COLD WATER - ToFlyFish

NYMPH FLIES

Nymph flies are without a doubt the most productive flies for catching numbers of trout. Because of this, there are thousands of nymph fly patterns available to you. On top of this, fly anglers have shown success using only one nymph pattern, like Jim Teeny with his...

FLY FISHING LEADERS AND TIPPETS

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of options to choose from with our fly fishing leaders and tippets. No matter which tippet or leader you choose, it will affect your fly fishing dramatically. Each leader or tippet offers you ways to really improve your fly...

THE TOP 12 FLY FISHING KNOTS

Fly fishing knots don’t really vary from other fishing knots. What we call “fly fishing” knots are knots applied to fly fishing gear and fishing scenarios. If you’re just getting into fly fishing or you are looking for a few tips on some different knots, here are the...

FLY FISHING WITH CHIRONOMIDS PART 1 WITH PHIL ROWLEY [PODCAST]

Fly fishing with chironomids is one of the most effective techniques for stillwater fly fishing. This type of fly fishing often doesn’t evoke images of high testosterone hundred-yard casts and ripping giant seven-inch streamers into the mouth of a toothy brown trout....

STILLWATER FLY FISHING AND SINKING LINES & PHIL ROWLEY [PODCAST]

The first time a fish took me to my backing was when I was stillwater fly fishing. I quickly learned that the biggest fish I could go after were going to have some sort of connection to water that wasn’t moving all of the time. If you look at salmon or steelhead and...

THE ESSENTIAL HOLLOW FLEYE PATTERN [VIDEO]

The genius that is Bob Popovics has created some of the most game-changing fly patterns and techniques in modern fly fishing. His laboratory is the coastal striper water of the North-East, but his patterns have shaped the way we tie and the way we fish for species the...

THE VERSATILE DUBBING EGG FLY PATTERN [VIDEO]

Egg patterns, more times than not, blur the line between food and triggers. Among the most important triggers are the color, shape, and size. Egg patterns are, of course, a great imitation of an important food source, but spawning and migratory fish go through weird...

FLY ACTION DETERMINES FLY FISHING SUCCESS

Fly action is actually a somewhat underrated topic. Fly anglers are known for their love of “matching the hatch." This tendency is, of course, connected to fly fishing’s close development with insect hatches over the centuries. There are definitely times when a...

CRAFT FUR HOLLOW FLEYE [VIDEO]

There are so many minnow patterns out there that it can make your head spin. Many of these patterns are simply profile fly patterns with limited action. Profile patterns, patterns that maintain profile and look extremely realistic in your hand, are very effective in...

HOPPER FLY PATTERN: MR. PEANUT HOPPER [VIDEO]

Hopper fly patterns are a ton of fun to fish. They’re not always the ticket, but when fish are looking for them, big fish are not shy about munching on them. Summer and fall mark hopper time in the northern hemisphere when the nymphs hatch and begin the first of five...

ARTICULATED STREAMERS: ARTICULATION

Articulated streamers, or articulated flies in general, are decades old. However, articulated streamers have really become hugely popular within the last ten years. Everything seems to be articulated these days, although I still haven’t seen many articulated dry flies...

STREAMER FLIES AND THE SUBTLETIES OF MEAT WITH MIKE SCHMIDT

Streamer flies have a tendency to get lost in a vast sea of bunny and deer hair. The common term for these flies is “meat”—“we threw meat today”. While this term makes a lot of sense, the differences in streamer patterns also often end up being lost when you throw...

STREAMER FISHING: TAKING THE NEXT STEP

When you talk about streamer fishing, you need to start with professional bass fishing. In professional bass fishing, there are normally two types of bass fisherman. There are power fishermen and finesse fishermen. Kevin VanDam is one of the most famous bass fisherman...

FLY FISHING HOOK SIZE: RESIST THE NUMBER

Understanding fly fishing hook size isn’t the sexiest topic around, but your hook is your link to the fish and is closely related to the size of your flies. Pretty sexy stuff! Well, maybe that's just me thinking. Most fly anglers' exposure to fly fishing hooks size...

BENEFITS OF HOSTED FLY FISHING TRIPS

Fly fishing travel has exploded in that last few decades or so like a volcano on a tropical island. The business of taking fly fishing trips has now become forever a competitive enterprise with hundreds of fly shops, outfitters, and various fly fishing luminaries...

ARTICULATED DAMSELFLY PATTERN RUFFED DAMSEL [VIDEO]

Fishing damselfly patterns is one of the most fun ways to fly fish stillwaters. I personally love to fly fish damselflies shallow when I can cast in between pockets or channels of weeds. The fish explode on these little, methodical swimmers, but one thing is...

CRYSTAL SEAL BUGGER FLY PATTERN [VIDEO]

The Seal Bugger was made popular by Denny Rickards in the 90s. It's similar to the woolly bugger but is tied for movement and allows for great color combinations. This fly will catch anything from white bass to steelhead when tied in the right manner for a particular...

BEAR SPRAY AND TRAVEL

The unique places in which we fly fish, or hike for that matter, add as much to the overall experience of fly fishing as anything except maybe the actual fish themselves. Unique wildlife for many of us is a huge bonus in these locations. Bears, by virtue of their...

BLUE WINGED OLIVE CRIPPLE FLY PATTERN [VIDEO]

The famous tailwaters and spring creeks of the West and East produce some amazing mayfly hatches. In the West, blue winded olives are some of the first mayflies to welcome spring but also some of the last to hatch in the fall. Gray days with a light drizzle can be the...

CONFIDENT DRY FLY FISHING FOR TROUT

Every fly fishing angler loves to fish topwater, whether it be poppers or dry flies. Some anglers will fish topwater at any cost, even if that means they’ll get few fish on a given day. Others know that you can be really successful almost always fishing below the...

BLOOD MIDGE LARVA FLY PATTERN [VIDEO]

During the winter and early spring, midge are a huge food source for, particularly in tailwaters. The midge has a complete metamorphosis, which means that it has a larval and a pupal form. When there is an active hatch, the pupa is more often than not what the fish...

COLD WATER FLY FISHING