I spend a fair amount of my fishing time flicking flies on small creeks. Arizona has a good number of these small waters to choose from and the fish are usually quite opportunistic and willing to take a well presented fly. The Frye Creek Special is a super simple pattern that I always turn to if I need trick that picky fish holding in one of those deeper plunge pools. Plus, I’m always looking for a use for my Mearns quail feathers.

The Frye Creek Special is available for purchase in the Arizona Wanderings Shop.

• Hook/Bead: #10 streamer hook with a 2.8mm bead
• Thread: 6/0 Uni
• Tail: Marabou
• Body: Arizona Simi Seal
• Collar: Male Mearns Quail feather

The Frye Creek Special is available for purchase in the Arizona Wanderings Shop.

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I remember the first time I fished the San Juan River, my friend Mike, from Dry Flies and Fat Tires, gave me a couple of flies. In that collection of flies he passed on to me were a couple of Flash Thread Midges (also called the Bling Midge). I learned first hand that flies don’t have to be overly complex and difficult to tie to be productive. Ever since then, I keep a couple of Flash Thread Midges in my tailwater fly box. Typically, I’ll tie them from size 18 on down to 24.

• Hook: #18-24 curved hook
• Thread: UTC 70 – Brown for body/Black for head
• Thorax: Holoshimmer Tinsel Thread – Silver (found this at a local craft store)

If you are looking for a cool variation of this pattern, check out Juan Ramirez’s video of the Biot Bling Midge. Excellent pattern.

The post Fly Tying: Flash Thread Midge appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

The original Higa’s S.O.S. fly pattern has long been a staple in my fly box and has proven itself to be a dynamic fly that seems to work just about everywhere. With many fly patterns I like to make small variations to use up different materials that I have or to meet a need that I have for a particular creek. This variation of Higa’s S.O.S. makes for the perfect dropper here on our AZ creeks and is extremely quick and easy to tie.

Hook – any size caddis style hook

Bead – to match wire

Thread – UTC70

Tail – Gambel’s quail

Wire – size small

Wingcase – Danville 4 strand Rayon

Thorax – Haretron Dubbin to match

The post Higa’s S.O.S Variations appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Gearing up for my upcoming fly fishing trip to Pyramid Lake in search of some big Lahontan cutthroat trout, I kept running across the Pyramid Lake Tadpole fly pattern. The Pyramid Lake Tadpole is a fairly simple pattern and can be tied up in a number of different color variations. The Pyramid Lake Tadpole is typically fished in tandem with a wooley bugger on a fast sinking line. Its buoyancy coupled with the heavy sinking line allows the fly to bounce back along the bottom of the lake as it is stripped back.

Material List:

Hook: #6 Curved Caddis Hook (extra heavy for strength)

Thread: 6/0 Black Uni-thread

Tail: Marabou (optional to switch out for Krystal Flash)

Foam: Loco foam (Northern Lights) Note: Loco foam is expensive so I tied a bunch up using regular 2mm craft foam and some glittery craft foam I found at the local craft store.

Underbody – Purple Estaz Chenille

The post Fly Tying: Pyramid Lake Tadpole appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

When I started doing research for flies for Pyramid Lake, the Maholo Nymph kept popping up on every Pyramid Lake fly list that I read. After some more research I found some pictures of what the Maholo Nymph was supposed to look like and made a stab at trying to recreate it with the materials that I had at hand. Although I’m looking forward to seeing how it’s going to work at Pyramid, I also think that the Maholo nymph could be tied up in some smaller sizes and make a great attractor pattern on some of the small creeks here in Arizona. Since it’s so bright and shiny, the Maholo nymph could be the ticket in the early spring when the water is still a bit high and off color.

The original Maholo Nymph was designed by Rod Anderson of the Reno Fly Shop. The name comes from a cross between the Hawaiian word for “thank you” and the Holographic tinsel used for the body of the fly.

Material List:

Hook: Curved Caddis/Shrimp Hook (I’ve been tying #10 and #8s for Pyramid)

Gold Bead

Thread: Black 70 Denier Thread

Tail/Wingcase/Legs: Pheasant Tail

Body: Red Tinsel (Sulky Holoshimmer Tinsel available in multiple colors at craft store)

Rib: Small Copper Wire

Thorax: Olive Ice-Dub (I substituted some red Simi-Seal Material on some of the different colored tinseled bodies)

Clear Cure Goo Tack Free

Optional: Pearlescent Tinsel for flashback wingcase

The post Fly Tying: The Maholo Nymph appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

So I know that this pattern cannot be new, but unfortunately I don’t know a better name than “little stonefly pattern.” I was sitting down at the vise trying to tie just that – a little stonefly pattern and out came this. I fished these on the Ausable River back in New York and did really well with them. This pattern holds up so well to abuse and  you are more likely to lose it on the bottom as opposed to it falling apart. The pattern is very easy with a very simple recipe.

Materials:

Hook: #16-#12 Curved Caddis Hook

Bead: Size to hook

Thread: 6/0 Uni Thread (Color of your choosing)

Tail/Wing/Leg: Goose Biots (Color to match)

Rib: Small UTC Ultra Wire

Thorax: Haretron Dubbin (Color to match)

The post Fly Tying: Little Stonefly Pattern appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

The AZ Caddis Pupa

A very simple caddis pupa pattern to stock in your small stream box. Not too many materials:

Hook: #18-#14 caddis hook

Bead: Gold, Green, Silver

Body: Vinyl Rib

Collar: Green Hare Tron Dubbing

Thread: 6/0 Uni Thread Green

The post Fly Tying – The AZ Caddis Pupa appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Ingredients: live nude cams Dickwitch

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How to tie the AZ Disco Midge:

I know that this is not the “true original” recipe for the disco midge, so this little variation has been titled the AZ Disco Midge. I found it to be dynamite fly pattern for the San Juan River, Lees Ferry, and several other tailwaters with prolific midge populations. It also works well as a dropper pattern when the creeks are looking pretty muddy.

I like to tie this fly in sizes 18-24 with a mercury glass bead that I picked up from a local craft store. For this tutorial, I am tying on a size 10 hook and therefore am stuck with a gold bead. (I need to invest in a new lens for the camera) Play with bead choice colors and enjoy.

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KF Emerger

The KF Emerger is one of the easiest and most productive midge patterns to tie. The material needed is very minimal but the results are dynamic fly that will catch fish. It can be tied in any color combo to meet the needs of any piece of water. The Krystal Flash Emerger is a must have pattern for water systems that have prolific midge activity.

Materials:

Hook: Curved caddis hook size #16-24

Thread: UTC 70

Rib: Small Wire

Wing: Krystal Flash

Head/Thorax: Dubbing (I love Hare Tron Dubbin. It’s buggy looking.)

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