This fly has a bright, flashy cactus chenille body, moderately weighted with lead wire, and a rabbit-strip tail. It might not seem elaborate or particularly exotic, but the Cactus Bugger is a genuine workhorse of a pattern. > It’s easy to retrieve effectively > The fly can be fished fast or slow > It works […]
Why New Fly Weights? Many fly fishers obsess over finding just the right color fly for this or that situation. While color can certainly influence your catch rate, often an even more important factor is completely overlooked. That’s a fly’s weight. The weight (or sink rate) of a fly determines how deep it will get […]
This pattern isn’t for every situation. This unique fly is designed specifically for tempting wary or inactive smallmouth with a very slow-paced bottom presentation. Used properly, this fly can do what no other patterns do. With weight in the front and its upriding tail, the HiTail Craw can be crawled or slowly hopped along the […]
Years ago, a friend and I developed the Blockhead Popper, and it is still (in my opinion) the best popper ever created. However, the trusty Blockhead certainly isn’t the only topwater I use. When the water is clear or when summer river levels become low, I love the Sneaky Pete. I use a foam version– […]
Q – What do you get when you add a rabbit strip tail to a deerhair head? A – A darn good fly! The Holschlag Hare is excellent as a mid-depth streamer fly, but it also works well fished near the bottom. Naturally, its rabbit strip tail produces great undulation, fished either fast or slow. […]
Here’s an “old-time” pattern that is still an incredibly effective and enjoyable fly to fish. The Shenks Streamer has been around for over a half-century, but at fly shows and clubs I encounter many anglers who aren’t aware of this outstanding fly. This ignorance seems most prevalent in the Midwest, but I don’t think the […]
