Most anglers tie flies onto tippet by repeatedly stabbing the tippet directly at the tiny opening in the eye of the hook. There is a more natural way that eliminates frustration, is faster and does not require magnification.
Typically, experts develop hatch charts through years of observation, and different people may see different things based on when they are on the stream; resulting in small differences.
Fly anglers are easy marks for every widget and gadget any expert claims will be the difference between catching enough fish to make their arms sore or being skunked. It’s easy to see who has fallen victim to the siren song – their fly fishing vests are so overloaded they look like a Sherpa hauling gear for an expedition. As always in these articles, let’s get back to basics.
After breathing a sigh of relief celebrating success in hiding the small fortune spent getting outfitted for fly fishing from your spouse, you put the gear to good use on a pristine trout stream. A few fly changes into your day, you realize the tip of your leader is starting to become stubby and must be replaced to maintain the taper from thick leader to skinny tippet. Congratulations! You just discovered the highest hidden cost of fly fishing – leaders!
Anyone else out there bugged by hooks with plugged holes from sloppy tying? I am. Over the last several years, I was frustrated trying to clean these up using the available tools – clipper end and even the Orvis forceps. I finally hit on sewing needles and pins as an easier to use alternative. Not …