A Flytyer's Journey

The Classic Dry Fly Box

2010-10-28T11:02:00.000+11:00

After the terrific success of Mike Valla's first book, 'Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies', it's pleasing to see that Mike has released a new work on the history of 100 famous old flies and fly patterns of the Catskill region. Mike's proven record on sourcing historical facts and his authentic approach, research and the flies he has put together in this book, is a credit to him. As an example,

We Need Your Help

2010-06-16T16:24:00.007+10:00

The Parachute Custom Dry Fly Hook made in EnglandI have just posted a large article on my website www.kossiedun.com.au with reference to the correct positioning of the post on Parachute hackled flies that are tied on standard dry fly hooks. Click here for the link.The hook featured above was one sold in America by Herters Inc. way back when. But there were others. We know that William Brush of

The pontoon boat and big browns!!

2010-05-07T16:34:00.015+10:00

On a recent trip to New Zealand, I had first-hand experience on the value of owning a pontoon boat. What impressed me was the ease of its mobility. On still water it simply slips across the surface with a minimum amount of effort and it's truly amazing how far you can travel in a very short time. My fishing in New Zealand was on a lake with extensive weed beds; trout from 6 to 10 pound were

Fishing Flies - An Encyclopaedia

2010-04-04T11:08:00.009+10:00

By Malcolm Greenhalgh & Jason SmalleyPublished by Harper Collins Publishers, LondonAvailable from Coch-y-Bonddu BooksWhen I first started tying way back in the dark ages, well, the early 1960s, one of the must-have fly pattern books was A Dictionary of Trout Flies by A. Courtney Williams, first published in 1949 and went through a lot of editions. What was so different about the Dictionary was

America's Dark Blue Sedge - Video is Awesome!

2010-02-14T16:02:00.009+11:00

Philip J. ManciniWhen I attended the Somerset Fly Tying Symposium at New Jersey last November, I had a golden opportunity to meet a lot of great people, fly tyers and fly anglers. One was Philip Mancini, a young family man who loves the arts, his fishing and his fly tying.Philip J. Mancini, aka Fishin' Musician, is a Professional musician and storyteller, fly fisherman and fly tyer from

Brown-eyed Blue Leptophlebiid Dun

2010-01-17T14:46:00.013+11:00

Brown-eyed Blue DunFor the past month I have been studying the emergence of the Mayflies on our Rubicon River, about ten minutes from my home. Each morning I have visited the same section of water to photograph what has come off that morning or the night before. The summer periods are always difficult because of high temperatures, sometimes around 40 plus degrees Celsius. Because of this some

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T07:54:00.006+11:00

Long live fluff-chuckin'!Hope you all have a great 2010!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Oz!

2009-12-23T13:39:00.004+11:00

To all our international friends, Christmas 'Down-Under' is a summertime thing; families will congregate in parks or on beaches for a BBQ lunch, or in the family home with the traditional roast. But times change and more and more we see the turkey replaced with plates of seafood. This change of cuisine really seems to be more favorable to our climate. Being an island nation, seafood is in

Beer & Bees

2009-11-07T12:14:00.000+11:00

Nothin' like a nice, cold Vic on a hot day sitting under the Grappa Grotto.

The Trophy Trout of the Mastallone River in Italy

2009-10-26T15:50:00.029+11:00

Fabrizio GajardoniIt often surprises me when people ask if there are Trout in Italy; well, there are a bit more than you think. The Italians are a little short-on when it comes to bulk rivers but what they have, they love. I think you will find the following story amazing at just how good it can get on some waters north of Tuscany and if you are ever over that way, don't leave that fly rod at

REALLY OLD FLIES

2009-10-09T15:49:00.011+11:00

Circa 1862 from a fly wallet that accompanied the sixth edition of Alfred Ronalds' 'Fly-Fisher's Entomology'Many years ago I purchased a sixth edition of The Fly-Fishers' Entomology, Alfred Ronalds, 1862. The reason I was keen to pay around one hundred dollars more than its market value at the time was because secreted between its pages were three very old flies. The book store owner, whom I

Rusty Old Hooks

2009-09-03T15:27:00.001+10:00

About three years ago I received a phone call from an old friend of mine Hugh Monroe, with a 'G'Day Mick, I have just been given this huge box of old hooks dating back to 1880s, they are no good to me can you use them?' Well, being a bit of a hoarder of all things that capture my interest, I simply could do nothing but accept.In due course the box turned up; it was good enough to make my

LITTLE MOUNTAIN STREAMS

2009-08-30T07:37:00.003+10:00