Back in the fall of 2016, I was working on a sculpin pattern that took a few different ideas from other patterns and blended them together. As Gunnar Brammer says in one of his streamer videos: “I don’t have a lot of original ideas… almost all of my bugs in general… are original compositions… different materials, different ways to build bulk, different silhouettes. It uses unique techniques or features or materials to make it different… it’s all from the people who came before me… I just take things that I like, things that I know to be successful, and then I base a composition that hasn’t been done kind of around that.”
Continue readingFly Tying
Fly Feature: Chocklett’s Game Changer
If you’ve been following the fly-fishing world over the past few years, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of Blane Chocklett’s Game Changer-style of flies. There’s a reason for this: the patterns are effective imitations of a number of different baitfish, and you can tie them with a number of different materials. It’s a platform that you can use to tie the pattern a number of ways (another popular platform, for example, is the Clouser Minnow).
Continue readingFrom the Vice: Fall 2018
Hello there, it’s been awhile! Here’s what’s been coming “From the Vice” over the past few months – it’s not been a whole lot because of life happening (and a great new job beginning!).
From the Vice: January 2018
January always feels long. It was a good start to the new year, and there were some new experimentations coming off the vice. One of the big things was working with bucktail for the first time, which ended up being a lot of fun and a material that I want to use more and more. It’s also been a good time to start restocking the standard nymph and dry fly boxes as well.
Friday Five: January 5, 2018
It’s a cold morning here in Central PA – like, wind chill of minus 20 degrees Farhenheit cold. It’s the perfect morning to pour yourself an extra large mug of coffee, grab your blanket, and check out this week’s Friday Five while thinking of slightly warmer temperatures.
(Don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily mind the cold. It’s just really cold for this time of the winter here.)
Friday Five: 12/22/2017
Just a few of my favorite ornaments on the tree: a carp, Father Christmas, and a jumping trout.
Did you ever finish that Christmas shopping? Congratulations – we knew you could do it! If you need some last minute gifts, your local fly shop is always a great place to check out (our are TCO State College, Flyfisher’s Paradise, and The Feathered Hook if you’re near Coburn). This week we have some podcasts, two tying videos, and some tips on how to choose nymphs.
Enjoy the selection this week, and have a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season!
From the Vice: October 2017
This is two days late, but here are some of the flies coming from the vice over the past month. Included are some experiments with new material and some flies that came straight from the need to clean off the desk. If you’re interested in ordering flies, please fill out the Contact Form and we’ll be in touch!
Friday Five: 10/27/2017
It’s hard to believe that we’re on the doorstep to the end of October – and it’s finally starting to consistently feel like fall! Now we just need a few solid days of steady rain to help get some stream levels up. For now though, enjoy this week’s Friday Five.
Gunnar Brammer: Tie Like a Pro
Gunnar Brammer (of Brammer’s Custom Flies) has put together a series to help you become a better fly tyer. There are three videos so far, all of them really helpful with some basics of fly tying (and especially tying streamers). Check them out below!
From the Vice: Back to Basics
Revisiting the basic patterns that you first learned is a good exercise. Maybe there are some new techniques you’ve learned to tie the pattern quickly, or maybe you just want to remind yourself that no matter how many new patterns come out there are some old standbys that are always worth having in the box.
