Eye: The eye of the hook is where the tippet is tied. The eye can be up-turned, down-turned, or straight. In general, Spey style and salmon hooks have up-turned eyes, dry fly and wet fly hooks have down-turned eyes, and streamer, bass and saltwater hooks have straight eyes. The orientation of the hook eye is largely aesthetic and only comes into play when a knot used to attach the fly to the tippet is affixed to the shank and not the hook eye. Shank: The shank is where the fly is tied and can
“Now you must understand that the hardest and most difficult thing in producing your tackle is the making of your hooks. In order to make these, it is necessary for you to have a set of sharp, thin and lightly beaten files, a seamy iron clamp, and a pair of long and small pincers, a somewhat thick and hard knife, an anvil, and a small hammer.” - Dame Juliana Berners When Dame Juliana Berners penned those words in A Treatyse of Fysshynge With an Angle in the late 15th century, the Angle she ref
Giddy. I don’t use the word often, but it’s the best way I can describe my demeanor as our flight touched down in King Salmon, Alaska late last August. My uncles, first time visitors to the Bristol Bay region, sat chatting a few rows ahead of me. When the plane came to a halt, I did my best “keep it cool” impression as I unbuckled, grabbed my carry-on, and walked up the aisle to meet them. As we stepped off the plane, I smirked and thought, “Holy buckets, this place is about to blow your socks
The first time that I wandered into a fly shop I was with my family, and most likely just doing the “tourist thing”. I’m pretty sure that I was a respectful customer (I try to be nice), but if I knew then what I know now, I would bet that the fishy roads that I’ve traveled might have been a bit different (easier?). Here are the things that I wish I had known WAY BACK WHEN … 1-6 … The Do’s #1 Do be upfront with your skill level Try not to feel embarrassed or reluctant to admit where you are in
Patience - Regardless of where you are on the spectrum from newbie to virtuoso, you have hired a guide not only to have someone hauling you around the water, but to impart some knowledge about their fishery, and work to give you a memorable day on the water. There is nothing worse than feeling like you’re on a boat for 6-11 hours with your angry dad, who is barking at you with frustration and disappointment, as you bumble a cast with a sink tip line. As Arnold Glasow smartly stated, “The key to
Have you ever thought “I saw my fish swim away so it must be fine”? Unfortunately some of the catch-and-release science is showing that this isn’t always the case. Tropical flats are my happy place. I love nothing more than wading and looking for bonefish, or any other flats species for that matter. While catching a fish is the ultimate goal, a big part of my career has also been spent studying what happens to fish that are released. It doesn’t take a genius to know that releasing fish (as op
Position yourself for success. If you’re new to backing up a trailer, choose a time when the boat ramp is empty. Saturday during the summer is probably not the best time to practice your backing up skills. The Do’s 1 See it You have to be able to see the trailer to back it up. In the beginning, it can be helpful to open the tailgate or liftgate and lay down a seat or two to get a better view of where the trailer is going. Launch ramps are sometimes curved, and at times can be steep. Being ab
Freshwater mussels (Unionidae) are of extreme importance to an aquatic ecosystem’s function and health. Probably the most well-known ecosystem service that mussels provide is ‘cleaning up the water.’ They are filter feeders; meaning they get their nutrients from straining small organisms and particles out of the water. Some species are even being reintroduced to areas of poor water quality, in hopes of decreasing the sediment and pollution load. One adult mussel can filter approximately 20 gallo
What is the universe made of? What genetic changes made us uniquely human? Are we alone in the universe? What does a Scotsman wear under his kilt? What should I wear under my waders? These age-old questions, specifically the wader question, have haunted many a human. How many times have you stood over your suitcase, every dresser drawer open, and every item of outdoor clothing you own strewn across your bed? It embarrasses me to say that this happens almost every time I pack for a fishing trip.
No way to get around it, the seasons are changing and winter is upon us. Unless you live in the deep south, you’re going to need to bundle up this winter. Knowing what to do, and just as important, what not to do, is vital in keeping yourself safe and warm on the water this winter. The Do’s Do - Start with a base layer. This layer is meant to trap warm air next to your body and pull sweat away from your skin. The most overlooked of all layers, this one is right up at the top as the most import
Why would you ever want to take the time to clean your fly tying materials? detrimental insects improved materials handling material preservation Several methods are available to protect your beautiful naturals. Let me share some tips from Wayne Luallen, fly tier and Fly Fisher International 1991 Buszek Memorial Fly Tying Award recipient. Benefits gained by cleaning feathers and furs include removing dirt, oils and fats, detrimental insects and pesticides. Have you watched a fly tier nosh on
I love it when you learn a new trick to something that you’ve been doing your whole fishing career. Many of you already know this one, but for those of you who don’t – you’re going to thank me for putting in something so basic. It will be an “A-Ha!” moment. Assemble your rod from the tip down. This way of assembling your fly rod removes the step of having to try to find a place to set the butt section of the rod during assembly. If you’re like me and a bit neurotic about scratching your rod,
