Rotary Fly Tying

05/15/2024

Last Saturday this marabou Grey Ghost did the trick for Landlocked Salmon near Pemadumcook Lake. The only problems were the body began to fray and one of the Tie-Rite plastic Jungle C**k eyes lost a fight with a Landlock. Oh, and the black painted pupil on one side sorta got messed up.

So, I cut the Tie-Rite eye off the other side and kept on fishing. The Landlocks didn't seem to mind. I'm going to see what they Landlocks near Moosehead think of it today.

03/09/2024

Mike Holt
Tie-n-Lie in Fairfield - March 16th. Just a week away. Last one until November.
All of the Tie and Lies are held at the Fairfield Community Center.
10:00am to 1:00pm Come and go as you like. No charge, There will be coffee and probably a cookie or two - stop in and tell a story (it can even be true) or tie some flies - maybe do both.
Come one, come all.
The last one was a blast. It was Al's birthday and Kim got him cake. Great fun had by all.

03/01/2024

Want answers to a few questions about flyfishing that are honed by years of experience. Try this article. Lots of good reading.
Questions and answers like:
HM: I fish for trout on rivers, lakes and streams. What size rods do I really need?

TODD TANNER: Your rod choice depends mostly on the size of the fly you’re fishing and the amount of wind you’re expecting. I don’t use rods in the 1 weight to 3 weight range, as a 4 weight offers all the delicacy I’ll ever need. Nor do I fish rods heavier than a 6 weight for trout unless I’m targeting big fish; larger than 10 lbs. Which means that if I have a 4 weight for small-to-medium sized dry flies and nymphs, a 5 weight for dries, nymphs and smaller streamers, and a 6 weight for larger or heavier flies on windy days, I’m in great shape. I should also point out that while a 7 weight can be a reasonable choice for casting streamers, it’s serious overkill for the vast majority of the trout you’ll hook in the Lower 48. As for length … while most of my graphite trout rods are 9 feet long, I do have some 8 footers for fishing smaller streams.

Given the sheer amount of less-than-reliable fly fishing information floating around on the internet, it’s not always easy for anglers to know who to trust when it comes to gear, tactics, destinations, techniques, skills, fly choice, etc. With that in mind, Hatch Magazine asked the instructors at ...

11/26/2023

What - Another Tie-n-Lie in Fairfield?
Didn't they just have one?
Well, yes, and on December 3rd there's another one. Last one of the year.
These are the dates if you haven't written them down anywhere
December 3rd, January 6th, February 3rd, March 16th
* dates subject to change
All of the Tie and Lies are held at the Fairfield Community Center.
10:00am to 1:00pm Come and go as you like. No charge, There will be coffee and probably a cookie or two - stop in and tell a story (it can even be true) or tie some flies - maybe do both.
Come one, come all.

11/10/2023

Well, it seems it's Tie and Lie season again and the first one is only a week away - November 18th is the first one.

All of the Tie and Lies are held at the Fairfield Community Center.
10:00am to 1:00pm Come and go as you like. No charge, There will be coffee and probably a cookie or two - stop in and tell a story (it can even be true) or tie some flies - maybe do both.
Come one, come all.
Here are some dates.
November 18th
December 3rd
January 6th
February 3rd
March 16th
* dates subject to change

04/28/2023

Just put a new video up on YouTube.
The Llama
I first saw the Llama in Eric Leiser's book "The Complete Book of Fly Tying" or as many people knew it - "The Blue Book."
He lists the recipe as:
Llama
Tail - Grizzly hackle
Tag - Flat Gold Tinsel
Body - Red Floss
Wing - Woodchuck guard hair (underfur left in)
Collar - Grizzly Hackle
Head - Black with black dotted white pupil
And, makes the following comment:
"The Llama is one of the few patterns in which the hook is sized to the hair length because of the natural marking of the woodchuck guard hairs. The average size for this pattern is 8. The Mustad 9575 is perfect."
And, later in the book he calls it "one of the most successful patterns I have ever fished with."
That comment was enough to make me tie some up. It is the fly with which I caught my largest Brook trout to date.
Sorry for the low resolution - I made this video a long time ago and what you see was high definition at the time.

I first saw the Llama in Eric Leiser's book "The Complete Book of Fly Tying" or as many people knew it - "The Blue Book."He lists the recipe as:LlamaTail - G...

04/04/2023

Just put another video up on YouTube.

If I'm fishing pocket water or seemingly bottomless runs and want to get my fly deep I reach for a Casual Dress or a Brook's M***ana Stone. The Brook's M***a...

03/31/2023

Just put another video up on YouTube.

The number one Caddis on the West Branch for a good number of people. It's not a hard fly to tie but the wing feathers are hard - hard to come by. Make frien...

03/30/2023

Nice fly. Like the looks of that hook.

03/30/2023

Just put another video up on YouTube.
The Irresistible - a buoyant fish catcher.

Often tied on a 2X long shank the Irresistible is a fish catcher. It uses the same color scheme as the Adams and has the advantage that comes with a spun dee...

02/07/2023

Just put another video up on YouTube.
Thorax-Style flies are very effective. I don't hear many people talking about them and I don't understand why they aren't more popular.

Thorax Style Blue Winged OliveType: DryImitation: MayflyFresh or Salt: FreshDescription: Thorax style dries are especially effective when fish are feeding se...

01/30/2023

Just put another video up on YouTube.

RenegadeType: DryImitation: AttractorFresh or Salt: FreshDescription: Sometimes called the Bivisible with Brown hackle in the back. This is a good floater an...