Originally for warm water species bass and pike, John Barr got a hankering that a smaller version would be effective for trout. He wasn’t wrong. Everything about this fly is a great all-around pattern. It has movement and action. In addition, with the type of materials you use for this particular fly pattern, you can…
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Fly Tying
Fly Tying: Purple Haze
Well, winter is fully upon us here in Alaska. For many fly anglers, particularly those of us in Alaska stuck inside the cold and darkness, it’s time to turn on the lamps, sort our tying material, and start tying. Tying flies not only replenishes our fly boxes for next season. In this episode of fly…
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Fly Tying: Suskwa Poacher
Well, it’s fall here in Alaska. The leaves are starting to turn and fall, as is the temperature (currently 34° F as of this write). Fall also signals fall fishing for big steelhead and trout for many anglers. As the leaves change their colors and the air becomes nippy, the rivers come alive with big,…
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Fly Tying: Chromer Snack
Silver Salmon is one of the most popular game fish for fly anglers. They are aggressive, acrobatic, and an outright blast to hook, especially on the fly. The Chromer Snack is a fly pattern designed by the group that was World Wide Anglers here in Alaska. The shop may be gone, but the legacy continues…
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Fly Tying: March Brown by Kevin Foley
About Kevin Foley Kevin Foley is the fly-tying instructor at Mossy’s Fly Shop in Anchorage, Alaska. His philosophy and teachings on fly tying involve the use of natural and synthetic materials to create the illusion of life. As a scientist, having received his Master of Science in Fisheries, he believes that observation and time on…
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Fly Tying: Trout Spey Micro Sculpin
If you haven’t noticed, we are big on Trout Spey. We like everything about it. As it continues to quickly be adopted by more fly anglers, this new method of fly fishing with two to five-weight two-handed rods should become more familiar to everyone who enjoys fishing for trout. Because Trout Spey rods are smaller,…
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Fly Tying: Chinook Graboid
The Graboid Leech by Midnight Sun Custom Flies is uber fishy, effective, versatile, and a great tie. Like other great patterns, the Graboid’s beauty is in its simplicity. This week in Fly Tying, we leverage the Graboid pattern and turn it into a Chinook (King) Salmon Pattern. Why not? Original Fly Design: Jonathan Farmer of…
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Fly Tying: Lefty’s Deceiver
Lefty Kreh is one of the more well-known and prominent names in the fly fishing community. If you’ve been fly fishing for any amount of time, chances are you’ve heard the name, Lefty Kreh. In a sport that can be, at times, burdened with tradition, Lefty was known to go against the grain, always trying…
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Fly Tying: Blue Suede Shoe
Tie, Instructions, Photos, and Write-up By Kevin Foley. The Blue Suede Shoe came about in early June 2015 after a day of fishing tributaries of the Susitna River in search of King Salmon. At the time, reports had suggested that King Salmon, the largest of the five species of Pacific Salmon occurring in the Susitna…
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Fly Tying: Tyler’s Big Pheasant Tail
Every fly angler has tied on a pheasant tail nymph at one time or another. If you have not, you should. The pheasant tail nymph is a fly that has a long history in fly fishing. Versatile, this fly can be used in a broad spectrum of watersheds across America, and yes, even in Alaska….
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