Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Jennie Spinner


Jennie Spinner

Hook - Standard wet fly

Thread - White and black

Body - Black floss, jointed in center with white

Hackle - White

Wing - White duck or goose quill segments

Author's Note

Also made scarlet floss body, jointed in center with white, white hackle, no wing. 

Also made with gray hackle and slate wing.

Amateur Tyers Fly Dictionary - J E Willmarth

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Black Ant

Black Ant

Hook - Wet/nymph

Thread - Black

Butt - Black chenille

Body - Black floss

Hackle - Black 

Wing - Black duck or goose quill segments

Author's Note

Also with orange floss tip, also gold tip.

Amateur Tyers Fly Dictionary - J E Willmarth

Monday, January 12, 2026

Ibis Hackle

 















Ibis Hackle

Hook - Standard wet fly

Thread - White under floss body, Black head

Ribbing - Silver tinsel

Body - White floss

Hackle - Scarlet

Amateur Tyers Fly Dictionary - J E Willmarth

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Ibis Silver



Ibis Silver

Hook - Standard wet fly

Thread - Black

Tail - Scarlet

Body - Silver tinsel

Hackle - Scarlet

Wing - Scarlet duck or goose quill segments

Amateur Tyers Fly Dictionary - J E Willmarth

Ibis

Ibis

Hook - Standard wet fly

Thread - Black

Tail - Scarlet

Ribbing - Gold tinsel

Body - Scarlet floss or dubbing

Hackle - Scarlet

Wing - Scarlet duck or goose quill segments

Amateur Tyers Fly Dictionary - J E Willmarth

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Deacon



Deacon

Hackle - Yellow tied palmer

                                                   Body - Yellow floss, dubbing, or wool *

Throat - Scarlet (soft-hackle collar) **

Wing - Gray mallard

Trout - Ray Bergman

Don Bastian Note

* The body component on the recipe listing states only "yellow" so various acceptable materials are listed here.

** The throat hackle as shown on the plate painting is wound as a collar; Burke’s painting indicates scarlet fibers sweeping back above and below the hook eye.



Monday, January 5, 2026

Pheasant Tail Flymph



Pheasant Tail Flymph

Hook - Standard heavy wet/nymph

Thread - Olive

Tail - Pheasant tail fibers

Ribbing - Fine copper wire

Body - Pheasant tail fibers

Thorax - Peacock ice dub

Hackle - Gray hungarian partridge

Pheasant Tail Simplicity - Yvon Chouinard


Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Ibis Split


Ibis Split

Tail - Scarlet duck or goose quill segments or hackle

Body - Silver tinsel

Hackle - Scarlet

Wing - Scarlet, white, scarlet duck or goose quill segments

Amateur Tyers Fly Dictionary - J E Willmarth

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Guide’s Special



Guide’s Special

Hook - 7xl or 9xl streamer

Thread - Black

Body - Double wrapped flat silver tinsel

Belly - Long blue bucktail

Wing - Long red bucktail with four slim Ewing yellow saddle hackles over

Author's Note

This fly is one of those simple patterns that has an interesting history and has produced for years. The following history is a combination of what I have read and have been told by individuals who have a connection to Jim Warner and Lake Winnipesaukee.

Jim Warner use to tie and sell many of these Guide’s Specials. He was given the pattern by a very popular local guide on the lake Glenn Morrill of Alton, NH. The color combination of this fly when wet and the materials blend together closely imitate the coloring of a smelt. One other pattern the Babbs Ghost has similar colors in it. Jim created the Babbs Ghost and today it is still very effective.

Little is known about who created the Guides Special, which is consistent with how many of these fly patterns got passed down from angler to angler. I’ve personally used this pattern with success and tied it for anglers fishing in New England all reporting back that they caught fish with it.

https://partridge-of-redditch.co.uk/the-guides-special-streamer-tutorial/

Friday, November 21, 2025

Gray Gnat


Gray Gnat

Hook - Wet fly

Thread - Black

Body - Rabbits fur

Hackle - Light gray

Wing - Slate  duck or goose quill segments

Amateur Tyers Fly Dictionary - J E Willmarth

Monday, November 10, 2025

F Fly

F Fly

Hook - Dry fly style

Thread - Your choice of color

Body - Tying thread

Wing - Dun CDC feathers

May also tied with sparse dubbing body

Marjan Fratnik Originator

https://midcurrent.com/videos/how-to-tie-the-f-fly/

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Old Judge


Old Judge

Tail - Brown Hackle

Body - Silver tinsel

Hackle - Orange

Wing - Brown turkey, red, blue, yellow goose shoulder fibers, married

Author's Note

Also made gold tinsel body, yellow hackle down body, white hackle at shoulder, yellow and white tail, white wings with yellow strips over, and jungle up sides.

Amateur Tyers Fly Dictionary - J E Willmarth

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Olive Gnat


Olive Gnat

Tip - Gold tinsel

Body - Olive green dubbing or floss

Hackle - Brown or furnace

Wing - Green duck or goose quill segments

Amateur Tyers Fly Dictionary - J E Willmarth

Friday, October 17, 2025

Gray Alder

Gray Alder 

Tip - Gold tinsel

Body - Peacock herl

Hackle - Black

Wing - Slate

Amateur Tyers Fly Dictionary - J E Willmarth

Sunday, October 12, 2025

Sunset


Sunset

Hook - Standard wet fly style

Thread - Black

Tip - Green chenille

Body - Yellow chenille

Hackle - Yellow

Wing - White duck or goose quill segments

How To Tie Flies - E C Gregg

Ross McKinney

Ross McKinney

Hook - Standard wet fly style

Thread - Black

Tip - Gold tinsel

Tail - Barred wood duck

Ribbing - Gold tinsel

Body - Brown wool

Wing - Red over white duck or goose quill segments

Cheek - Jungle fowl

Can also be tied with red over white bucktail for the wing

How To Tie Flies - E C Gregg

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Golden Dustman


Golden Dustman

Tail - Golden pheasant crest

Body - Bronze peacock herl*

Hackle - Golden yellow

Wings - Bronze wild turkey

Book of the Black Bass - J A Henshall

*As scarce as a pink unicorn 😁

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Lachene


Lachene

Tail - Gray mallard dyed yellow

Ribbing - Silver tinsel

Body - Embossed silver tinsel & black chenille

Hackle - Dark claret

Wing - Amherst pheasant

Trout - Ray Bergman

Friday, September 12, 2025

Holberton



Holberton

Tip - Gold tinsel

Tail - (Bottom to top) Barred Mandarin, yellow, crimson, (married), peacock sword 

Ribbing - Gold tinsel

Body - Rear ½ orange floss, front ½ peacock herl

Hackle - Crimson

Wing - (Bottom to top) Yellow, crimson, barred mandarin (married), peacock sword

Trout - Ray Bergman