Fishing for golden dorados with top water flies is definitely the ultimate adventure if you are looking for high levels of adrenaline. Of all the flies we have tried, not one matches the results one gets with the Titanic...
Scuds are crustaceans and are very important for fly fishermen because they can be found in many areas, not only in lakes. They are constantly active in hours of dim light or cloudy days, they represent an important sour...
The problem with Africa is that it gets in our blood from the very first minute. It´s a feeling that I had heard or read about a thousand times, but I did not think that I could feel firsthand.Now, leaning over my compu...
Without even thinking about it I was back at the Jurassic Lake plateau. By observing the lava surroundings of the green pond I had a strong feeling that in this basaltic plateau, deeply eroded by the winds, there is some...
Ancient human traces reflected through the tools and art scattered around the basaltic plateau where the Strobel Lake is located get together with exceptional trout fishing, offering to the traveler an image of Patagonia...
The way in which we tie CDC in this emerger –as seen in the picture that shows it in action- makes the abdomen have the correct posture when on the water. The air bubble that takes form below the CDC wing case preve...
Fly fishing is something much deeper than catching fish, and something similar happens with fly tying, where a passionate fly tyer can find amazing stories and knowledge that will be invaluable in the river.
The Tup's I...
I started experimenting with models that imitate minnows after several trips to the main golden dorado destinations, such as Goya, Esquina and La Paz, all in Argentina. During certain moments of the season, millions...
The idea was to design a different fly for tarpon. I wanted the shape of the body and the way it pushed water to be related with the pressure waves generated by the fish tarpon prey on. I also wanted it to move naturall...
For many years mayflies have been taken for hexs, but these are not related, they only have similar sizes in the adult stage. Chiloporter nymphs are skilled swimmers that live close to the shore in fast waters of stre...
At the moment there is not a lot different variations of the tarpon fly, which could possibly be due to the fact that Tarpon are not plentiful in many places. Therefore anglers prefer to use proven flies then test new pa...
I’ve always been impressed by the European tiers because of the originality of their designs and wise use of natural and traditional materials, like deer hairs of all types. Francesco Palú’s flies guided me to explo...
My romance with tube flies began over 32 years ago. The construction of Kautapen lodge was being finished and I was lucky to guide the first groups of anglers together with Rolland Holmberg, a known Swedish guide with...
CDC feathers have unique properties due to the characteristics of their structure. Properties that make them ideal for certain type of flies of streamlined and ethereal silhouettes, more similar to real insects, especial...
The Fat Albert is an interesting variant of the Chernobyl Ant with a bigger and bulkier body. It hits the water clearly calling trout´s attention. With some variations, we have used it successfully to catch golden do...
I never liked that much the Matukas made with hen feathers, maybe because these feathers wrinkle in the boxes and lose its shape a bit, something that is terrible for a perfectionist person. Still, once at Patagonia, ...
Designed to attract fish and not fishermen, Ed Surryn flies were innovative from the very moment of its appearance. They are built with balsa wood, a particularly suitable material for making bodies of terrestrial ins...
Foam is now available in variety of different forms and is here with us to stay replacing many materials such as the bodies of flies usually tied with dear hair as it is far more durable. Also with foam it is much easier...
A few days fishing in the north of the Neuquén province, in Argentina, made us realize that we can still dream about Patagonia and other sites that have not yet lost the magic that enchanted Darwin in his trips.We were ...
There are many different styles of fly tying English flies, one of the more distinct is the one used for flies used in the rapid and structured waters of the northern rivers.The way the hackle is tied, with long so...
Traditional wet flies are coming back to the fly fishing. In the shadows of nymphs and emergers for a while, this kind of flies that served well for years is today studied again by the finest anglers that find unique sol...
Many of you have probably experimented with the effectiveness of the flies with bodies made with quills, using for example peeled peacock quills in their natural or dyed color.
The attractive color of the peacock quill,...
Trout fishing invites one to meditate and at the same time gives us the chance of understanding the deep meaning of a sunrise, the trees, or the wind on our faces.The quilted moss over the rocks turns into an ideal site ...
George Francis Grant was without a doubt an accomplished artist at developing techniques to shape hackles using animal hair. His skill went beyond the ones of a regular tier. In his books, “Master Fly Weaver” and ...
Stonefly nymph imitations are very effective in fast water rivers with big rocks on the bottom. The impressionistic ones with soft materials that move attractively underwater with the slightest currents are especially...
This is a traditional Czech Nymph with some minor changes in its thorax, which worked very well during the last season.
In sizes 8 to 16 and with the right moves it is very effective in fast waters, especially in the be...
The Prince is a nymph that has a very important place in the fly fishing world and rightfully so, because its effectiveness is indisputable. Originating in the thirties, it was first known as the Forked Tail Nymph and wa...
There is no doubt that classic streamers and bucktails fish well. Nevertheless, if we apply the same care and dedication that we do with when tying dries and nymphs in its different stages, to imitate smaller fish perfec...
The first tube flies came around the year 1945 in Scotland. They were tied on turkey wing feather quills that were later replaced by plastic tubes, the ones used for medical surgery. The possibility of tying the mater...
Originally, bucktails were streamers whose wings were made with white-tail deer hair. Today, bucktails are those streamers whose wings are made with different hairs, and not only deer tail.The first elegant fli...
There was a time when Marabou Muddlers were the flies to catch big trout. I still remember some strikes at the bend of the Chimehuin River’s La Boca (river inlet) in Patagonia with some black Marabou Muddlers almost at...
There is no doubt the Jungle Ghost resembles Lefty Kreh’s Deceivers from the 60’s. Since those times, that style went around the globe and infinite variants and combinations of this fly appeared everywhere.A mo...
Among tube flies, there is no doubt that the Sunray Shadow is one of the most popular and effective ones. My first contact with it was in the Kau tapen Lodge in Tierra del Fuego. They had begun their operation not long a...
Flies made with tubes of different materials are getting more and more useful to me. These last long because we can change the hooks if they break or loosen, and we can use hooks for different kinds of water, like saltwa...
There are many Hopper imitations nowadays and lots of them are undoubtedly very effective. I choose the simpler ones which have an undressed silhouette that does not bother when casting. I recommend soft rubber legs, esp...
Intruder-like flies have proven to be very effective with preying fish, especially with salmonids. From the original patterns tied with pheasant, heron, ostrich and other birds, many other variants which include syntheti...
Competition nymphs are simple to tie and deadly effective on the river. As a fishing guide one must trust in simple flies, flies we can tie in enough numbers to replenish the exhaust boxes well in the middle of the ni...
The primitive Streaker owes its name to its effectiveness when it is stripped at high speed. It was originally designed for catching sea species in southern California. Yet, we have adapted it to fish for trout, peacock ...
In general, we do not find many minnow imitations that can be considered as realistic flies, those flies that usually resemble amazing insects and that allow the fly-tier to show his skills and defy the senses. Nevert...
Frank Sawyer must have never imagined that this simple nymph, perfected in the River Avon, would become a classic that is included in every angler’s fly box. Sawyer wanted a nymph that made an attractive sound when rea...
Many times I have shared great fishing trips with friends that catch tarariras, or wolf fish, with lures, and the only way to get similar results to theirs is by using flies that are actual lures adapted to be cast with ...
Bombers and their relatives, Buck Bugs, are flies from New Brunswick, born in the famous Miramichi River. These deer hair flies have then found a place in remote distant waters such as those in cold Russia, Pacific steel...
Due to its great underwater movement, the leech-like flies are unbeatable when we go for big fish. If well designed, these are not heavy to cast and don’t tangle, something key when we are casting at our maximum ski...
Shuri Shumakov was a key character on reviving the popularity of tube flies. His short patterns, with cone heads, soon lead the way to countless variants, combining plastic tubes with metallic pieces to achieve highly...
Rabbit strip flies are an effective aid when we go for big emotions while streamer fishing in the fall. The way the strips move in the water and the size they give to flies are very special, all kinds of trout seem to be...
The use of silicon to achieve a special effect and body in different flies is not a new thing, but we have not yet seen that many designs, even when we know it allows us to tie designs that are lightweight and capable...
This sculpin model presented in the International Tackle Dealer Show of 2012 in Reno, Nevada, is really interesting when it comes to fishing for trout, golden dorado, wolf fish and other fish.I have tied them in ma...
The Zonker Variation is a particular streamer that was created by Dan Byford from Steamboat Springs in the 80s. It has resisted time with only some slight modifications in its original style and design. We have used it f...
Tying artificial nymph gills is usually a problem. This is why I bring you this simple way to do it, a technique I saw some time ago and applied to many of my nymphs. It’s ideal for small nymphs, to achieve clear an...
Since I first saw the Matukas I fell in love with its intelligent design. The first ones were tied with heron feathers, but when those were difficult to obtain, anglers started using hen, rooster and other kinds of fe...
