I’ve been experimenting with several bowfin patterns but this one has been the best by a considerable margin. I have a tutorial on tik tok with the materials used , attached. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8ccpeKE/

Pattern I’ve been playing with, seeing how I can hide weight and keep material from fouling.

Not perfect but a great learning experience. Still quite new to tying streamers and flies in general. But I’m pretty proud of the results. Tying buddy featured

From Trey Combs: This dressing, neither Spey nor built-wing “gaudy,” is an example of a steelhead fly at its most complex and beautiful. After more than 40 years Dave still becomes lyrical over the flies he’s tied. “How I love to fish flies of great beauty!” Dave says. “When fishing this fly I put either hatchery summer or wild winter steelhead on the beach. Last year I took a chrome hen from fast pocket water with this fly on my September birthday—my life in perfect harmony.”

Dressing Notes: Tag: Flat fine silver tinsel. Tail: Golden pheasant crest and Indian crow. Rib: Medium oval silver tinsel. Body: Rear half, fluorescent red floss over flat silver tinsel; front half fluorescent hot orange seal. Hackle: Hot purple pintail flank starting from the third turn of tinsel. Throat: Pintail or teal flank, natural. Underwing: Four fluorescent hot orange hackle tips ending just short of hook bend. Overwing: Hot purple golden pheasant flank, two sets of two; one set to hook point, the other set to bend. Topping: Two or three golden pheasant crests. Cheeks: Jungle cock.

Does anyone have any advice on improving my EP minnow? I tried to use minimal fiber with each addition.

I’ve been fly fishing for carp in the LA River lately, and I’ve become a little obsessed with the idea of catching one on a dry fly that looks like a Cheerio.

I’ve always found those ridiculous burger, hot dog, pizza, etc. flies absolutely hilarious, and it got me thinking that a Cheerio might actually be one of the more believable food-shaped flies. Small, tan, buoyant, and already basically shaped like something you could make out of foam.

I keep picturing a carp slowly coming up and sipping a tiny Cheerio off the surface, and now I really want to make it happen.

Has anyone ever tied something like this before, or have ideas for how you’d make one?

I’d also genuinely love to commission one from someone who enjoys tying weird or novelty flies. Ideally I’d want it to still be functional and fishable, not just a display fly.

Bonus points if it actually looks convincingly like a Cheerio and not just a beige donut.

Heres a few of the first flies I’ve tied any tips and help appreciated

Gamakatsu B10S hooks, Whiting American rooster

Obviously its not a big deal, but I've got hackle pliers, I've used them on a few different styles of hackled fly... and I've also just held the hackle in my fingertips, and IMO theu don't offer any advantage over just holding onto the hackle myself, and if anything the extra bulk/space they take up makes them an inconvenience if anything.

So I can't help but wonder what the reason for them existing is... what is the advantage of hackle pliers versus just grabbing the hackle stem or feather with your fingertips? What am I missing?

Fortunately they're a cheap item so its not like I spent $50 on something I never use, but since I've got em, it'd be nice to know what they mught offer to make tying easier that I'm missing out on.

Tried my hand at tying a few shrimp style flies. I feel like these would also crush smallmouth bass up north. Has anyone tried this style for bass?

This is totally an experiment for me but I’m heading for Fort Bragg next week and I think I’ll try fishing for Lingcod in addition to black rockfish. I watched a video of a guy tying a “super clouser” for lingcod and this is my take but the top orange hair is hollow tied. I didn’t have large dumbbell eyes so I took my biggest split shot, pried it open, tied to the hook as usual and painted it. 8/0 circle hook.

Anyone have any go-to patterns or color combinations they use for lingcod?

My box for fishing sea trout in Norway is soon completed 🤩

Let's some will eat my flies!

2nd attempt. Seems tighter and transitions better.

I love deer hair poppers so I decided my goal is to get real good at them over this winter. Here's the first one. Took me an embarrassing amount of time.

Feeling inspired to tie some wets, mostly because of u/norm-frechette. I tied this little box on some vintage mustad hooks. Although fishing was my focus when tying these, I learned quite a bit. My next’s wets will focus more on aesthetics. Wing size, shape and body/tail lengths will be my biggest corrections next time 🏴‍☠️

2nd attempt. Seems tighter and transitions smoother.