Try This Free Useful Diagram for Fly Fishing Rigging, Knots and Ideas

This is one of the diagrams I use for teaching the Fly Fishing 101 class. There are some simple knots, and rig proportions here that will do a great job of putting your flies in front of the fish you're after.

Feel free do download it, print it out and keep it near your rigging/tying bench.

Fish ON!

--Shannon

The Non-Slip Loop Knot

-A great knot that will let your fly swing more freely in the water giving it a much more life-like appearance.



Fish ON!
--Shannon

Mike Tucker's Caddis Case Crawler

Mike Tucker's Caddis Case Crawler



Hook:  6/0 White
Underbody: White Thread Base
Overbody: Chartreuse Liqui-Lace or Wapsi Stretch Tubing
Beard: Black Z-Lon
Case: Sand "New Dub", EZ Magic Dub, or Micro Chenille

Fish ON!
--Shannon

Mike Tucker's Baetis Nymph

Another installment from Mike Tucker's legendary fly tying video which is no longer available and which Mr. Tucker has graciously allowed us to provide in installments.  Thanks Mike!



Fish ON!
--Shannon

How to Rig The Thingamabobber Right-Angle

Looking to try a different approach with your Nymph rig, using a Thingamabobber?

you have just been hooked
~andy huber

Bead Head Wooley Bugger

Here's our newest fly tying demonstration --

Fished on 3X or heavier tippet, and a floating line, (or sinking tip when fishing an unweighted version) the humble Wooley Bugger can be stripped or dead drifted with amazing "quality fish" hook-ups.

You can do just about anything you desire when tying a Wooley Bugger. Aside from tying it in several colors (olive, white, rust, etc.) try removing the bead or the weight or both, adding rubber legs, barbell eyes, different colored wires, hackles, multiple colors of Marabou, throw some Flash down each side or just in the tail and so much more... enjoy!



Fish ON!
--Shannon

John Barr's Graphic Caddis

Pardon my big old head ...



Fish ON!
--Shannon

Pat Dorsey's Blood Midge

Another quick how-to fly tying video from Pat Dorsey's visit to the shop to do a book signing and fly tying demonstration.



Fish ON!
--Shannon

Mike Tucker's Scud

This is the original scud pattern utilizing the Pott's Weave tied by Mike Tucker himself. Have fun!




Fish ON!
--Shannon

Pat Dorsey's Mercury Black Beauty

Fish ON!
--Shannon

Pat Dorsey's Top Secret Midge

Fish ON!
--Shannon

Mike Tucker's Liqui-Lace Woolly Bugger

Have fun and
Fish ON!
--Shannon

Mike Tucker Blood Worm

This is the first in a series of fly tying demonstration videos by Mike Tucker. This one is his Blood work, the next will be his Tucker Scud.



Fish ON!
--Shannon

Pat Dorsey's Mercury Midge

A quick "How-To" on tying Pat Dorsey's fantastic Mercury Midge.
This is, without question, a must have fly for any water in the Rockies.
Thanks go out to Pat for coming by the shop to do this demonstration.



Fish ON!
--Shannon

The Improved Clinch Knot

This knot seems to be the most common fly fishing knot for tippet to fly connections. It can be used at the eye of the fly or the bend of the fly hook.




Fish ON!
--Shannon

The Perfection Loop

This knot is ideal for butt sections at the ends of fly lines for connecting leaders via a loop-to-loop connections (also known as a handshake connections).

1. Holding the standing line in one hand, lay down a loop in front of the standing line.
2. Lay a loop behind the standing line and bring the tag end to the front of the front loop.
3. Lay the tag end between the two loops and pinch it with the fingers and thumb holding the standing line.
4. Pull the back loop through the front loop and tighten by pulling the standing line.

The size of the loop is determined by two things, the back loop size and the standing line. Work with this knot until you can really fine tune the size of your loop.

This concise video tutorial on the proper technique and steps for tying a perfection loop really helps when learning this knot.



Fish On!
--Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

Swimmer's

In my frolicking youth I would play in the creek across the street. I was a high energy child always looking for excitement. I would catch Crey-fish , minnows boatman and any other aquatic creature I could find," Swimmer's" as I would call them were in fact a species of scud. Class Crustacea Order Ampkipoda . The common scud. I was fascinated with them as a child, and as a Fly- fisherman I am even more intrigued by then. Entomology speaking there is over 800 spices of scud world wide and approximately 80 species in the U. S. This being said as a fly-fisherman one can start to understand the importance of the scud to the diverse aquatic food available to our cold water friend Mr Trout. The scud will thrive in a nutrient rich, and slightly alkaline water. Due to the exoskeleton being frequently shed the scud will also seek water with high levels of dissolved calcium to allow the shell to become hard. A freshly molted scud will have a Bluish, translucent look until the exoskeleton becomes firm. The different shades of green are directly relevant to the coloration of the aquatic vegetation in there immediate surroundings. O.K. these little Swimmer's are in the water all year, they mate when water temperature is ideal ,this is multiple times per year, they are a larger food source for the trout and the fish simply can't pass up a meaty meal like the scud. I feel the scud along with the crane fly larva are two fly's that go idle to often in ones fly box. For me personally my favorite scud pattern is the Mike Tucker Scud, it's realistic appearance in the water is unsurpassed by any other scud pattern I know of. The iridescence of the liqui-lace for the body and the perfection of the pots weave for the legs makes this little" swimmer" one of my go to flies.

Tight lines
~Brent

All About Strike Indicators

There are so many strike indicators out there that every single one of my buddies could be using a different one exclusively and not one of us would overlap. I have a lot of fly fishing buddies. That's a lot of different kinds of strike indicators. Everyone seems to be using one of two or three different kinds though and they all claim theirs are the best so I thought I'd break it all down and show you what I've come up with ... you can decide which you like the best.

The Thingamabobber



The hottest and newest strike indicator is, of course, the "Thingamabobber". This dandy is being used everywhere and by everyone and for good reason. It floats high, casts without too much air drag and really gives you a good idea of what is actually happening under water where the game is being played. According to legend, the Thingamabobber was created after watching guides on Utah's Green River who were using another fine strike indicator, "the balloon". Yep, "the balloon". They were fastening small balloons to leaders either by tying them on or by using small dental rubber bands like the ones included in Yarn Indicator kits. Like the Thingamabobber (mostly) they slid up and down the leader easily and without damage and worked well. The reason I coyly said "mostly" is that the Thingamabobber does not always slide well and sometimes it does not hold securely when it is placed too far down on the thinner part of knot-less tapered leaders. Don't let that sour you on the old Thingamabobber, though. This is probably my favorite indicator. I'm betting I use it 70-80% of the time. Some people seem to be afraid of the Thingamabobber because they remind them of "bobbers". Not that there is anything wrong with bobbers. I've downed countless six-packs watching (or ignoring) bobbers so I don't really care. Whatever ... they work and that's the bottom line.

Yarn



Another standard is the yarn strike indicator made famous right here in the central Rockies by folks such as Pat Dorsey, a fine gentleman and Colorado native fly angler who guides on some of our finest waters and who included it in his informative video about strategies for nymphing. The yarn indicator, whether made from a kit, from your own materials or pre-made and bought from your favorite fly shop, casts easily and presents very softly on the water - which helps with spooky fish. It is not the most sensitive but does give a great idea of what is happening to your flies down under.

Fish Pimps



This one gets the coolest name award and the award for the best logo and mascot (I would have put up a link to the logo/mascot but I couldn't find one online - feel free to add a link to the image in the comments below if you can find one). The "Fish Pimp" is the phenom that preceded the phenomena of the "Thingamabobber" and they are still a great indicator with newer, fancier models still being developed and produced. The Fish Pimp casts as well as any indicator I've ever used when you are casting smoothly. They are a little sensitive if you're not. You can cast these babies right off and never see them again if you collapse that loop or if your timing is out-of-whack. They're very good about indicating micro drag-since they are rigged in line with your leader so they help with mending, and they do a great job telling you what is happening underwater.

The French-Fry



The "French Fry" style indicator made from fine strips of closed cell foam and "O" rings is one of my favorites. When you rig them up just right they slide beautifully up and down the leader without so much as suggesting any damage or line curl. They cast fairly well, land quietly and do a great job of indicating when you've got a fish nibbling.




The Styrofoam Strike Indicator



Styro-foam indicators are the most common variety and are available in a range of sizes and shapes from round micro-balls to large pear-shaped monsters. Some have toothpicks and rubber bands, some have surgical rubber inserts, some have hollow posts for pre-rigging and using as deep water indicators that slide down to the fish after it strikes so that you can easily reel it in and land it.





The Palsa or Pinch-On-Float Strike Indicator



This adhesive backed foam pinch-on beauty is a blessing and a curse all in one dainty little package. It is just about the only indicator appropriate for using with dry flies or emergers that you can't see or when you want to place two about 6" apart for indicating micro-drag and drift direction. They are handy but they don't slide around or move easily and when you finally do get one off, it leaves a mess of adhesive for you to clean from your leader. Having said all that negative stuff, I keep some of these with me at all times because sometimes nothing else will do the job.




The Wooden Strike Indicator



Wooden indicators seem to be the most unusual and are harder to find but they also come in a range of shapes and sizes as well. They're heavier than all of the other "high tech" materials and sometimes don't cast well but they have their purposes - I suppose - I've only ever used one ...

Some indicators do some things better than others and some do them worse. Some are too small for what you're trying to do, some are too big and some are just right, some spook fish and some spook you. In the end, I keep several kinds of indicators with me for different fly fishing conditions and I'm always finding new situations where one serves better than another and I'm never afraid of something "new".

Fish ON!
--Shannon

Quick Wading Tips

1. Don't wade unless it's absolutely necessary. Fish from the shore instead and you will spook fewer fish.
2. Always wear a wading belt.
3. Wear good wading boots with good traction - felt, studded-felt or studded-wading-rubber are good choices.
4. Cross with a slight downstream angle to make movement easier.
5. When the water is below your mid-thigh, keep your toes pointed upstream to reduce drag on your body and waders.
   
6. When the water is above your mid-thigh, keep your body sideways to the current to avoid drag.
   
7. Use a wading staff placed upstream from you whenever possible. Staffs will help you get to better water where you can make better presentations and easier mends.
   
8. Be safe, don't get in over your head - Whether your mantra is "Don't go in over my thighs," or "Don't go in over my knees," - you should know your limits and stick to them.
   
9. Scan the water upstream and downstream, strategically pick your fishing holes and crossing points ahead of time and cross at the safer shallow spots.
10. Lean into the current when moving across the river.
11. Check the riverbed bottom with your moving foot before you actually commit any weight to it.
12. Place the moving foot securely before lifting the stationary foot.
    
13. The water downstream of a boulder is easier to cross than the water above it.
14. Conserve energy by avoiding climbing over dry rocks unless they provide a significantly safer or easier crossing point.
15. Avoid redds during the spawning seasons (Spring and Fall), avoid weed beds to keep from destroying insect habitat, avoid white water where you can't see the bottom when possible, it is safer.
16. Always be aware of your way out if you should lose your footing.
    
17. If you fall in keep your feet downstream or toward dangerous downstream obstacles, keep your head above water and begin backstroking toward the safest shoreline landing point.

Slimers at a Super Secret Location ...

Pike inhabit lakes, rivers and reservoirs where they can find predatory cover and security in dense weeds. They will probably eat any animal that fits in their jaws including any conceivable fish, mammal, reptile or bird.

Mature pike use their incredible speed to ambush prey from dense cover and are believed to be able to spot prey from fair distances (40-60 feet). Although they have excellent eyesight, it is believed that they also use vibrations in the water to help locate prey so be sure to make that fly twitch and die in a spasmodic death dance to draw your own slimer in for the kill.

Clear Creek Fall Fishing

Temp: 42˚F
Flow: 71CFS

Clear Creek Canyon in the Fall with its melange of colors from green, purple, and red, to its variety of rich golds is everywhere about as beautiful as it gets and you can say the same about the fishing. Pick any pullout and you're likely to have a good day. Pick the perfect pullout and you may have an epic day. At least in numbers if not in size. I've caught some whoppers in there but mostly I catch loads of 10"-12" scrappers which is just fine with me.

Lately, I've been catching them on a very unexpected fly. To save time and reduce my overall effort for the day (what a laugh) I tied on a Tungsten Rubber Leg Copper John, olive and black in size 12 to get my second fly down. The second fly was any of a variety of bugs from Barr's Micro Emerger, Craven's JuJubee Midge or the notoriously successful Black Beauty (plain or Dorsey-style with a mercury bead and a touch of flash). Of course with this set up I expected to rack up my score with the little black bug. Man was I wrong. On both of the past days of fishing up in the canyon, I caught the majority of fish on that big ol' nasty Copper John.

I caught the rest on the little black thing, of course, so don't rule out the expected either.

Most fish were caught in deeper runs of at least 18" or more. I used one of those strike indicators made from strips of closed-cell foam and "O" rings (it was white). If you rig those indicators just right you can slide them up and down all day without curling your leader - the better to stay in the feeding lanes. I also used a 9' Fluoro Leader (5X is what I had so I added 15" 6X Fluoro Tippet to get the perfect presentation). I was throwing all this around with a 3Wt 8'9" fly rod. Great times ...

Fish ON!
--Shannon

Fish the Redds?

The season is upon us when the instinctual migration of the Brown trout begins. The debate regarding the ethics of fishing to these spawning fish also begins. Does fishing to spawning trout have an effect on the actual reproduction process? I don't have a biology or fisheries degree , so everything I say is only my OPINION. We have all seen, or been that guy before, looking at a big fish on a Redd, and someone fishing to it, or should I say snagging to it . A spawning fish is not at all challenging to fish for, or rewarding and most of the time they are foul hooked. I would not want to run a mile, get yanked out of my bed by my lip, go home and continually have this happen all day! So I don't know if the fish get really tired or not. I would think the less energy the fish has to protect it's nest the more at risk it would be to predators, reducing over all success rate. This could possibly result in less living offspring. Less fish? I believe more damage is done to the redd by wading up-stream allowing silt to deposit on the nest. A fact to keep in mind, the egg's are actually buried in the rock pile behind the indentation , so any sediment that may drift on the "pile" may suffocate the egg's.

Well, I don't know. I think it all depends, are you being greedy? Do ya just have to catch fish, or maybe you just don't know better, Me personally I don't fish the Redd's.

Loop Army - Advanced Spey Casting

Fish ON!
--Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

The Double Haul Cast

This is Eoin Fairgrieve, a Loop Tackle Design Pro-Staffer, demonstrating the single-handed, double haul cast. I didn't see Eoin at the FFR this year but he's a generous, friendly guy with a brilliant cast and a great sense of humor.  I think you'll enjoy his Double Haul demonstration video and maybe get something out of it.




Come in to see our Loop Tackle Design rods and reels - we believe you'll be as impressed as we are.

Fish ON!
--Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

Trico, Trico, Copper John - The Winning Combination for Early Fall

Late Summer and early Fall give us some sure-fire bets on fishing.

If you are on the water and fish are rising everywhere but you can't see what they are coming to the surface to eat, it's a pretty sure bet that you're in the middle of a monstrous Trico hatch and just don't know it because they're so small. One way to sort things out is to check the banks at the edge of the river. If it's covered in tiny black bugs lapping against the shore, you've found your answer.

This great hatch extends over most bodies of water in Colorado and Wyoming as far as I can tell. In my experience, it at least goes all the way up the North Platte into and beyond Saratoga Wyoming. It seems to occur at inlets to lakes as well as outlets.

One important issue to keep in mind, is that those fish taking Tricos on the surface are probably a lot smaller that the older, wiser, and BIGGER fish that are gulping them down under the surface where you can't see their pasty trico covered lips slurpin' down all those delectable tiny specks of trico food. Keep that in mind when rigging up to fish these hatches.

You can try a grasshopper as a strike indicator and drop a couple of dry size 24-26 trico flies about 2-4 feet below it and place them about 14 or so inches apart. I gauge the distance between my trailing flies using the point of my elbow and the middle or base of my fingers as my arm is stretched out. It seems to work fine. The fish seem to like it anyway.

But if you really want to catch fish, ditch the hopper and add an extra fly to the end of the rig set the same distance apart as the other two. Put some weight ahead of the first fly by the same spread of your elbow to fingers and place your strike indicator 2-2.5x the depth of the water.

Create your leader/tippet/fly rig as follows: Start with a 9' 4x flourocarbon knotless tapered leader, add 3' of 5x fluorocarbon tippet, then 2' of 6x fluorocarbon tippet and tie on the first fly. Then tie 14-16" of 6x fluorocarbon tippet to the curve of that hook and tie on your next fly. Finally, onto the curve of the 2nd fly, tie 14-16" of 6x fluorocarbon tippet and tie on a copper john or other bead-headed bug - not glass or plastic, though, and tungsten if you can get it.


Add your weight 14-16" ahead of the first fly then place your strike indicator 2-2.5x the depth of the water you are going to fish.

Let 1-2' of fly line out of the tip of the rod and let the whole ungainly rig run downstream from you to get started. When you've got some line tension developing downstream, look upstream to the point just above where you want to present all these flies and cast so that the weight on your leader lands right there and the rest of the rig lands upstream of that. "Sh#!", you say. "How do I do THAT?!"

Simple (or not, but possible none-the-less), - your cast should start slow to get the whole mess moving and like a Nike swoosh placed upside down, you should arc up and speed up to a stop pointing further down than normal to open your casting loop and keep all those flies, weight and the strike indicator from crashing into each other and making God's own perfect and sickly beautiful knot - one that all but priests and Monks will run away from in terror. You can do it. I have faith.

After the whole mess hits the water in a perfect line of Strike Indicator, Weight, Fly 1, Fly 2, and Fly 3, carefully mend your fly line to remove unwanted drag from the indicator and flies then take the fly line/leader slack off the water. If you only have 6-12" of leader touching the water between you and your strike indicator, that should be just about perfect. If your strike indicator stalls, dips, pops, ducks, hesitates or looks like it forgot something, do a VERY gentle down-stream tug. If the line goes ape-crazy you've got a fish on and need to keep tension evenly on the pesce by raising your rod tip and taking in any slack in the line/leader. Aim the fish where you can land him. Get out your net.


Fish ON!
--Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

Fly Fishing with Children Part 2 - Bite Sized Pieces

It's August as I write this article, which is the second installment in my "Fly Fishing with Children" series. I've just been on a camping trip with my family and we did a little fishing while we were out. My oldest son is becoming a motivated and talented angler and I started thinking about the days when I first took him fishing and why they were so much fun -- this is what I came up with:

Taking your children fishing for the first time is one of the most important things you may ever do with your kids. You get to show them something you know, they get to show you their first fish. Everyone has a great time. Lessons are learned about nature and our place in it and indelible memories are created.

A few key strategies will make these first outings go much smoother. As I mentioned in "Fly Fishing with Children Part 1 - Getting Them Started", the days when you are teaching your children to fish are not about you fishing but about them learning to fish. Don't expect to present any flies of your own. If you start with this in mind the day will be so much more rewarding for both you and your miniature anglers. Break the sport into bite-sized pieces so you can explain key concepts and so they will be able to ask questions as they think of them. Don't get yourself in a hurry. Take a breath and relax.

Create an opportunity for success:
Pick water that you know is likely to yield as many opportunities as possible for catching fish. This may seem impossible these days but try to pick water that does not get over-fished. Go somewhere that contains a healthy population of fish and that is easily accessible. Mid Summer is a great time for a first day on the water - the flows are down from run-off conditions, the bugs are thriving, the fish are settled in, what more could you want - everyone should be fishing!

Entomology:
Take a minute at the start of the day to turn over some rocks and show your kiddos some great creepy-crawlies live and up-close. Squish a cased caddis out of it's shell so they can understand what's going on there. Just one, though. I don't think Mother Nature will mind. See if you can find some worms at the edges of the water under the rocks and dirt. Look for stone-fly husks on dry rocks and brush along the banks, they're very cool and dramatic examples of the diverse bug life on a creek or a river. Point out the tiny callibaetis larvae crawling around the bottoms of slimy upside-down rocks. Kids will roll bugs around their fingers all day if you let them.

Rigging:
You will already have spent some time with your children in the park teaching them to cast, so now set them up with single-dry-fly-rigs that are easy to cast and don't tangle as much as multi-fly nymph rigs. Kids (or any other beginners, for that matter) do not need complicated and difficult-to-manage-much-less-cast 3-fly "prospecting" rigs loaded with weight and strike indicators. Start them out with a nice parachute-style dry fly, like a Pale Morning Dun with a nice hi-vis post on it's back, a Royal Wulff, a Royal Humpy, a Royal Stimulator, a Parachute Adams - something they can keep an eye on as it drifts. Initially, the fishing is not as important as the comprehension of what they're trying to do.

Presentation:
Talk to them about the presentation, hold a fly by the curve of the hook and imitate it's presentation and drift in front of their eyes - let them imitate the drift with their own fly and appreciate how handsome those hand-tied flies are in the bright Summer sun. Point out air bubbles in the currents and talk to them about keeping the rod tip moving at the same speed as the bubbles. Toss in a small stick and point out how it moves at the same speed as those bubbles - that's a good one. Discuss slack line and how it must be taken up so they can set the hook when they see a fish take the fly. Discuss the set, it should be gentle and easy, small but firm - so the presentation of the fly can continue down the stream if they miss the fish. This also helps develop good habits for the nymphing lesson they will get on another day.

Wading:
We had a couple of rules when my kids were beginning to fish rivers and streams. They have always been great, competitive swimmers but they were only allowed to wade up to their knees. Any deeper and there were consequences. The other rule was that they had to remain upstream of me at all times. Simple, common-sense rules. They were broken regularly and consequences were handed out to match the "violation".

Finally:
Let them fish. Now your job is to watch like a hawk for their safety as well as their frustration. Your job and your reward is to step to the rescue for those casting knots, snags, lost footings, and hopefully to help land a fish. You can fish on your own later.

Go enjoy your children ...

Fish On!
--Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

Fly Fishing Accessories: Forceps Revisited

This is an article I had previously published as "Clamps, Hemostats & Forceps". I read it again, recently, and I decided I had more to say on the topic --

Hemostats. Every fly fisher has a pair. Some call them forceps, some call them hemostats, my wife the nurse, calls them "snaps", but I like the word "clamps" because that's what I do with them: clamp stuff. Flies, lines, big honkin' splinters, little-stinkin'-flies-that-I-can-barely-see, etc.

I've heard people say they like stainless steel or brass colored clamps because when (not if) they accidentally drop them into the water they will be easier to see and recover. I've dropped mine and I'd like to make it clear that seeing them would not have helped most of the time. In most cases I dropped them because other things were happening, either my graceless legs gave out and my feet slipped, or my cold-as-ice and horribly numb hands missed a grip and fumbled the clamp 5 feet away into a foamy seam of deep water where I could only glare at the ephemeral location where they had dropped and imagine them down there possibly within reach but impossibly difficult to recover.

So color doesn't really matter to me when it comes to finding a dropped pair of hemostats but some other things do. I do not like shiny things anywhere on on my body when I'm fishing. I think it scares the fish away. Fly fishing is tricky enough without my gear spooking the fish by flashing a warning that there's a predator nearby trying to stick them with a clever sharp thing that looks eerily like a meal of caddis pupa. I like my clamps to be black. I have to caveat that with this: I really like that prism finish some manufacturers have started using. This finish gives the hemostats a coppery blue color that nearly glows. They just look cool. Sometimes it's important to feel like you are looking cool. Coolness is hard to achieve, I need all the help I can get.

When it comes to the shape, size, and features of hemostats, there are hundreds of different choices out there. You should try several different finger-loop sizes, shapes and proximity configurations to see which one fits your hand best. Clamps come in sizes from 3.5" to 10" or more but I think the 4-6" clamps are probably the most functional. The most traditional hemostat comes with a simple locking system that keeps them clamped closed. When you want to open them you force the finger loops laterally away from each other and open the jaw. Another variety is the mitten clamp that you squeeze to open and squeeze again to close. The mitten clamp is a little more unusual and takes a little time and use to get comfortable with but once you get it, it is as simple as click, click, click, POW! and they are opened ready to do their job. Repeat the process with a little less vigor and they're clamped shut again. It took me a while to get used to them but eventually I could not imagine living without them.

For fly anglers, the jaws are the single most important aspect of a good hemostat. They should be smooth, not serrated. There can be some serration back toward the fulcrum of the tool but the tips should be smooth as silk so they do not damage your expensive or carefully tied flies. Jaws with serration can break wire segmentation on nymphs, cut thread on dry flies, tear latex on scuds and Czech nymphs, etc. Make sure they're smooth, and take care of those precious flies.

Some extra, and very useful features that may be seen on hemostats are a hook-eye cleaner which is simply a small needle point built into the clamp somewhere, and scissors-which I've had mixed feelings about. On the one hand, the built-in scissor is very handy, but on the other, I once cut a very nice, very expensive, very new, Patagonia wading jacket while trying to clamp my hemostats to a pocket flap and juggle a nice, netted 21" brown trout at the same time. Oh well.

Whether you call them clamps, hemostats, snaps or forceps, you've got a favorite too, I'm sure.

Fish On!
--Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

Choosing Sunglasses for Fly Fishing

Polarized sunglasses are an absolute necessity for every fly angler.  Normal sunglasses are better than no sunglasses and they reduce eye strain but they do nothing to help you see fish. When you are hunting for fish, the only lenses that will do you any good are the Polarized variety.

How they work:
(a highly un-scientific explanation)
Light is reflected from water surfaces horizontally.  Polarized lenses have horizontal striations that block almost 100% of those waves.  They filter the light, greatly reducing eye strain as well as glare from the water surface - this means you can see deeper into the water and spot more fish.  Any sunglasses you intend to use for fly fishing should be labeled as "Polarized" and made by a reputable company.  Polarization is not created equal so ask permission to take the glasses outside and look at the clouds.  You should be able to clearly see depth in the cloud formations and distinguish the edges of the cloud-banks.

What to look for in a sunglass frame:
Get a frame with great side coverage.  This means very wide temples (the temple is the piece that goes over your ear) that block a lot of light.  They should wrap around your face and fit snugly.  You will see the advantage of this by cupping your hands around the bill of  your hat and your sunglasses.  By blocking more light you are able to see everything in higher contrast.

Lens color:
When it comes to the color of the lens things get specific real fast.  For salt water a light gray or blue lens works very well.  For most fresh water conditions a bronze, copper or rose lens is the choice.  For low light conditions, yellow or orange works best.  Light transmission is also important.  Light transmission is how much light is allowed through the lens or, in other words, how dark the lens is.  A lens that is too dark does not permit enough light for you to distinguish the fish from the river-bed so be sure you don't pick a lens that is too dark.

Lens color, Strike Indicators & Water Color:
Rose lenses - fluorescent orange indicators will be the most visible - this color cuts through green water very well.

Blue and Grey lenses - fluorescent orange and fluorescent pink indicators will be the most visible - these lenses cut through turquoise water very well.

Bronze or Copper lenses - orange, fluorescent orange and fluorescent pink indicators will be the most visible - these lenses help you see into most fresh water colors.

Fish On!
--Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

Fly Fishing with Children Part 1-Getting them started

My children have been fly fishing since they were 5 & 7. Now one is a teen-ager and the other is getting unbearably close to teen-hood. Teaching them to fish was, as it should be, a big priority in my life because fishing has meant so much to me. I know they will remember the great times they had with their pop on the waters of Colorado, Wyoming, Florida and many more. I also know they will pass this on to their children. I only hope that I taught them to teach their own children in a way that will allow them to love the sport and remember the great feelings of stalking fish with good company.

There are a few critical things I did that meant the difference between frustration and fun for everyone (pop and kid alike). It is tempting to put a child on a short fly rod because they are short themselves but that thinking doesn’t really work unless you can find a wispy zero or 1 weight fly rod and put a heavier fly line on it (a tactic called over-lining). I choose a 9′0″ slow action fly rod, which I found at a garage sale. I later learned from my buddy and business partner, Andy, that a 9 foot, slow rod or an over-lined, faster rod really helps people feel the loading of the fly-line. This is a great teaching aid for everyone.

With that rod, we practiced casting in the park on big, treeless, stretches of grass. One of the boy’s favorite fly-casting-practice games was “Fry the Fly” which is a game of H-O-R-S-E played just like the basketball game except with a fly rod. It got it’s name from aiming the little puff of egg yarn that was tied onto the end of a nasty old 1x leader at the BBQ grills in the park near our house – “Fry the Fly”.

Later, when I was teaching them on the water I resisted the urge to do any fishing for myself. Instead, I opted to simply observe and help them. I focused on the skill-sets that needed the most attention then carefully showed them how to develop that skill using my own rod, fly line and flies. I would demonstrate for them and talk them through the motions, but I tried very hard not to grab the rod from their hands and use it for the demonstration. Occasionally, though, it does became necessary to physically guide their bodies through the motions.

Working like this, they developed some fine casting skills including several techniques for presenting flies in a variety of conditions at some very precise targets.

Most importantly, they had a good time and have grown to love the sport.

Fish On!
–Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

Fly Tying Hooks For Nymphs

Choosing a nymph hook with a nice wide gape will help end those missed hook-ups. I tend to pick shrimp or egg hooks for the nymphs that I tie. Tiemco's 2487, 2488 and 2499 hooks are some of the most appealing I've worked with. Their arcs are perfect. When my flies are tied on those hooks they look more life-like. That hook twists and turns in the water and that gorgeous arc makes that fake bug look like it is actually wriggling.

Tiemco 2499

Tiemco 2488

Tiemco 2487

Another hook I like is Partridge's 15BN Klinkhamer. Beautiful hook. This is nice for an unbeaded or very slim profile nymph because the wire is thinner. Before tying on this hook open the gape just a touch for better setting-be sure you do this first instead of investing all the effort of tying just to break the hook.

Partridge 15BN Klinkhamer


Fish On!
--Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

Read as much as you can about fly fishing!

I read all the fly fishing magazines I can get my hands on.  Books too.  I should also say that I watch as many Fly Fishing DVD's as I can.  I'm a junkie.  I'm also pretty far behind - there are so many great books, magazines and DVD's out there on our sport.   Every article, book or video I dig into gives me an hour or two of enjoyment and another handful of gems that help me become a better angler.  Whether they lead me to a greater enjoyment the sport or to catching better fish, I get a leg up each time.

Don't get overwhelmed by the terminology.  If you are new to this "quiet sport" some of the lingo may be a little confusing but push through it.  Eventually you'll be an old hand at talking fluently about the differences between arbor knots, albright knots, nail knots, perfection loops, nymphs, drys, streamers, larva, pupa, duns, hackles, chenille, targeting Brown Trout, Brookies or Rainbows, about whether they were hitting on Caddis or Callibaetis, and you'll know that it's really rare to strip a dry fly :)

Every word you read every video you watch, will become more and more informative and helpful because you will be building your background knowledge with every article, movie or book.

Grab a fly fishing book, pick up a tying magazine or plug in a trout-porn video.  You'll get a lot more from it than just an hour or two of enjoyment.

Fish On!
--Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

Thingamabobbers

The Thingamabobber may be the most talked about strike-indicater of all time.  Some people think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread and some think it's merely a glorified bait bobber.  I think Thingamabobbers are a fantastic tool.  They cast smoothly, stay put (until you try to put them too far down the taper of your leader - but they probably shouldn't be that far down anyway), they are highly sensitive to underwater taps and are VERY light.

When I first used the Thingamabobber, I had trouble figuring out what was going on because they are perfectly round.  It doesn't take long to realize that, when your drift is good, all you're looking for is a plunge of the sphere.  With other indicators you get used to looking for the asymmetrical indicator to tip over which tells you to set your hook.  Thingamabobbers are much more sensitive than traditional styro-foam, closed cell foam, and yarn indicators.  All you have to do is SET when you see it plunge a little.  Your hookups will increase with this dandy tool.

Fish On!
--Shannon Long
Hook Flyfishing

The 16-20 Knot

I've spent years tying the improved clinch knot on my flies and droppers. I've gotten good enough that I can tie it with numb hands in howling winds and blackout conditions. It's a fine, serviceable knot. It is not the strongest knot, though, and it does take a bunch of steps so I started kicking around ideas about learning a new knot. After trying several, I ended up going with a knot commonly called a 16-20. It is very easy to tie, strong and practically tells you that it's tied and seated properly with a nice little "CLICK". This knot is especially great for size 4x-7x tippet.

Steps:
1. Thread down through a down eye, up through an up eye.
2. Lay the tag end parallel to and behind the standing line.
3. Pinch the loop you just made and wrap around the front of the paralleled lines 3x.
4. Go through the loop at the top between the standing line and the top arc of the loop.
5. Lubricate the whole mess and work the knot down to the eye of the hook. Hold the tag end snug and tighten everything up. When feel and hear that distinct "CLICK" you are done.

Fish On!
--Shannon