Sheep Hair Minnow

Hook: size 2
Thread: Ultra Thread 140
Head: UV resin
Eye: 3D Stick on Eyes
Body: Icelandic Sheep hair (package called it Streamer hair)

Heptageniidae nymph

My biology background gives me a preference for using scientific names. Thus I know my aquatic insects by their scientific familes far better then by the common names used by fly fishers.  Heptageniidae includes the March Browns and Cahill mayflies. My last trip on the Guadalupe for trout brought about this design after reeling in a leaf with a few of these mayflies on it. So here is my attempt to match the hatch.

Hook: Gamakatsu C13U
Thread: UTC Olive 140
Head: Brown Glass bead
Thorax: Olive Rabbit dubbing (topped with UV resin)
Body: Wrapped extra small blue wire ultrawire
Tail: Hack fibers

Beaded Surf Candies

I have been playing with surf candies lately and wanted to find a new way to incorporate colors into the body of the fly. I'm not the first to use epoxy and beads in bait fish pattern by any means, but I haven't seen anyone else use them to make lateral bands or red gills in a surf candy. Using different color beads to make the appropriate "match the hatch" colors is very cheap and creates some neat affects within the fly.

First I string the beads on some material (e.g. wire, flash, monofilament). Then depending on the pattern I want (e.g. spots, band, or gills), I position the beads on the monofilament and add a very small amount of super glue (not the gel superglue, it needs to be liquid) to lock the bead in position.

When making long group of beads I will add super glue above them on the mono and then slide them upward into the glued area. I like to leave plenty of tag end on the mono to allow for an easy tie in on

I have not tried to do the two methods described below with epoxy. I have only done them with UV resin. I would suggest resin only because holding the beads in position while the epoxy sets would be difficult. (If some one decides to try it with epoxy let me know how it goes)

I have so far used two methods to work the beaded mono into the surf candy.

1) Make two similar beaded mono strands tie in one on each side.

 Note: This results in a fairly cylindrical fly, which is not necessarily a bad thing depending on what you are trying to imitate. Mud minnows and mullet are both cylindrical.

2)Make a single strand tied in between the layers of super hair.

Note: This results in a thinner fly shaped much more like an anchovy, however it is the more difficult to position the single strand within the fly.  Also be careful to not leave a space between the layers of super hair.  I doubt this would affect the fly much, but its not as esthetically pleasing.

I also attempted threading the beads on the super hair once the fly was built, but before I put the first layer of resin on to make random spotting. However the random "bumps" created by the beads made it difficult to create a smooth shape to the body. I'm still working on a better way to achieve this spotting effect.

Bead head Electric Caddis

Hook: Size 18
Thread:Cream UTC 140
Head: Brown Glass bead
Thorax: Light Cahill Hareline dubbing (top colored with permanent marker)
Abdomen: small copper ultra wire inserted in micro-tubing and stretch wrappped

Wing case: UV resin

Thanks to all the Followers

I just want to thank everyone following the blog. Its continuing to grow and I am indebted to all my fellow online supporters willing to share posts and get the word out.  The blog hit 600 views today. Keep the support coming and please share anything you like. If there is anything you would like to see please let me know. I'm happy for the input.

Electric DT Nymph

I used techniques from the DT Nymph and the JC's Electric Caddis tied by Rich Strolis and John Collins respectively in this fly. 

Hook: size 14 

Thread:Olive UTC 70

Legs: Black antron split and folded back

Tail:Black Antron

Abdomen: small ultra wire inserted in micro-tubing and stretch wrappped

Body: Olive rabbit dubbing

Wing case: UV resin

Vertical View

EP Headbanger Sculpin

This is a modified Rich Strolis Headbanger Sculpin pattern.

Hooks: Gamakatsu B10S (2)
Head: Sculpin Helmet
Wing: Arctic Fox
Body: Wrapped EP Streamer Brush with micro legs
Tail/Inner body: Wrapped Marabou (2 plumes)
Articulation: 30lbs wire and Glass beads

Free Online Magazines

I want to support the online community of fly fishers that want to freely disseminate the knowledge and experience that they have gained through hard fought time on the vise and on the water. I by no means feel in league with those who pursue fly fishing and tying  for a living, but thought I would try to bring together a list of some of the free online resources available.

Thus, I wanted to provide links to some of the free online magazines available from several websites. The links below are those magazines I have found so far with the descriptions of the magazine quoted from the website where available. However, I doubt I have been able to fins all the magazines available and I encourage anyone with knowledge of more to post a comment.

Southern Culture on the Fly

"Southern Culture on the fly is a quarterly online journal documenting the vast salt, warm and coldwater fly fishing oppurtunities in the southeast, as well as the fishy follk that make the south such a special place to live and fish..and Yes we will have a side of grits with that"

The Blood Knot

"Blood Knot Magazine breathes, unrestricted by the old formalities associated with fly fishing. Its a bi-monthly, digital publication with content being submitted from contributors around the world. The subscription service is free and an emailed link will arrive in your mailbox when new issues are available. The most current and back issues may also be viewed on this website which is updated almost daily."

Southern Trout

A Tight Loop

Catch Magazine

Montana Fly Fishing Magazine

"Welcome to Montana Fly Fishing Magazine, the first online magazine devoted exclusively to the diverse and expansive fly fishing opportunities Montana has to offer. Every couple of months, we hope to bring you a collection of strong and original articles and photography focused on the magnificent fish species, rivers, and landscapes that define Montana as “the Mecca of fly fishing.”

This is Fly

Ten and Two Magazine

"Welcome to TEN & TWO Magazine...The Angler’s Journey. No one goes fishing and just goes fishing. There’s a whole culture surrounding the sport. One journey might take us far a-field; another might keep us close to home. What remains constant is the fact that the path is not straight. We eat, we drink, we observe, we laugh, we talk, we explore, we learn and we most certainly experience the world in the process. As we travel, we’ve learned fishing is a lot more than simply how many fish we release, how big they are, where we stand, what we use and so on. Does the world really need another photo of some person holding up a huge fish caught on a two weight? It could be argued that it’s a piece of the meal, but generally that meal has been overcooked and overpriced, overdone and overblown. At TEN & TWO we go beneath the surface if you will and look for experiences that thicken the stew and fill us up. We look for interesting people, their stories and the places they inhabit. We search out the perfect drink, and the best meal. We look closely at the ecology of the surrounding habitat. We watch the wildlife, we tour the nearby village, and we seek out the artist’s impressions. And we fish.          

TEN & TWO is where you can go to get away from the crowds and find that special spot where the fish might be bigger or smaller, but the experience is often more special. Take your time with TEN & TWO. Approach it as you would a huge brown sipping the occasional olive in September on a quiet spring creek in Montana. Take your time with it. Savor it.

—Walter Hodges"

Get reading and consider contributing to these magazines.

Big Nymph

I like this fly as general large nymph pattern. I have been wanting to try it on carp, but haven't had the opportunity.


Hook: size 10
Thread: black Ultra Thread 140
Legs & Tail: Marabou
Abdomen: Wrapped micro-tubing
Body: single strand brown yarn
Wing case: Scud back coated in Tuffleye

EZ- Body Sand Eel

Hook: size 2
Thread: Ultra Thread 140
Head: EZ-body Medium coated in epoxy or Tuffleye
Eye: Stick on Eyes
Upper Body: Chartreuse Bucktail
Under Body: White Bucktail

Furry Virgin

This fly is the hair wing version of my Guadalupe Virgin fly. I've tied this fly for streamer fishing on the Guadalupe River.


Hook: Size 10 Streamer
Thread: Black UTC 140
Butt: Red UTC 140
Body: Single Strand Light Green Yarn
Rib: Silver Flash/Tinsel
Wing: Natural squirrel tail
Head: Black UTC 140


Tie in red tail section.

Tie in yarn and flash.

Tie in the black thread and create the thread base up to the eye of the hook.

Then wrap the yarn forward followed by the flash.

Tie off and create a small thread head.

Tie in the clump of squirrel tail fur. Be careful to keep it firmly aligned on top of the hook. I use a loose first wrap followed by a second wrap tightened directly downward while tightly pinching the fur in my fingers.

Trim ends and build thread head.

Whip finish the head.

Tie in several wraps of red thread on the head and whip finish. Finally coat with head cement.

Rabbit Skull

Rabbit Skull

Hook: size 2
Thread: Ultra Thread 140
Head: Fish-Skull
Under Body: White Marabou
Over Body: Chartreuse Magnum Barred Rabbit Zonker
Wing: One rap of Baitfish Emulator Flash
Note: A mono loop is under the zonker to prevent fowling.

Under the Lights Minnow

I designed this fly for one purpose: Night time dock light fishing on the Gulf.  Trout love to hang around dock lights at night. However if fishing a large hook, you will get a lot of hits but few hook ups, and the fish are feeding on small baitfish the gleam white and silver in the lights

Under the Lights Minnow

Hook: Size 6 Saltwater hook
Thread: Red
Body: EZ Body
Eye: Extra small 3D eyes
Coated in Tuffleye