Author: Matt O
The Hoag Favorite – Fly Tying Mike Valla’s Classic Streamer Series
From Mike Valla’s “Classic Streamer Fly Box,” the Hoag Favorite is an elegant feather-wing streamer that can be a great fish-catcher in any water where…
Fly Tying a Bird’s Eye Soft Hackle, Wet Fly Trout Pattern
From the Federation of Fly Fishers Fly Pattern Encyclopedia, this tiny soft hackle looks like a cross between a North Country Spider, and a black…
The Early Nelson – Fly Tying Appalachian/Great Smoky Mountain Trout Patterns
This pattern is thought to have been introduced to the Great Smoky Mountains by Cap Weise prior to WWII. Likely originating in England and named…
Squirrel Hair Nymph – Fly Tying Appalachian/Great Smoky Mountain Trout Patterns
An olive variant of Dave Whitlock’s famous Red Fox Squirrel Hair Nymph that has been popular in the Great Smoky Mountains since its inception in…
Fly Tying an AP Emerger – Modern American Soft Hackle
Created by Denny Rickards in the early 1990s, the AP (All Purpose) Emerger is an effective stillwater fly for big trout, but can also be…
Fly Tying a Little Brown Stone – Classic American Stonefly Pattern
From Dave Hughes’ 1986 “American Fly Tying Manual,” this Little Brown Stonefly is an easy-to-tie but super effective stonefly pattern. In the mid-Atlantic and Northeast…
Smoky Mountain Dry Fly Materials Bundle – Giveaway
Hey fly tiers! Thanks for stopping by. I’m excited to be offering this bundle of fly tying materials to one of the channel subscribers. This…
The Infallible – Fly Tying Appalachian/Great Smoky Mountain Trout Patterns
A true Great Smoky Mountain/Appalachian original, the Infallible was created by Cato Holler (1903-2001). A legend of North Carolina fly fishermen and fly tiers, Cato…
Wickham’s Fancy Dry – Fly Tying Appalachian/Great Smoky Mountain Trout Patterns
Created by Dr. T.C. Wickham of Winchester, England in the 1880s, this fly has been popular in the Great Smoky Mountains since at least the…
Book Review – Tying the Founding Flies by Mike Valla
By one of my favorite fly tiers and Authors, Mike Valla’s “Tying the Founding Flies” is an excellent companion to his earlier “The Founding Flies.”…
