Author: Brady Laehr

Fly Tying

How To Tie: The Mysis Crystal Shrimp

If you have fished the Colorado tail waters below Dillion, Taylor Park or Ruedi Reservoirs you understand the importance of Mysis. These shrimp were put into these reservoirs specifically to help the growth and population of Salmon, Trout and other aquatic species. With the release of water along comes the Mysis into the tailwaters making the fish very happy and often football shaped. This pattern created by Roy Palm in the Umpqua Feather Merchants catalog is a home run. Simple to tie yet very effective in the right places.

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Fly Tying

How To Tie: The Medallion Midge

Yet another solid pattern from the mind of Pat Dorsey, the Medallion Midge is a go to winter time midge pupa imitation. Similar to the Top Secret Midge, this pattern features a brown body with a white ribbing followed by a rust or brown colored thorax. The real difference is the wing buds and how they are imitated. On this pattern like the name suggests, it utilizes the medallion sheeting material to mimic the wing buds of an emerging midge. I like to fish this pattern deep utilizing some weight or another weighted fly to help get it down fast.

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Fly Tying

How To Tie: The Smoke Wagon

After watching a Kelly Galloup video where he says he has his best fishing one fall while using this pattern, you stop and tie up a bunch! This fly one me over really quickly due to the ease of tying and the sweet profile. A light weight streamer pattern, this fly shines as a point fly in a two fly rig. Lead it with a nice heavy cone head of some sort and let this swing off the back for some big hits!

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Fly Tying

How To Tie: The Purple Biot CDC Midge Emerger

Ever seen a purple bug? Me neither. Doesn’t matter though as purple catches fish! The main theory behind this is that purple is the last color in the light spectrum that can be seen in low light. This means when you have two flies submerged in a deep hole one natural brown and the other purple, the purple will be much more visible to the fish. With a smooth biot body and a CDC puff for the wing buds I love the way this fly looks. During the right day and time the fish will be all over it as well.

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Fly Tying

How To Tie: The Klinkhammer Midge Emerger

Named for the creator of the style the Klinkhammer fly this style of tying can be deadly on the water. Hans Van Klinken developed this fly to give another way to wrap hackle around a parachute post while allowing the abdomen of the pattern to become submerged. Just like a real emerging insect that is trying to break the surface film during its break free from the water into flight. This midge variation is a great pattern during the early emergence of a midge hatch when the majority of the bugs are pushing through to the surface.

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Fly Tying

How To Tie: The Bivisiable

From the educated Edward Ringwood Hewitt comes the Bivisiable. A pattern that is named for its function, as it is meant to be seen just as well by the fish as it is by the fisher. The darker of the two colors should show better to the fish’s eye while the lighter color creates nice contrast during a drift so it can be seen by you, the fly fisher. Being an attractor pattern this fly can be used to move fish that may be eating a variety of insects off the surface. It is a great trailing fly when fishing a larger dry in a two fly setup.

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Fly Tying

How To Tie: The Pink Pepto Squirmy Wormy

Don’t tell anybody you have this fly on point. Just say your hooking up on midge larva or something. They will never know but they will see you filling your net time and time again. Face it, if you were a fish eating midges or baetis all day and then saw a big fat juicy worm headed your way, you would eat it to. The Squirmy Wormy material used is an amazing fish catching material. The movement it provides in the water is unmatched by other worm imitations. Add a Firehole Outdoors Pink Bead and you have a solid pattern!

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Fly Tying

How To Tie The Hi-Vis Parachute BWO: Fly Tying Video

With cool weather comes the BWO. Covering many types of mayflies in the US we look forward to the seasons that bring these bugs to life. They bring dry fly fishing early in the spring and then again in the late fall. This Hi-Vis parachute pattern is a go to dry fly for when the hatch is in full swing. With a pink parachute post you will enjoy watching your drift rather than struggling to see where you fly lays. Throw it at some rising fish and wait for the take!

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Fly Tying

How To Tie: The Red Belly Bunny Leech

Leechy indeed! I love this pattern because of its versatility. It fishes really well in a variety of water types and really shines in deep pools and in stillwater. The conehead on this pattern partnered with a slow retrieve will help to create undulating movement that mimics a leech expanding and contracting while it swims. Or, if you are in a lazier type of mood give it a good dead drift and it can be just as effective. Simple to tie and maybe even easier to fish!

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Fly Tying

How To Tie: The Double Yolk Foam Egg

On comes the spawn and out come the fishers that are not afraid to throw egg patterns. One thing is certain, fish eat eggs! If you are having a tough day and need to get the tug on the line and a fish in the net. Give it a shot and you will not be disappointed. This pattern can be a little tricky to get down but with a little practice and repetition you will have a box full of juicy egg patterns in no time.

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