Fly-Tying

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...

At first glance, chironomid pupae appear simple to imitate. If you follow some basic principles, match the size of the...

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...

The Perdigon Minnow is another creative design from the vise of Dennis Gamboa. Dennis was looking to create a durable,...

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...

No other insect symbolizes fly-fishing in streams more than the mayfly, and seeing those little iconic sailboats floating downstream can...

I was fortunate to meet Rob Texmo earlier this year. Rob is a talented tyer with a love for traditional Atlantic salmon and spey patterns, adapting the tying techniques and disciplines these flies require with great success for Pacific salmon and steelhead. Rob’s tying skill and attention to detail on...

All about and how to tie the Blob. Phil Rowley breaks it down step by step.

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