All articles from section

A when-in-doubt-fly that can be a sedge/caddis, beetle, moth or anything you – or the fish – might fancy

British Nick Thomas has come up with a way to form legs and feet using a tool we all have to hand in the kitchen, the common fork.

A scaled-down version of the author’s own Headbanger Caddis, a cased nymph caddis pattern

... and then there's deer hair. And it can be many different things. It is not at all that easy to find the right kind for the many patterns with this fantastic material

This is a fly that was designed for a wooded canyon on one of the author’s favourite small rivers where the water has carved out a deep narrow channel through the limestone

The name of this fly is to be taken ad verbatim. You do need a highlighter pen to tie it

Inspiration for a new fly design can come from anywhere. The May West is an example of a combination of materials that came together to create a new fly

This ragged looking caddis pupa from the hands of Norwegian Viggo Larsson will work well on both fast and calm water

A great and high floating caddis fly made with foam as a base material and a very simple and cool technique.

Some say that caddisflies are even more important than mayflies. For us flyfishers that is probably correct. A good caddis pattern can save your day.

Andrej Polcic shares his exploration of the crystal clear mountain rivers of Slovakia

Martin Westbeek's Coq de Leon Hen Caddis Emerger has soft contours and soft materials that suggest the movements of an insect struggling to break free.

This caddis pattern has a great profile and an hot spot that can attract fish. It's been very successful for the originator, South African Korrie Broos.

With such a name a fly has to be good. And this one is. The Super Pupa is a killer pattern! Different, simple to tie, and very efficient.

The name of this renowned fly is Europea 12 - with an a in the end - oftentimes just called E-12. It's a true European classic, a great caddis imitation and even easy to tie.

The Grannom is a small sedge (caddis to those in USA), which hatches in large quantities in April and is regarded as the first fly to prompt trout to "look up".

Hans Weilenmann's CDC & Elk is a fly as good as they come. Still a lot of people - including Hans himself and the author of this article - have made variations. The article covers a whole bunch of CDC & Elk variations.

This was my first serious flyfishing trip on my own. I’d done a fair amount of spin-fishing in my younger days, and had tried flyfishing a few times with a buddy or guide over the years. But now, approaching age 50, I decided to get serious about flyfishing.

This fly is similar in outline to many existing caddis patterns, but has features unlike any caddis emerger pattern the originator has seen. It's based not so much on looking exactly like the real thing, but trying to get a fly to act like it.

This is a very simple fly imitating the caddis larva. Some may call it realistic fly, some will say impressionistic, but no matter what, the originator says with 100% certainty that it's a killer pattern and he has caught lots of fish with it in many different places.

Is it possible to combine a hotel with swimming pool, enjoy the company of your family and yet fish for grayling and trout? Tuscany offers plenty of activities for the ones not fishing. This report is for those who do fish...
Read Kasper Mühlbachs story from a hot day in a cold Italian river 

It will form legs, wing, body and the perfect silhouette of a caddis. It's a great floater and superb for fast water or as an indicator tied on above a seductive nymph.

See Steve tie the Tabou Caddis Emerger.

Made with only two materials, this highly effective caddis emerger pattern will take only minutes to tie and allow you to load up your fly box with the Global FlyFisher's hottest new pattern.

Realistic flies are not only for the display case. As Steve Thornton shows us, realism can also be applied to practical and effective fishing flies. Trout and grayling beware!

A muddler pattern

Now is the time of year to experiment with new materials. If you haven't had the pleasure of using groundhog/woodchuck, I recommend you give it a try.

He send me copies of some of his own creations and moreover delicate watercolour drawings of his in Scandinavia very famous Sedge Pupa - imitation. As his flies are very little known in Europe, I shall try to give a description.

Hen hackles have long been the source of confusion to many fly tyers. Whether they are looking for wings for their dry flies or hackles for their wet flies, there seems to plenty of head scratching when it comes time to purchase the appropriate feathers.

A sedge pattern in the Goddard tradition - with a twist. This fly is a combination of the G+H Sedge and a hackling method adapted from Dutch Piet Weeda - making it a one-material-fly.

The flies on this page are all well known patterns which have all been juiced up a bit - many with some modern materials, but all with cone heads.
By Bas Verschoor

Hans Weilenmann's classical contemporary sedge fly.