There’s an old axiom that says some of the best things in life are the simplest of things; and at times that turns out to also be true in fly fishing, and more specifically in the design of flies. I’ve always enjoyed the game of designing intricate flies that imitate something found in nature and testing those pattern designs over difficult, rising fish. There’s a sweet satisfaction when it all comes together, and a great feeling when you break down your rod at the end of the

A lot of people ask me questions about fly tying “tricks”. One of the more overlooked aspects of fly tying that I always respond with is the element of practice. We never truly learn to tie a particular fly well without repetition and practice. Learning to become a good fly tyer is about the mastery of subtle things, breaking down the elements of the fly, learning how to control proportion and the right amount of materials needed for the fly you are tying. You never learn how