Best Fly Tying Materials

March 22, 2012 By Diana Rudolph

Spring is finally here and after a full winter season of fly tying, it is time to replenish my materials. I have shopped at fly shops throughout the country, but Waters West in Port Angeles, WA has the best selection and quality of hooks, feathers and furs that I have ever found. Whether tying a classic salmon fly, a foam-bodied hopper or a swimmy saltwater bug, this place cannot be beat. Much of the dying is done in house and the colors are spot-on. Plus, the staff is incredibly knowledgeable. Give Dave Steinbaugh a call at 360.417.0937 or surf his website (www.waterswest.com) for the best fly tying materials.

Recent Videos

How-To/Techniques

How to Tie Craven's Mr. Jones Dry Fly

How-To/Techniques

How to Tie Craven's Mr. Jones Dry Fly

The Mr. Jones, an adult cranefly pattern that skips, skates, and hops, has proved effective all summer long, especially during the hot afternoons and early mornings when these bugs are most active. I find myself often tying it on when things are slow just because it's so fun to fish, and more often than not, I end up smiling and laughing at the antics of aggressive fish making fools of themselves.

How-To/Techniques

How to Tie Craven's Mr. Jones Dry Fly

How-To/Techniques

How to Tie Craven's Mr. Jones Dry Fly

How-To/Techniques

How to Fight Trout Effectively and Get them in the Net Quickly

How-To/Techniques

How to Fight Trout Effectively and Get them in the Net Quickly

The battle between angler and trout is one of the most exciting and nerve-rattling experiences in fly fishing. In that intense moment it feels like time is standing still. The following tips will help calm your nerves, and allow you a chance to gain control. Whether you're fishing drys, nymphs, or streamers, battling a resident river trout or a lake monster, these techniques will tire the fish quickly, and successfully allow the trout a safe release to fight another day.

News

Patagonia Advocates for Dam Removal

News

Patagonia Advocates for Dam Removal

From Patagonia: “Each time we remove a dam, life comes rushing back in. For years, we've known that dams are lethal. Now we know they're methane factories. Today, the facts are impossible to ignore. Removing dams repairs our climate, restores lost landscapes, and unites communities. We now have a chance to return life to our rivers.”

Destinations/Species

Science in the Thorofare

Destinations/Species

Science in the Thorofare

Yellowstone National Park employees and Ph.D. students horse pack into the most remote location in the Lower 48 to research spawning-size Yellowstone cutthroats from Yellowstone Lake. The upper upper Yellowstone River drainage, also known as the Thorofare, has long been considered one of the world's greatest fly-fishing destinations.

How-To/Techniques

How to Tie the Picky Eater Perdigon

How-To/Techniques

How to Tie the Picky Eater Perdigon

Like it or not, competition angling is driving many of the advancements in our sport. And while I generally find Perdigons and their cousins to be pretty boring flies, Zach VanDeHey, a 39-year-old Oregonian, and his approach to his Picky Eater Perdigon gives me hope for the future. VanDeHey hatched the idea for his Picky Eater while feeling was that his conventional Perdigons were sinking too fast. Though the entire premise behind slender-bodied nymphs with big tungsten beads is to plummet through the water column to the bottom, these fish were feeding in the middle of the water column. VanDeHey got to work on the vise to design a fly that would sink more slowly and spawned the brilliant idea of not only downsizing the bead, but also adding a dubbing-loop CDC collar to function as a parachute and reduce the rate of descent. This flowing CDC collar adds tons of fluid motion to the fly, and creates enough drag and lift to keep the fly drifting mid-column. Follow along as I twist up this super-fishy fly.

Fly Fishing the Plunge Pools of Yosemite Falls

Ross Purnell and a crew of climber-anglers make a once-in-a-lifetime trip to “middle Earth” to fish for an isolated population of native rainbow trout. The Middle Cascades of Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park is a next-to-impossible section of water to access that few have ever even seen, much less fished. It requires a dangerous climb, followed by rappelling into a gorge, then swimming to the fish. It would require careful planning, even more careful navigation, and a little luck. Follow along on this adventure of all adventures to see what they find, and how they deal with the numerous challenges, both foreseen and unforeseen, in Descent.

Gear

Scientific Anglers Launches Reimagined Tropical Saltwater Fly Lines

Gear

Scientific Anglers Launches Reimagined Tropical Saltwater Fly Lines

The Magnitude series is a completely new creation in the same way that the first breathable waders and the first graphite rods were fundamentally different from their predecessors. These are the first lines from Scientific Anglers that are not polyvinyl chloride. Magnitude lines are made from new, naturally buoyant polymers. That's one reason why they are clear or available with clear tips—because these new polymers don't require an infusion of tiny glass spheres or bubbles for buoyancy.

Gear

Check Out Grundens' New Vector Wader!

Gear

Check Out Grundens' New Vector Wader!

Director of Product Curtis Graves walks us through Grundens' new Vector Wader. It features four-layer laminated puncture-resistant microfiber face fabric and is designed with Grundens' traditional high-mobility structure. It has two large front pockets, is convertible to waist-high, and has a new “warming” neoprene in the stocking feet. Available now.

Gear

Fly Fishing the Plunge Pools of Yosemite Falls (trailer)

Gear

Fly Fishing the Plunge Pools of Yosemite Falls (trailer)

Gear

Fly Fusion Trout Tour Sizzle Reel

Gear

Fly Fusion Trout Tour Sizzle Reel

The Fly Fusion Trout Tour is a perfect excuse to get together with friends while watching an epic collection of trouty films from award-winning filmmakers, Gilbert Rowley, Phil Tuttle, The Braker Bros, Todd Moen, RA Beattie and Fly Fusion Films.

Gear

Introducing Orvis's New 4th Generation Helios Fly Rod

Gear

Introducing Orvis's New 4th Generation Helios Fly Rod

Director of Design and Development for the Orvis Company Shawn Combs walks us through all the details of the incredible new Helios. From drastically improved accuracy and durability to the handsome new components and much more, you'll want to see this one. And he promises that Orvis will get you back on the water within five days of breaking your rod with sections that do not need to be matched to your exact rod. Combs also boasts its light swing weight for responsiveness, redirection, and fast casts. Will this rod be the next game changer?

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Gary LaFontaine's 7-Part Series: A Primer of Stream Entomology

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