Fly-Tying

So many distinctly separate and rewarding factors separate fly-fishing from all other sports, especially the artistic or creative aspect of fly-tying. Little is as sweet as to create a fly and to have a fish take it or for others to catch fish it. Tying started for me at an...

   When trout are fixated on chironomids, trying to replicate or match the emerging pupa through pattern choice and presentation technique is the standard course of action. But what happens when this “match the hatch” mantra isn’t working? Many fly fishers, myself included, try smaller imitative patterns, shuffle through colour...

British Columbia’s storied waters are among steelheading’s most hallowed. Names like the Dean, Kispiox, and Bulkley are whispered with reverence internationally, and for many, a steelheader’s life is not complete without at least one visit to them all. I’m often asked by visiting anglers which flies they should bring, and I...

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...

By Phil Rowley Originally published in “Fly-Tying” Jan/Feb 2011 issue of BC Outdoors magazine. The General Practitioner or ‘GP’, as it is affectionately known to many, is a staple pattern for most British Columbia steelhead fly-fishers. The GP was originally designed as a prawn or shrimp imitation for Atlantic salmon by an...

As fly fishers and tyers, we spend much of our effort attempting to match the hatch, using flies and presentation...

The FAB is a clever blend of two popular stillwater attractors, the Booby and the Blob, two patterns that have been the subject of previous columns. Together, these three patterns form my current stillwater attractor pattern trinity. From the research I have done, the FAB’s origins trace back to some English...

Soft plastic lures are a must-have lure within a conventional bass angler’s tackle box, especially a Senko worm. Depending on...

By Phil Rowley (designed by Scott Howell) Originally published in Phil's "Fly-tying" column in the November/December 2011 issue of BC Outdoors magazine. Click here to view or print the original version. Scott Howell is a renowned steelhead guru, Oregon guide and innovator within the steelhead fraternity. Along with fly-fishers such as Ed...