard by the smiling fellow behind the counter and he stopped to correct me, “ there’s over 30 years of [...]

I’m the fellow that leaped off the couch signaling a “wave off” … frantically gesticulating while your diatribe continues unabated … “Yea, it’s great I showed the shop some of my flies and they want me to tie for them it’s great I get a big discount on all my stuff 40% off on rods [...]

With all the boutique players entering into the hook market and many discounters emerging offshore, it’s possible to run afoul of a good hook that fishes poorly. Most of us don’t consider pinching the barb much of a modification, but the design of the hook often hinges on the barb being present. Plenty of great [...]

While last week was an orgy of drips, smears, and spills, it was only half of the overall effort. Testing dyes to produce the one and twenty minute shades gave me a pile of sodden colors, but it’s not dubbing until it’s teased, torn, and turned into filament. Wet dyeing is a mixture of chance [...]

Call me a slow learner, but the aerial display of the fourth will have nothing on the fireworks tonight … I Figure 26 colors run through the same sink, tracked across identical linoleum – each with a 100% chance of a gaily colored spill outlining big hammy footprints headed toward the Man Cave … Naturally [...]

If fly tying wasn’t such a mood based hobby your flies would be twice as good. A big order of tiny, upthrust, and gossamer locks the poor tyer into a mayfly mindset and when a big black ant is up next – being a “slab” of protein completely out of place on water, the result is [...]