Fly Shops

 

When I lived in Englewood, Colorado many years ago (1980-1991), I was fortunate enough to have multiple fly shops within a 20 mile radius. I made friends at most fly shops and also spent a fair share of my paychecks on furs and feathers, much to the shop owners delight. My "local" fly shop was Royal Stevens followed by Anglers All and Trout Fisher.

After moving back to my native Connecticut in 1992, I was less fortunate to have local fly shops at my disposal to spend my paychecks on fly tying/fishing supplies. There wasn't the internet as we have it today. From what I remember there was Dave Goulet's "Classic & Custom" fly shop in the New Hartford, CT area near the Farmington River and an Orvis shop down in the Darien, CT area.

So lets fast forward to today (2021) and you see a collection above of fly shops I frequent either online or in person. The one fly shop within driving distance (about 70 miles) is Bear's Den in Taunton, Massachusetts. It has everything I need for tying supplies but not every fly tying material. 

I do frequent JStockard online store more than I should.

That's why its a good idea to have a list of fly tying supply house on hand for those items you may not find in your "local" brick and mortar or virtual shop. There isn't a "Mother of all fly shops" so its beneficial to have a collection of shops that you are comfortable with and trust.

If they have one, be sure to sign up for the shops newsletter/email notices for their discounts on fly tying/fishing gear.

Please support your local brick & mortar fly shop in your area.

Thanks for reading.

Pabst Blue Ribbon

 

Red Bird

 

San Juan Midge

 

Tan Thread Midge

 

Miracle Nymph

 

Brassie

 

Bloodworm

 

Al's Rat

 

Sandy

 

Sandy

Category - Soft Hackle

Hook - Mustad S80-3906, S82-3906B, size 10-14

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Narrow gold tinsel, 6 turns

Body - Red tinsel

Hackle - Black

Pacific Northwest Fly Patterns ~ Patrick's Fly Shop

Halfback Emerger (PMD) (Mike Lawson)

Halfback Emerger (PMD) (Mike Lawson)

Hook – Mustad 94840, size 12-20

Thread - Yellow

Tail - Brown antron yarn

Ribbing - Copper wire

Body - Pheasant Tail

Casing - Bleached elk hair

Thorax - PMD Superfine or natural dubbing

Pass Lake

Pass Lake

Category - Winged Wet Fly

Hook - Standard wet fly style, size 4-8

Thread - Black

Tail - Yellow hackle fibers

Ribbing - 4 turns of flat silver tinsel

Body - Hot orange floss

Hackle - Yellow, tied wet style, 5 turns

Wing - White marabou

Used at Pass Lake, Washington, a fly only lake, good thru the first and last parts of the season. Height of summer no good due to bloom. Good for cutthroats.

Pacific Northwest Fly Patterns ~ Patrick's Fly Shop

Pass Lake

Category - Winged Wet Fly/Salmon Fly

Hook - Atlantic salmon double, size 10-12

Thread - Black

Tail - Brown hackle fibers

Body - Black chenille

Wing - White calf tail

Throat - Brown hackle

"This fly was supplied by Bruce Raymer of Goose Bay Outfitters who is fortunate enough to be able to fish giant brookies and Atlantic salmon in the Labrador wilderness. 

This is a local pattern used by the natives in the Eagle River section of Labrador."

Dick Surette's Trout and Salmon Fly Index

Pass Lake Special (Paape)

Hook - Mustad 3906 #8 - #16

Thread -  Black

Tail - Mallard Flank

Body - Black Chenille

Wing - White Calf Tail

Collar - Brown Hen Hackle

Pass Lake Special (Stubenvoll)

Hook - Mustad 3906 #8 - #16

Thread - Black

Tail - Mallard Flank

Body - Black Chenille

Collar - Brown Hen Hackle

Wing - White Calf Tail

"In Ross Mueller's book "Flies That Catch Trout", on page #39 Ross describes the Pass Lake Wet Fly. He noted that Stubenvoll tied the calf tail wing IN FRONT of the hackle. While Earl Paape favored the calf tail wing BEHIND the hackle (trude style)."

Pass Lake Fly Pattern | Pass Lake Special | original recipe (wiflyfisher.com)

seems like for every "pass lake" out there theres a pattern that bears its name

Haggis

 

Haggis

Category - Atlantic Salmon

Hook - Gamakatsu T10-6H

Thread - Black

Tag - Flat silver tinsel

Ribbing - Flat silver tinsel

Body - Black floss

Throat - Fluffy fibers from a yellow schlappen feather

Wing - Black bear hair

Variations - This fly is tied at times with an underwing consisting of long fine black bucktail

twice as long as the body. A standard length black bear wing is then tied over the bucktail

Hair-Wing Atlantic Salmon Flies - Keith Fulsher & Charles Krom

Dungarvon

 

Dungarvon

Category - Atlantic Salmon

Hook - Gamakatsu T10-6H

Thread - Black

Tag - Oval gold tinsel

Tail - Guinea hen fibers

Butt - Black ostrich herl

Ribbing - Flat gold tinsel

Body - Red floss or uni stretch

Throat - Guinea hen fibers

Wing - Fox squirrel tail

UV Resin

Hair-Wing-Atlantic Salmon Flies - Keith Fulsher & Charles Krom

Syl's Midge

 

Syl's Midge

Hook - Sproat, size 16

Thread - Olive

Body - Peacock herl

Hackle - 2 turns of Hungarian partridge

Soft-Hackled Fly Imitations - Sylvester Nemes

Reinforce the peacock herl by wrapping around tying thread, in a dubbing loop and wrapping the herl on a crazy glue coated hook

Baddow Special

 

Baddow Special

Category - Soft hackle wet fly

Hook - Mustad S80-3906, S82-3906B or equivalent, size 10-18

Thread - Black

Tail - Fluorescent green floss, antron yarn, uni stretch etc

Ribbing - Copper wire

Body - Peacock herl

Hackle - Hungarian Partridge

Reinforce peacock herl by wrapping around tying thread, in a dubbing loop and wrap on the hook coated with crazy glue

Orange Otter

 

Orange Otter

Category - Soft hackle wet fly/nymph

Hook - Standard wet/nymph style

Thread - Orange

Silk - Orange

Tail - Brown hackle fibers

Body - Defined abdomen and thorax from pale 

buff otter fur dyed yellowish red or substitute

(the original dyed otter fur is, or should be, unobtainable)

Hackle - Brown hackle at the center of the body

Perrault's Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies

 

Wagon Wheel

 

Wagon Wheel

Category - Soft hackle wet fly

Hook - Standard wet fly hook, size 4-8

Thread - Black

Tail - Black hackle fibers long, with a shorter bunch on top

Body - Peacock herl*

Hackle - Black, short, soft collar

*Reinforce peacock herl around the tying thread and wrap over a bed of crazy glue

Perrault's Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies

Super Special

 

Super Special

Hook - Mustad R73-9671, size 4

Thread - Black

Tail - Red wool

Body - Silver - may be embossed, flat or oval tinsel

Wing - Light blue over white bucktail

Cheeks - Short green hackles

Perrault's Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies

The Redhead

The Redhead

Category - Steelhead

Hook - Mustad R73-9671, size 4

Thread - Red

Tail - Orange hair

Body - Embossed silver tinsel on floss/thread build up, cigar shape.

Two joints of hot orange or pink wool at the 1/3 and 2/3 body sections

Wing - Red hair, as kip or calf tail

UV Resin

Perrault's Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies

Black Marabou

 

Black Marabou

Hook - Mustad 9575, size 2-10

Tag - Red thread to secure the end of piping

Body - Small silver mylar piping

Wing - Black marabou over red bucktail

Topping - A few peacock herls

UV Resin

Perrault's Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies

Black Congo

 

Black Congo

Hook - Mustad S80-3906, S82-3906B or equivalent, size 10-12

Thread - Black

Tail - Brown hackle fibers

Butt - Peacock herl

Ribbing - Fine oval gold tinsel or wire

Body - Black floss or thread

Shoulder - Peacock herl

Reinforce the peacock herl by wrapping it around the tying thread. 

Add a dab of crazy glue to the hook shank before wrapping the herl for added durability.

Perrault's Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies

Zonker Strip Cutting Tool

Zonker Strip Cutting Tool

 Adjustable-Blade Strip-Cutting Tool For Metal Clay (riogrande.com)

Yakima River

Yakima River

Hook - Mustad 3399, 3906 or equivalent, size 10-12

Thread - Black

Tail - Brown hackle

Ribbing - Gold wire

Body - Kelly green yarn

Hackle - Brown hen

Perrault's Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies

Wolf River #5

 

Wolf River #5 (Wet)

Hook - Mustad 3399, 3906 or equivalent, size 10-12

Thread - Black

Tail - Red hackle fibers

Body - Flat silver tinsel

Throat - Brown hackle fibers

Wing - White calf tail

Wolf River #5 (Dry)

Hook - Mustad 94840 or equivalent, size 10-14

Thread - Black

Tail - Red hackle fibers

Body - Flat silver tinsel 

Wing - White calf tail, upright and divided (Wulff style)

Hackle - Brown

Perrault's Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies - Keith Perrault

Destroyer Nymph

 

Destroyer Nymph

Hook - Standard nymph/wet fly hook

Thread - Black

Tail - 3 Javelina hairs*

Ribbing - Gold wire

Wing case - A shellback from tail to head of 5-6 

peacock herls bound by the ribbing wire

Body - Orange floss

Hackle - Grizzly dyed yellow as a collar

* I substituted moose body hairs for the javelina

Perrault's Standard Dictionary of Fishing Flies

Laverte Variant

 

Laverte Variant

Category - Atlantic Salmon

Hook - Gamakatsu T10-6H

Thread - Black

Tip - Oval silver tinsel

Tag - Yellow uni stretch

Tail - Golden pheasant crest

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel

Body - Peacock herl

Wing - Black squirrel tail over peacock sword herls

Collar - Grizzly hen hackle

Source - Internet Photo