How to Tie a Tube Midge Fly: Video

How to Tie a Tube Midge Fly: Video

Not very often is fly tying easy, but this pattern sure does make it so. With a simple pattern like the Tube Midge, you can whip out a dozen flies in various colors and be ready to fool picky trout.

This is a great pattern through the winter when tied in the smallest of sizes. Get it deep into a hole with some weight or fish it in a tandem rig to help it reach the bottom.

Make sure to watch your indicator carefully while fishing this fly. Although it is very effective the takes during the colder months on such a small pattern can be very subtle.

Continue reading “How to Tie a Tube Midge Fly: Video”

How to Tie a Zebra Midge Christmas Colors

How to Tie a Zebra Midge Christmas Colors

If you are just getting into fly tying and trying to figure out what fly to tie first, the Zebra Midge is a perfect pattern. It’s very simple and straightforward– The Zebra Midge is also  only comprised of a few materials: bead, thread, and wire.

This is a great fly in the winter months when trout are fickle and only taking small bugs. Tying sizes 22-24? That will be no problem! You can make a bundle of these in many colors with ease.

On the other side of things, try tying this in larger elongated versions for your Stillwater Chironomid needs. Add a little white thorax or head for some gills, then throw it on a midge tip line and you are ready to slay.

Now let’s see what you can do. #avidmaxflytyers Continue reading “How to Tie a Zebra Midge Christmas Colors”

How to Tie the Copper John Fly: Video

How to Tie the Copper John Fly: Video

The Copper John. Do I need to say more? Created by the infamous John Barr, just about anyone who has fly fished has heard of or thrown this fly. It is a go-to attractor pattern year round. It will imitate a wide range of bugs from mayflies, stoneflies, and even caddis or midges. Fish it smaller in the colder months and larger in the summer. Most commonly the copper john is tied using copper or red wire but there are many color variations out there. If you want to get the skunk off get the copper john tied on! Continue reading “How to Tie the Copper John Fly: Video”

How to Tie the Autumn Splendor Fly: Video

How to Tie the Autumn Splendor Fly: Video

If it’s streamer season you better think about throwing this fly! It was created by Tim Heng who was a long time Colorado fly fishing guide and tyer. The Autumn Splendor is a beefed up wooly bugger with action that can’t be beat. The Marabou tail along with some flash and movement provided by the rubber legs is a great fly to pull large fish out of deep holes or any other location. You can fish it as a stand-alone streamer or on both ends of a tandem streamer rig. Whether you like it chasing a smaller wooly bugger or in front of a larger articulated fly it will bring great success! Continue reading “How to Tie the Autumn Splendor Fly: Video”

4 Tips for Fly Fishing With Kids

4 Tips for Fly Fishing With Kids

For many, the lifelong love affair with fly fishing is ignited at an early age. Summer afternoons near the creek or on the banks of a lake provide the ideal classroom for lessons taught by elders who generously pass down knowledge from one generation to the next. Years later, we find ourselves thankful for the enduring memories and opportunities to bond and spend time in the outdoors. As time goes by, an added appreciation for these gestures develops as we become more aware of the patience and understanding required to teach such lessons.

Ultimately, fly fishing serves as more than a hobby, a sport, or an escape, but as a vessel to deliver excitement, valuable experiences, laughter, frustration, and fleeting moments with loved ones—some of whom have passed on, but not before bestowing their insight and passion for fly fishing on us.  For adults with children, nieces, nephews, or grandchildren, the opportunity to kindle the love of fly fishing in youth presents itself. While the sacrifice of spending time tying on flies, untangling line, and monitoring safety measures may be daunting, perhaps one day the student will become the teacher, eager to continue the tradition of the fly fishing legacy.  

Here are a few tips for teaching youngsters to participate in and grow to love fly fishing. Continue reading “4 Tips for Fly Fishing With Kids”

How To Fish a Soft Hackle

RIO is starting an amazing new series of “how to” videos and we wanted to showcase them here on our blog too. We hope you find great value in these videos and learn a lot! Below you will find a transcript of what’s in the video. Enjoy!

Welcome to the first episode of RIO’s “how to” videos. In this one, we are going to look at how to fish a soft hackle on a river. I’ve chosen this one because it’s probably Continue reading “How To Fish a Soft Hackle”