In most circumstances I’m not a huge fan of extended body flies but where I happily make an exception and where extended bodies really excel is with flies like the Daddy Long Legs or Danica Mayfly. With those flies you’re not sacrificing hook size or performance when you have the hook shank contain just the thorax of the fly.
So assuming you want extended bodies where do you go from there? Buy in or make your own?
There are a great many fly patterns to imitate Baetis nymphs, nymphs of the upwing flies in general really, some are very intricate and beautiful pieces of imitative work and others like the Pheasant Tail, Grey Goose or Gold Ribbed Hares Ear nymphs which though very simple are also great fish catchers. Continue reading Baetis PT Nymph→
The most effective dry fly is the one you can see. That statement came up in a conversation amongst a few friends a while back, it wasn’t me who said it but I wholeheartedly agree. What was meant by that was if you can see your fly as it drifts then you can see whether it’s dragging or not. Continue reading High Vis Spinner Step by Step→