The Muskrat Nymph is the focus of this week’s tying video.  “The Muskrat Nymph is one of those patterns I’d almost forgotten about until a friend mentioned it a while back,” says Tim Flagler. “What exactly it’s supposed to imitate, I don’t know. All I can tell you is, for me, they work like a charm, especially unweighted and in smaller sizes.”

The Crackleback was authored by Ed Story of Feather-Craft back in 1952.  As videographer and tier Tim Flagler says,”It’s an incredibly versatile pattern that can be fished as either a wet or a dry fly, and can be tied over a wide range of sizes and colors.”  He shows the steps for tying this classic in this week’s featured video.

Word just reached us that Tom Morgan, one of the great fly rod builders of his generation, passed away at his home today.  Tom was instrumental in bringing R. L. Winston Rods from its original California home to Montana and turning it into one of the great brands in fly fishing.  He built built bamboo rods in the tradition of the 19th-century masters, and even though he spent many years building glass and graphite rods, he continued to perfect his bamboo designs and came up with unique tools and techniques that made his handcrafted implements worth thousands of dollars.  Tom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1992, but continued doing what he loved, and building some of finest fly rods ever made, into the last years of his life.

I first met Tom Morgan in 1998, when he asked for some help with the Tom Morgan Rodsmiths website. I was fortunate to meet Tom and his wife Gerri at his elegant but modest home near Bozeman, Montana and to listen to Tom describe his operation first-hand.  While there I also witnessed the extraordinary relationship between Gerri, who played indispensable roles in both in Tom’s everyday life and in his rod business, and the master craftsman, who remained a perfectionist even as he gave up more and more hands-on involvement in manufacturing.

Monte Burke wrote a bright and detailed story on Morgan and his success at continuing to build great rods despite his devastating battle with MS, which Burke compares to Beethoven’s loss of his hearing. “Facing a raft of medical bills and uncertainty about the future, Morgan petitioned David Ondaatje, the owner of Winston, to release him from the noncompete clause. Ondaatje gave his assent. That allowed Morgan to start Tom Morgan Rodsmiths in 1996. At that point, Morgan was unable to cast a rod from his wheelchair and needed 24-hour care. ‘We didn’t plan it like this,’ says Carlson. ‘It just turned out this way.’ They were married in 1996.”

Wright Thompson also wrote an excellent profile of Tom and his amazing wife Gerri for ESPN in 2013.  By that time, Tom had been carefully instructing workers to craft his rods for many years, but he always kept tight control over the product.  “People are my hands,” he said the article. 

But the most memorable thing Tom ever said, to my mind, was a comment he made to an Associated Press reporter in 2007.  Regarding his missteps in rod crafting, he noted, “You have to be able to throw away your work.”  To me it revealed an honest appreciation of the role of mistakes in the development of extraordinary skill.  Tom continued to accomplish extraordinary things throughout his life, despite obstacles that would have brought most of us to a standstill.

My favorite trout rod is made from a seven-weight blank Tom built in the late 1970s. It’s no exaggeration to say that it feels as graceful and lithe as a five-weight.  It casts better than any rod of any size I’ve ever owned, and its existence describes, for me, the magic that a fly rod brings to fishing.

Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie a Flying Squirrel Nymph in this week’s featured tying video.  “I’ve only been using this pattern for a short time,” says Flagler, “but it’s turned out to be remarkably effective.”

Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie the Renegade, a venerable attractor pattern.  “The Renegade is an attractor pattern that’s been around forever,” notes Flagler. “I even read somewhere that it was Ernest Hemingway’s favorite fly, a pretty solid endorsement if you ask me.”

On March 10-11, 2018, the Second Annual Texas Fly Fishing & Brew Festival (TFFF) will return to the Plano Centre in Plano, a mere 20 miles north of Dallas and easily accessed off Route 75. Last year more than 80 vendors filled the Plano Centre’s main exhibition hall, and attendees enjoyed numerous classes and demos in the Centre’s multiple state-of-the-art classrooms. “We’ll be returning to the Plano Centre as the location for this unique event,” says Festival Director Beau Beasley, “because of its easy access to a large population center. The facility allows us a great deal of flexibility. Our event is heavily geared toward bringing new people into the sport, so having plenty of room for hands-on instruction is vital.”   

Unique to the Texas festival was the introduction of local microbrewery beer to participating fly anglers. With their paid admission, festival attendees 21 years and over received a series of tasting tickets from local brewers Four Corners Brewing Co., Oskar Blues, Texas Ale Project, and Sweetwater Brewery, all of which had personnel on hand to explain what sets microbrewed beer apart, why and how certain ingredients yield different flavors, and how to brew and taste different types of beer.  

“We weren’t sure what to expect, since nothing like this had ever been attempted before in Texas,” says Greg Leftwich, co-owner of Dallas-based Four Corners Brewing Co. “We thought the idea of combining fly fishing and Texas beer was a good one, but even we were surprised at how well the idea went over. At one point people were purchasing our product so fast, we had a hard time getting it cold enough.”

An early supporter of the festival and owner of Tailwaters Fly Fishing Co., David Leake was fairly certain that the fusion of fly fishing and microbrewing would find traction among Texans, but even he admits to doubt. “Nothing is a sure thing in business, but sometimes you just have to put yourself out there and try something new to attract new customers and advance your brand. We were pleased with the outcome.”

Greg Welander, fly fishing manager for Austin-based Sportsman’s Finest, had a similar response: “I really didn’t know what to expect since it was the first year of the festival, but I was pleasantly surprised. There was a very good mix of vendors, and the public was most certainly eager to buy. We met a lot of new customers who didn’t know about us despite our store being so close to Dallas. We’re eager to return and see how the festival grows.”

Anglers interested in both local and destination sporting travel also had lots of options. In addition to Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company, additional  companies like Emu Outfitters, Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures, and Expedition Outfitters all took part in the inaugural event. Mike Mercer, travel sales specialist for Redding, California’s The Fly Shop was similarly pleased with the event’s first attempt to reach Southwest fly anglers. “Our store is committed to providing good customer service and meeting new clients who want to travel to unique destinations. This festival drew the very fly anglers we’re looking for; we booked trips as a result. The festival was well organized, and it was obvious a great deal of thought and effort went into meeting the needs of the public, and vendors as well.”      

Festival attendees will enjoy a variety of free lectures taught by local, regional, and nationally known guides, authors, fly tyers, and speakers. Vendors last year hailed from such far-flung locales as Patagonia, Guatemala, Canada, Alaska, and of course trout-specific destinations like Colorado, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Participating vendors included such well-known brands as TFO, Sage, Hardy, Patagonia, Fishpond, NuCanoe, Fatties on the Fly, Diablo Kayaks, Jackson Kayak, Umpqua Feather Merchants, Cortland, and Chota. Nonprofit organizations such as Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited, CCA-Texas, Heroes on the Water, IFFF, and Reel Recovery were also present.

Major sponsors who have already committed to supporting the event in its second year include Dallas-based fly rod manufacturer Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO), the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), and Tailwaters Fly Fishing; other major sponsors as well as a full slate of speakers will be announced as the season progresses. For more information, visit www.txflyfishingfestival.org or call 703-402-8338.

The fly-fishing industry voted on the best new products for 2017-2018  at the International Fly Tackle Dealer show in Orlando, FL that ended yesterday. In total, 30 categories were represented, from fly rods and waders to fly hooks and gift items. 

American Fly Fishing Trade Association Chairman Michael White announced the winners at the annual “Party at the Pond” event on Thursday, July 13, 2017. The Sage Salt HD took home the coveted “Best of Show” Award, Orvis won three awards for their new waders / outerwear, and Simms Fishing Products took four awards.

A complete listing of the winners and categories is below:

Men’s Wading Boots: Orvis — Ultralight Wading Boot

Men’s Waders: Simms Fishing Products — G3 Wader

Men’s Outerwear: Simms Fishing Products – G3 Guide Tactical Jacket

Men’s General Apparel: Simms Fishing Products — SolarFlex Armor Shirt

Women’s Waders: Orvis — Women’s Ultralight Waders

Women’s Outerwear: Orvis — Pro Wading Jacket

Women’s General Apparel: Simms Fishing Products — Women’s BiComp LS Shirt

Women’s Wading Boots: Korkers, LLC — Women’s Dark Horse Boot

Accessories Under $100: Fishpond, Inc. — Quickshot Rod Holder

Gift Items Under $100: DeYoung Studios — DeYoung Gift Wrap

Fly Rod — Freshwater: Scott Fly Fishing — The G Series

Fly Rod — Saltwater: Sage Fly Fishing — Salt HD

Reel – Freshwater: Abel — SDF (Sealed Drag Fresh)

Reel – Saltwater: Nautilus Reels — GTx

Fly Line — Freshwater: RIO Products — IT Single-Handed Spey 3D

Fly Line — Saltwater: RIO Products — Direct Core Flats Pro

Leader / Tippet: RIO Products — Big Nasty

Fly Hooks: Stealth Fly Products — Stealth Hooks & System

Fly Tying Vices & Tying Tools: TMC Magnetic Bobbin, Fine — Umpqua Feather Merchants

Fly Tying Materials: Fair Flies — Composite Brushes

Youth Product: Redington — Minnow Outfit

Fly Pattern — Freshwater: Flymen Fishing Company — Double Barrell Bass Bug

Fly Pattern — Saltwater: Umpqua Feather Merchants — Chicone’s Tuscan Bunny

Fly Box / Storage System: Umpqua Feather Merchants — UPG HD Mag Midge Fly Box

Eco-friendly Product: Fishpond, Inc. — Submersible Backpack

Luggage (Bags, Backpacks): Fishpond, Inc. — Grand Teton Rolling Bag

Entertainment / Education: Stackpole Books / Lyons Press — Orvis Fly Fishing Guide

Chest Pack / Vest: Fishpond, Inc. — Submersible Lumbar Pack

Boat / Personal Watercraft: Creek Company — T. Rex 9.8 Mini Drifter

Best of Show: Sage – Salt HD

Tim Flagler demonstrates the steps for tying a Cream Variant in this week’s featured tying video.  Says Flagler, “It’s important to get the geometry right with this fly, so it rests correctly on the water’s surface and can be skittered along without sinking. If you can set it down and have the tip of the tail, the bottom of the hook and the tips of the hackle all in the same plane, you’ve pretty much nailed it.”

It’s not just for Fridays.  The Casual Dress, notes tier and videographer Tim Flagler, “requires only two materials, is a pleasure to tie and does a remarkable job of attracting trout.”  While showing the steps, Tim reveals a neat treat trick for cording up your dubbing to make a fly body look segmented.

The Stonefly Creeper, based on a pattern of Preston Jenning’s that’s mentioned in his seminal work “A Book of Trout Flies,” is the subject of this week’s featured tying video. An imitation of a yellow or golden stonefly nymph, Tim Flagler’s version takes a few liberties with construction but stays close to the original idea.

Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie a Composite Loop Zonker in this week’s featured tying video.  As Tim points out, “loops are extremely versatile and offer a whole other dimension to fly tying.”

August 26, 2017, marks the 2^nd Annual Hall of Fame Luncheon & Induction Ceremony for the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians in Bryson City, North Carolina. A luncheon meet-and-greet will be held at noon at the Southwestern Community College’s Swain Center at 60 Almond School Road, seven miles west of Bryson City on US 19/74, after which inductees will be honored at 1:45. The museum will be open for refreshments and tours from 4:15-6 pm.

Beau Beasley, outdoor writer and director of the Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival, will act as Master of Ceremonies for the event. “We all need to remember our cultural history, and in this part of the country that includes fly fishing,” says Beasley. “While we look back at those who founded this American pastime, it’s also important to acknowledge those who are leading the way today for the next generation of anglers. I think Bryson City understands this concept, and they’ve done all of us a huge service by fostering this event and this museum.” 

2017 Hall of Fame Inductees are:  

Bernard “Lefty” Kreh  (Recreation) – Inducted on April 8, 2017, at the Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival for his many contributions to fly fishing: outdoor writer of 31 books, fly rod designer, and innovative fly tyer, particularly of the world-renowned, circa 1950s Lefty’s Deceiver.

Mac Brown (Recreation) – Fly fishing volunteer with numerous organizations; fly fishing guide, author, instructor, and coach; and regional and national leader in fly fishing competitions.

Jimmy Jacobs (Communications) – Author of numerous fly fishing books and articles, seminar speaker, and photographer.

Stephen Edward Moore (Conservation) – Years of dedication to brook trout restoration in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and to the discovery of the Southern strain of brook trout.

Joe M. Messinger, Sr. (Crafts) – Professional fly tyer widely recognized for creativity and wisdom in designing the famed Irresistible pattern as well as other noted creations including the Nitehummer, Messinger Frog or Bucktail Frog, Meadow Frog, Golden Frog, Dogcatcher, Bleeding Bucktail Popper, and Bleeding Hair Frog.

Starr Nolan (Humanity) – Fly fishing volunteer with numerous organizations, instructor, educator, and clinical coach; and regional and national leader in the use of fly fishing as a method of therapy for recovering cancer patients.

New this year is a pre-induction fundraiser at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City at 7 pm on Friday, August 25. Sponsored by the museum and Casting Carolinas, the event is an opportunity to meet the 2017 inductees and raise funds for Casting Carolinas, a nonprofit organization that utilizes fly fishing as a means of helping patients deal with and recover from various cancers. Each inductee will select a beer to be renamed after them during the event, and Nantahala Brewing will donate $1 per renamed beer sold at the event.

Make plans now to visit the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians at 210 Main Street in Bryson City. Refreshments and tours will be offered to the public from 4:15-6 pm at no cost on induction day. The luncheon ($35 per person; children under 12 are $10) requires reservations; email info@greatsmokies.com or call 828-488-3681.

Tim Flagler tackles a Perdigon-Style Zebra Midge in this week’s featured tying video.  There’s really “nothing new to see here,” says Flagler, “just taking a pretty standard Zebra Midge and tying it Perdigon-style, so it’s heavy, small and sinks like a stone.”

Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie a Peacock Caddis in this week’s featured tying video. Says Flagler, it’s three “great materials put together in a nice, neat, little package that works like a champ.”

Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie the Ian’s Brass Ass, an extremely popular fly developed by Ian Colin James, in this week’s featured tying video. 

“For many years now, I’ve been using a simple soft hackle, swung at dusk in likely October Caddis spots and have done quite well,” says Tim Flagler.  “This Euro-style October Caddis is an attempt to get down a little deeper to entice fish fearful of taking offerings higher up in the water column.” Watch him tie the October Caddis Euro Nymph in this week’s featured video.

Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie an October Caddis Skater in this week’s tying video.  “This October Caddis Skater or Skating October Caddis can be fished as a dry fly, simply dead-drifted with the current or kind of skated across the water’s surface using short strips.”

Ever wondered if there is a simpler way to set up a new fly reel with backing and a line?  This week Tim Flagler offers an in-depth video guide to the process, including some handy tricks that make the whole job easier.

Tim Flagler demonstrates how to tie a Craft Fur Clouser in this week’s featured tying video. Rather than using the traditional buck tail, Flagler uses a readily available craft store material along with a slightly different tie-in method to produce a more bulkier profile.

Tim Flagler ties what he calls a Less Mess Morrish Mouse in this week’s featured tying video. “I like to retrieve mouse patterns kind of slow but steady with fairly short, consistent line strips.” says Flagler. “This makes the mouse move in the surface film with a constant ‘V’ wake behind it. The lip of the fly definitely adds to the effect. I think it’s the wake of the fly that draws the trout’s attention while the silhouette of the mouse is what induces the take.”