We have Western Green Drakes in my neck of the woods. The local species has a broader and more compressed abdomen than the one pictured. I normally opt for a nymph pattern (usually beaded) with a brushed out thorax, but on occasion I do something like Mike suggested, but I use the tips of very fine ...

You should turn Misa on to the Knapek dry hooks. They have a seemingly short shank on them, but it's actually full length with a "square" bend. I'm actually using them for small nymph hooks--tying "french style" nymphs. Sticky sharp and as with the Hanaks they're designed as barb...

S'allright WH. I get that jive what you're laying down. ;-) Competition or not, these are great hooks. I'm all about design, particularly functional design, and these hooks and their ilk have it in spades. As Hans would say, they make a great canvas to tie on. Aaron PS I have no financial relationsh...

Having just received a second order of several hundred of these hooks (260/200/400) I can say without a doubt that these are some of the most well designed hooks I've found. They are what most call "competition hooks" designed for penetration, strength and holding power. While any of my co...

*Chuckle*

Great little story, Mike. I might have to retell it over drinks at my local hangout.

Aaron

There's a ton of variations on muddler headed wet flies in the UK. Almost anything is fair game. It's an unexplored style of fly in my neck of the woods (and I'm fine with that). Lot's of ground to cover--keeps it fresh. Thanks for the links, Ray. Nice looking selection of flies--including his emerg...

Thanks. They're loosely based around some of the stuff I saw Davie McPhail tying. The first is a riff on the Dunkled wet fly, while the second follows a basic olive bumble or the like. I've tried adding some knotted pheasant tail legs to the first one, and we'll see if performs any better for the ef...

Yes. It looked like the thread needed a good trim. Thanks for keeping it civil, Ray.

Passions run wild when talking about Soft Hackles...

Aaron

The technique Mike describes is called a washing line in the UK. The floating point fly is often a booby, but the flies Mike indicates would offer a more natural (and more palatable) silhouette. Another option would be to use a floating line or midge tip with three "pulling flies". The bob...

Hey Aaron, Whats the biggest size fly you can use on the one weight and why did you choose that rod? Rick A #8 Czech nymph with a 5/32nd tungsten bead... but not very often. :D It'll toss anything up to small streamers without any issues, but really diminutive light flies are what it's made for. I ...