Fly Tying

Soft hackled wet flies just look cool to me.  I think in all the fly fishing and fly tying world, they are the coolest.  Not only that, but they are fun flies to tie and to fish.  The March Brown Spider is a great searching pattern in runs and riffles when nothing else is working and you can't find a rising trout.

Midges make up a huge portion of a trout's diet.  Often even during a caddis or mayfly hatch, trout will still key in on the tiny midge larva and midge flies.  I notice this often in winter when, except for the occasional Baetis hatch, midges are the only insects you are likely to see.  My two favorites midge fly nymph patterns are the Black Tiger Midge and this Red Zebra Midge.

All right, if you are serious about tying your own flies for fly fishing, then you are going to need some equipment.  First, let me just say you will find fly tying equally as rewarding and frustrating as fly fishing.  And as with everything else in fly fishing, the amount of stuff you can load up on will quickly start to fill your garage.  Just like anything else in life (and fly fishing), you get what you pay for.  So, here I'll give you a quick overview of what you are going to need to get started.  These are the absolute must haves.  They will be your fly tying foundation.