Dry-fly fishing is arguably the easiest way to fly fish rivers, but it can be frustrating if fish come up...
Dragonfly nymphs live and hunt in typically non-fly-friendly territory. Tough-to-fish areas, such as dense weeds, rocks and sunken woody debris...
by Phil Rowley
From his Fly Tying Column
One of the best dragon nymph imitations is Jim Crawford’s Gomphus. Although technically not a Gomphus imitation, Gomphus or Gomphidae are most commonly found living in slow moving sections of rivers and streams, and there is no disputing this pattern’s success.
The spun and...
Over the past couple of decades, dry fly fishing, in particular, has spiked in popularity. There’s something magical about casting...
By Phil Rowley (designed by Bob Taylor)
Originally published in Phil’s “Fly-tying” column in the March/April 2013 issue of BC Outdoors magazine. Click here to view or print the original version.
Hanging leeches under indicators is now common on most Western Canadian stillwaters. Arguably, you could spend the entire season suspending only...
The East Kootenay region is located in the southeast corner of British Columbia. It is nestled between the Alberta border...
English stillwater dry flies differ from most of their North American counterparts. Many North American dry flies tend to rest on the water rather than in it. Simple and impressionistic, English stillwater dries are designed to sit low on the surface or in many instances damp, lying within the surface...
When it comes to incorporating natural materials such as pheasant tail or peacock, many tyers shy away, critical of these natural materials’ ability to survive the rigours of a busy day of fishing. Many tyers today, myself included, rely on synthetic-based patterns coated with layers of superglue, nail polish, UV...
Dubbing is one of the most useful and versatile fly tying techniques. It can be used to create a variety...
By Phil Rowley
From the July/August issue of BC Outdoors
Biots are the tough, interlocking barbs found along the leading edge of a bird’s primary flight feather. The Prince Nymph’s signature white biot wings make it arguably the most famous pattern to integrate biots. Biots are also a common material choice for...