In this video, Simon shares a great terrestrial pattern he developed with dry dropper setups in mind. This pattern was born out of a need for a small, buoyant dry fly that could suspend a tungsten nymph below it. When developing the fly, Simon knew he couldn’t put any dubbing on it. This decision was deliberately made to maximize buoyancy. The Creek Surveyor is tied on a Klinkhammer style hook, which is often suggestive of an emerging or injured insect. This fly’s construction allows it to float high because of the foam and large Widow’s Web wing. The foundation of the fly being tied on a Klinkhammer style hook drops the abdomen of the terrestrial into the water. This is suggestive of not only a struggling insect, but a sinking one. This will make this fly even more irresistible to the discerning trout. Simon has tested this fly extensively on our local freestone streams, as well as the Midwest’s Driftless Area’s spring creeks. It is certainly one you want to tie up while the terrestrials are still happening.
We are nearing the end of the dreaded summer period where things are a bit too hot for a trout’s liking. Hot air and water temperatures reduce waters efficacy at holding oxygen, this in turn produces both stressed and lethargic trout. Pair that with a natural lull in aquatic insect hatches, and you’ve likely got a trout’s least favorite time of year. The good news is there is hope on the horizon, and many of you likely felt it the last few days of cooler more Fall like weather. As the days and weeks tick on, our fall hatches begin to ramp up, living conditions improve for trout, rivers become a little bit less crowded, and for many of us we enter our favorite time of year for trout fishing. This last hoorah for summer is great time to do some bushwhacking and get off the beaten path. Many easy to access places have been being hammered all summer, and it pays off to do some walking.
Aquatic insect hatches are sparse, but not for long. Soon our rivers will be popping with Nocturnal (Shortwing) Stones, Baetis species (Blue Winged Olives, BWOs, Olives), Mahogany Duns, a few other assorted small Caddis species, and everyone’s favorite the “Great Autumn Brown Sedge” or October Caddis. Despite the current lack of the insects just listed above, there still are plenty of options for trout to eat; they just appear in less predictable “hatch-windows” as they are the plethora of terrestrial or land based insects. For those who don’t know, these include Grasshoppers, Beetles, Ants, Crickets, and other land based insects that end up in the water. Especially as fall weather moves in and mornings cool off, the terrestrials are slow to wake just like us on a chilly morning. Late morning or early afternoon on a windy day near brushy banks is a great way to fish terrestrials.
The lower to middle portion of our Mckenzie and Middle Fork Wilamette rivers have taken the brunt of the summer heat. These rivers spread out wide and there is less riparian tree cover to provide shade on the river. These areas are also the furthest away from the cold springs which feed our rivers. That being said, working your way upriver and fishing our smaller tributaries this time of year is advantageous. Carrying a thermometer is a good idea this time of year. Many of us run the Digital River Keeper Thermometer from Fishpond. This thermometer can be clipped to your boot lace or onto your net for quick, accurate measurements. It is widely regarded to stop fishing at temps above 68 degrees. I personally start moving for cooler water around 65 or before for the trouts well being, and fishing in warmer water is generally more work with less fish. This time of year, finding appropriate temperatures is always easier closer to our rivers’ headwaters and in their tributaries. Another option for late summer which can be hot is to head to our many high lakes. Especially with things cooling off there are countless hike in lakes that will reward you with hours of dry fly fishing. Fishing our smaller high lakes is enhanced with a small personal float tube, which can be hiked in with on your back or pumped up at the lake.
The bulk of our searching this time of year is with a dry dropper setup. It allows you to search the surface with a large, bushy, and buoyant dry and probe the depths with a nymph simultaneously. On especially hot days, the dry fly can be ignored, especially in the middle to rear of a run. In this slower water there is less oxygen and lethargic fish that are less apt to surface. On hot days, look for dry fly eaters in rifles and the heads of runs where there oxygen content is significantly higher than in slower moving water. If dry fly fishing is slow, especially durning the middle of the day, I will do the best with a double nymph rig under an Oros Indicator. When fishing the terrestrials on rivers and streams, guide your attention to prime lies that have natural debris and overgrown brushy banks. On our high lakes it is wise to guide your attention to similar brushy banks or the wood structure in the shallows and fish ants or throw small streamers near the snags. As our terrestrials ramp up most of the action is in the evenings when it is cool, keep your eyes peeled for an additional report on how to approach the several hatches coming up in the coming weeks
This time of year your dry dropper setup can look all sorts of ways. If you’re on the mainstem Mckenzie or Willamette it will likely consist of a large chubby with a heavy nymph below. On small streams it may be a small chubby or hopper with a lighter nymph below. For our high lakes it may look like an ant with an unweighted pheasant tail or Chironomid tagged below. If you are only running nymphs below it is to your advantage to be running fluorocarbon tippet. Mono affords some versatility and you can swap your nymph dropper for an additional small dry such as a mahogany or small caddis. This level of versatility becomes more important in a few weeks. I have been experimenting with the Dropper Rig Fly Box and have been pleased with my ability to quickly change out rigs without retying. Here are some suggestions for large buoyant dries for your rig: Chubby Chernobyl, Craven’s Big Fat Angie, Montana Fly Company Water Walker, Double Stack Chubby Chernobyl Fly, Burkus Bearback Rider Stone, or for smaller creeks a Hi-Vis Micro Chubby Chernobyl. Here are some hot nymphs that we have been running below: Jigged Possie Bugger, Jig Sexy Walt’s Worm, Jigged Duracell Nymph, Jigged Frenchie, Jim Sen’s Improved Jigged 20 Incher, or a Loren’s Stud.
We have been using Scientific Anglers Indicator Markers for a while now. These markers work great for Euro setups marking your leader. This last winter I experimented using them to help keep track of my small Blue Winged Olives and they worked great. I’ve also used these markers to add notches for my streamer fishing too. This summer I’ve experimented with using these markers to mark actual dry flies. Especially this time of year, we fish our flies in turbulent water where there is more oxygen. This makes it hard to track a white winged chubby, especially for my nearsighted eyes. I have been marking Chubbies, Hoppers, and small flies on their wing or post and am pleased with how these markers instantly turn any fly into a hi-vis one.
This time of year is when getting off the beaten path really helps. It also is the last hoorah to explore new water before the weather goes south for the fall. Many of our easy to access places have been hammered all summer and the fish are ready for a break. Many of our favorite floats are just getting better and better as things cool off into the fall. If you need any help with gear, flies, or looking for a spot to explore, swing by the shop, we are happy to help.
Keep your eyes peeled for a supplemental post regarding fall hatches in the coming weeks.
Despite marginal returns summer steelhead fishing the last few weeks has been just good enough to keep anglers interested. Compared to last year, we have about a quarter as many fish in the Willamette Valley which translates to about a tenth the amount of pressure. Water temps this year, at least on the Willamette, have been much colder than last year and water levels have been superb for fly angling unlike the high flows experienced last summer. Not going to lie and say I have had many, multi fish days like last but anglers who know where steelhead sit are catching fish every couple of outings on the Willamette and the McKenzie. The cooler, fall weather coming up should help keep “the bite” steady till early November.
Steelhead road trip options abound in the fall. We have gotten decent reports from the upper Rogue. Excitement may have petered out a bit on the Deschutes, but we have heard of many productive trips. A peep or two has come out of the North Umpqua despite poor returns. Conditions were excellent when I went down there in early august, overcast with water temps at 58 degrees! As we head later into fall Columbia tributaries like the Klickitat, John Day and Grande Ronde should be worthwhile road trips. If you are feeling adventurous, after our first fall rain try to figure out where this classic video by Todd Moen was filmed.
Some great steelhead flies to be throwing currently follow: RIO’s Coo Coo for Cocoa Puff’s, Hoh Bo SpeyChou’s, Mooshoo Muddler, Moal Leech, Anderson’s Euphoria, or a Mack’s Canyon. Carrying an array of sinking tips will allow you to cover many types of water. We are especially excited for the new Rio MDC Sink Tips which feature a progressive sink design aimed at keeping your fly in the zone for longer. Through the fall I keep it simple and continue to fish 10 feet of T8 or a 5/5 T8 on most of my Skagit lines. The new MDC Sink Tips from RIO pair well with the remade RIO Elite Scandi Body, a versatile unique head. The MDC tips can be fished with Skagit heads as well. Great straightforward Skagit lines like the RIO Elite Skagit Max Power or *Airflo Superflo Max Skagit continue to excel. The Airflo Superflo Max Rage Compact is my favorite fishing Scandi line for Oregon because most the rivers I fish tend to get a bit windy. For a more a classic Scandi line the RIO Scandi Launch. Fall is a fun and productive time to try to get some surface bites or swing smaller flies.
Our coastal Coho run looks excellent and opens in about a week in most places. Most of the time they are a lot easier to catch on flies than Chinook. I am inexperienced in fishing for them in tidewater but I’m sure it will be productive for those who put their time in. Once the fall rains hit, they will move upriver or uplake and become easier to target. In terms of Valley Coho the Clackamas should have the notoriously stingy A-runs in anytime now. The Santiams should follow a in few weeks. Make sure to check the ODFW regulations and updates on their website. When it comes to salmon angling there are lower river deadlines and some deadlines change within season. Look out for a more in depth how to on Oregon Salmon Fly Fishing in a couple weeks.
We are thrilled to invite you and the community to the 2025 Southern Oregon Fly Tying and Fishing Expo, hosted by Fly Fishing Veterans! This exciting, family-friendly event is dedicated to celebrating the art of fly tying and fly casting skills while honoring veterans and welcoming anglers of all skill levels.
The Expo will take place on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at the Winston Community Center, 440 S.E. Grape Ave., Winston, Oregon from 9am to 5pm.
Highlights of the event include live fly tying and fly casting demonstrations, beginner fly tying and fly casting lessons, raffles, silent auctions, and the chance to connect with industry and community exhibitors. A special feature will be the “Quilts of Valor” presentation, a moving ceremony honoring veterans with handmade quilts as a token of gratitude for their service.
As Doug Myers, Director of Fly Fishing Veterans, states, “This event is about more than fly tying and casting — it’s about bringing people together. Whether you’re a veteran, a beginner, or a lifelong angler, you’ll find something here to inspire you”.
Veterans receive free admission; food and refreshments will be available for purchase by all attendees.
There are so many threats to freshwater fisheries in the United States and Canada, and how anglers perceive these threats is important for conservation, management, policy, grassroots movement, industry engagement, etc.
With that, the Danylchuk lab is conducting a MASSIVE ANGLER SURVEY to get a sense of what they are seeing on their home waters, as well as what they feel are solutions for making their fishing experience better. The survey has an option for anglers and guides.
Evan Prasky (copied) is the PhD student leading the survey and has created a novel backend method that will allow us to examine regional differences, differences by target species, gear types, and more.
This is a HUGE and IMPORTANT endeavor….and…….
WE NEED YOUR HELP SHARING THE SURVEY
WHEN: Official launch date Monday, July 28, 2025, and the survey closes Monday, November 24, 2025, at midnight EST.
HOW: Use social media, websites, word of mouth, etc. We need to encourage as many freshwater anglers in the US and Canada as possible to take this survey. It doesn’t matter what gear type, species, or habitat they fish in – they all matter!
Thanks for taking the time to help gather data to protect our fisheries!
In this video, Simon ties a fantastic caddis pupa pattern. Caddisflies are among the most widely distributed family of aquatic insects in the world. It is no surprise that in many places around the world, caddisflies make wonderful searching patterns. The pupal stage of caddis is their most vulnerable state. This stage which sits between larvae or nymph, and winged adult renders the pupa helpless on its journey from the river bottom to the surface. The beauty of a good caddis pupa pattern lies in its versatility. This fly can be dead drifted or swung. Another hallmark of a great fly is in its simplicity to tie. This fly utilizes some great materials from our friends at Fulling Mill; most notably their: Super Suede Micro Chenille, Flat 70D Thread , 5045 Jig Force Hook, Slotted Bead, and Tactical Microflash Dub. A turn of Starling, which is perfectly sized for smaller flies, gives the fly an enticing collar. This fly can be tied up quickly and can withstand the beating that a good fly takes. Feel free to tweak colors and sizes, but this fly is one you certainly want to have in your box.
In this video, Simon ties an awesome late summer beetle pattern. Beetles and other terrestrials make up a large portion of a trout’s diet in the summer. This pattern is tied with a hi-vis wing to aid in visibility from afar. Generally, Simon likes to fish this fly on smaller creeks as it is easier to keep track of. On smaller water too, terrestrial insects are more likely to end up in the water. When fishing this pattern on larger rivers, Simon likes to run it behind a larger fly like a big hopper or chubby. The simple beetle is buoyant enough to suspend a small nymph below it, or tag a soft hackle behind. Simon likes to fish this pattern with a trailing PMD dry fly behind it like the Side Sleeper. Beetles can come in several sizes and colors, so feel free to adjust based on your fisheries’ needs.
by: Native Fish Society McKenzie River Steward Dave Thomas
You are likely aware of recent reports of Coho salmon in our beloved McKenzie. Generally, we think of the McKenzie as a sanctuary for Spring Chinook salmon and indeed this run is protected under the endangered species act. So, what are Coho doing encroaching on Chinook waters? (spoiler alert, we don’t know).
First some background on Coho in the Willamette Basin. These species seem to have been endemic to the Willamette above Willamette Falls, at least since the 1950’s when ODFW started a stocking program. However, there are some reports of earlier occasional passages of Coho above the Falls, probably due to unusually high-water flows. The stocking program ended in 1996. Since then, until 2022, an average of eleven thousand Coho entered the river each year in the late Fall. Almost all of these fish spawned in the Western drainages of the Upper Willamette. It is believed that this species of salmon prefers the warmer waters and lower flows of these habitats, compared with the colder, higher-flowing eastern rivers.
So, what changed? In the Fall of 2023 approximately 28,000 Coho passed Willamette Falls and 50+ of these passed above Leaburg Dam. There are also reports of Coho in the Santiams, but precise counts are not available. In response to the availability of these fish, ODFW issued a temporary regulation allowing harvest of Coho wherever salmon harvest was allowed in the Willamette system.
In 2024, ODFW was ready to monitor the Coho invasion and indeed, between late September and early November more than 52,000 Coho passed above Willamette Falls, about five times the number we had come to expect. However, the number of Coho passing Leaburg Dam was one! In anticipation of a Coho fishery in the Upper Willamette like 2023, ODFW again issued a temporary regulation allowing Coho harvest.
Now in 2025, we await the Fall counts of Coho fish passage at Willamette Falls. There is speculation that the recent increase numbers in 2023 and 2024 was due to improved ocean productivity. While this may be the case, the current state of modeling does not allow for forward-looking quantitative estimates of particular species, much less individual runs of species. Regardless of the number of fish passing the Falls, we still have the apparent anomaly of higher number of Coho passing the Falls in 2024, but the number of Coho passing Leaburg Dam from 50+ to 1. However, in anticipation of what might happen with Coho numbers in the Willamette Basin, ODFW intends to make the temporary Coho harvest a permanent part of Willamette Basin fishing regulations.Given our current lack of understanding of the processes underlying the movement of these fish, a variety of futures seem about equally possible. That is, the numbers of Coho may drop back to something like the 11K we are used to seeing, or, for instance, Coho expanding their rang throughout the Willamette basin and possibly even displacing Winter Steelhead and Spring Chinook salmon. This will certainly make watching the Falls fish counts more interesting than usual.
In this video, Simon ties a fantastic realistic hopper that should be in your box this summer. This pattern offers a realistic, yet durable construction. Sometimes the issue with more realistic looking flies is that they are delicate and cannot withstand several eats. A more realistic looking fly in theory should get eaten more, and the designer should account for that. Certain techniques like wally wings, biot legs, etc just aren’t durable enough for a fly that will get thrashed. This fly employs Hairline’s new Hi-Float Foam that they came out with last year. This open cell foam floats high and can withstand shearing forces from small gel spun style threads like Semperfli Nano Silk. The large legs in the rear mimic realistic hopper legs and will kick when the fly is twitched and stripped. This mimics the behavior of a hopper attempting to swim to the bank. Fish this fly solo, or tag a dropper below. The large Widow’s Web wing paired with Hi-Float Foam makes this fly an excellent choice for dry dropper setups. This fly can be sized up or down and colors can be changed to match the many species of hopper on your banks this summer.
The public wants species protection but lawmakers are struggling with dwindling funds, higher fees and a biodiversity crisis
Article Below from Columbia Insight byK.C. Mehaffey
By K.C. Mehaffey. July 24, 2025. If a government’s budget is a statement of its values, consider this: this year, legislatures in Oregon and Washington dedicated roughly 2.4% of their total 2025-2027 biennium budgets to all of their natural resource agencies combined. In Idaho, about 4.6% of the state’s total fiscal year 2026 budget will go to natural resources.
The state departments of fish and wildlife—or fish and game in Idaho—make up only a fraction of those slices of the budget pie.
Natural resource funds also cover the costs of agencies that manage state parks, outdoor recreation, water resources, agriculture, environmental quality, forestry and many smaller state entities—such as the Puget Sound Partnership in Washington or the Wolf Depredation Control Board in Idaho.
State officials and nonprofit organizations say they think the public in the Pacific Northwest would be surprised at how little their states spend on natural resources.
Facing inflation and lower revenues from taxes, legislatures in Oregon and Washington this year raised user fees and made significant cuts to their state fish and wildlife agency budgets. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game—which relies solely on the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and federal funds—got a small bump in funding.
But with federal cuts looming and stagnant or decreasing participation in hunting and fishing, officials from all three state agencies say they’re deeply concerned about their budgets in the coming years and decades.
“We know with climate change and with all the federal impacts coming down the pike that we have a hard future ahead of us,” Brandon Bean, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s budget officer, told Columbia Insight. keep reading….
1 Lucky Angler, 1 Epic Week on the Babine River this Fall for just $100!
British Columbia’s Babine River is the hallowed homewaters of some of the largest wild steelhead swimming on the planet. At the Babine Steelhead Lodge, their goal is for you to have the fishing adventure of a lifetime – which you could experience for only $100!
From the minute you arrive at the lodge, you will experience first-class fishing and accommodations. Not to mention, the Babine River is considered one of the last unspoiled rivers in British Columbia, making its pristine beauty the ideal setting for a memorable wilderness getaway.
Trip Details: 1 angler / Steelhead Season – October 24th – 31st, 2025 / Prime-time guided steelhead fishing on the Babine River with Babine Steelhead Lodge in Smithers, BC, hosted by Tom Derry.
Tickets: $100 each – Only 250 tickets will be sold!
Raffle tickets on sale: NOW – September 11th, 2025
Drawing: Friday, September 12th @ 3pm
Don’t miss this week-long dream trip, including fishing with some of the best guides around, delicious gourmet dining, and tranquil river-side lodging – all of which could be yours for just $100!
We’re talking about your best (and most economical shot) at some of the most incredible dry line (even dry fly) wild steelhead fishing in the world.
How does it work? Native Fish Society is selling 150 tickets for $100 each. We’ll draw the winner on September 12th, and then the lucky angler will get ready for the time of their life!
Trip Includes:
World-class guided fishing on the Babine
Cozy accommodations at the newly renovated lodge
Gourmet meals prepared by the talented Lodge Chef and staff
Full bar, beer, and wine
Not Included:
Does not include travel to Smithers, B.C., taxes, gratuities, or licenses.
Our friends Tim and Katie Conway are offering last minute deals on drift boat trips down the Rogue Canyon. Get 6 of your pals together and get 40% off.
Every year in the industry we see new products come out. Many of them are only slight variations of their competitors. Generally, when a good product is made it can only be tweaked and improved so much. The only way to really make waves with something new is to completely reimagine it. This is exactly what our friends over at Riversmith did with their Convoy Gear Roll.
There have been countless iterations of the classic wader bag. Riversmith aimed to improve the features offered in a wader bag and combine them with the best features of a great tote. What they created is undeniably the best wader/gear bag on the market today.
With a complete ground up redesign of the modern wader bag, this one looks unique. Riversmith opted for a roll design with reinforced panels that helps maintain its structure. Other roll style bags end up lopsided and the extra reinforcement of this gear roll ensures it packs consistently and is easy to carry. A shoulder strap allows the angler to carry it a short trip from their car to the garage, or to a tree to hang it on. For longer trips, the roll can be configured into a backpack. This is why the reinforced structure is so crucial for compact packability on a trip or for travel if you are carrying it long distances.
The roll has a top strap that can be hung on the side of your vehicle, from your tailgate, or hung in a nearby tree. From there the bag unrolls and you suddenly have all of your gear presented to you like a walk in closet. Three separate compartments organize your gear on the bag.
The uppermost pouch is fully waterproof and is great for storing valuables that you don’t want to get wet. It is made of a durable rubber material and features a fully submersible zipper. This could be for your keys, wallet, phone, change of clothes, fly boxes, tippet, spare reels, etc. Because the bag rolls on itself, this pocket is crucial because it ensures, after a day of fishing, that your wet waders and boots won’t soak your valuables.
The middle compartment is for your waders. Depending on the size of your waders, you can fit up to 3 pairs in the stretchy mesh pouch. The beauty of this pouch is that it stretches and contracts depending on how full your bag is. Whether you are packing for yourself or a friend too, this bag can carry it all. This pouch is also where you’d store wet wading things like Patagonia Sandy Cay Pants, a pair of Backcountry Skinz, or Patagonia Yulex Neoprene Booties. The mesh on this layer breathes to aid in your waders drying, and if you forget to take your waders out after a long day, this pouch will help them air out.
The lowest section is for boots and is made of a different material. This pouch is fabricated out of a wide hole rip-stop mesh. This allows rocks, sand, and debris to leave when you put your dirty boots in after a long day. The large openings on this layer also aid in your boots airing out after being soaked in the river. Depending on your boot size you can fit 1-3 pairs of boots in this section.
On the backside of the boot pouch, the bag features two sleeves for rod tubes. If you have a Riversmith Rod Vault, this is a mute issue, but most people do not and this makes packing up for the day convenient and organized. The panel splits and can hold a net as well. With an adjustable strap, the bag can accommodate anything from small hand nets to large steelhead boat nets.
On the backside of the middle compartment for waders there is a drop-mat for changing. Walking with your wader booties on the ground is a great way to ruin a several hundred dollar pair of waders. The same goes for walking on the ground with your neoprene wet wading socks. This mat is folded and aids in providing structure for the bag to maintain its shape when packed full.
With all of these features it can be difficult to imagine how this thing would even close up. Rolling the boots up to the waterproof compartment, there are two heavy duty straps that lash the bag shut. When packed both lightly, and at full capacity the straps have several point to attach, and closes comfortably.
This bag is great for anyone, and I mean anyone. Whether you have a small sedan or a full sized truck this bag will aid in organizing your trunk or bed space. The bag is configured to unroll to the width of a truck bed and perfectly lays out from side to side. For those of you with rod vaults, this bag can solve other issues for you like hauling gear, and organizing valuables.
Many of us partake in other sports outside of fly fishing. This bag makes a great gear tote for ski/ and snowboard gear. Just like with fishing gear it can haul snow pants, boots, coats, goggles, mittens, etc. For upland hunters this can be great way to haul boots, shells, other gear, and a change of clothes. No matter your circumstance this bag will preform in and out of fly fishing season. Whether you are a summer angler, or you fish year round, this bag will impress you every time you break it out.
I have been running this bag for about 2-3 months and really waited to write this review to put the bag through the wringer. I have a River Smith 4 Banger Rod Vault so I do not use the tube storage for the bag, but use every other feature of the bag every time I go out. Most notably, this bag has kept the back of my truck more organized than ever. We hall have our own ritual for gearing up riverside, and this bag has made gearing up more pleasant than ever.
It has been packed up for fishing, mushroom picking, and more. This fall and winter I will be using the bag to load up my upland gear and snowboard gear in a few months. I truly believe that there is not a better gear tote for the outdoorsman on the market today. Swing by the shop and check them out, or if you’re out of state, click here to shop online. Well ship it right to you.
In this video, Simon ties a great versatile dropper that can be ran below buoyant dry flies across the country. He sought out to develop an attractor style pattern that can mimic a wide range of aquatic foods, while also being flashy enough to capture a trouts attention. The flashiness aspect of this fly is part of what makes it successful, it can move a fish from its lie to come feed. Purple is a color that many people are superstitious of. Many say it is the last color on the spectrum that a trout can see, therefore it pops more. Regardless of the true reason behind the purple superstition, many of us have had fantastic days fishing purple flies. Green is another color that often fishes very well subsurface. It screams caddis pupae or larva and trout feed heavily on them in many areas. This color combo is one that Simon has had a lot of luck with in the past and often pairs together. For more shallow fisheries consider sizing the bead down to 1/8 or 3mm. This fly also uses a great new thread from Fulling Mill which comes out in September. We are super excited to have it in the shop and we think you all will love how it feels. Tie some of these up and you can crush in most places across the country this summer!
In this video, Simon ties a fantastic soft hackle variant for fishing the PMD hatch. This particular style of fly can be fished a number of ways, but most common is swinging it downstream. It is reminiscent of a standard Soft Cahill, with additional flash and a target point in the rear. The fly certainly can also be included in a tandem nymphing rig whether you are running an indicator or euro setup. Simon likes to fish it as a drowned cripple behind a dry fly, generally a PMD dun. The beauty of this setups is it is a great way to search extremely shallow and larger water with a light dry/dropper setup. If the fish doesn’t think the soft hackle is an ascending insect, it should assume it is a drowned cripple, the easiest of meals. If your eyes struggle to track small PMD duns or emergers, a great way to keep track of it is to tag the Lucent Soft Cahill. You certainly could run a PMD dun and mark your tippet 18-24 inches above your fly with a Scientific Anglers Indicator Marker. This is a great way to make tiny dries a tad bit more visible. Feel to size this up for drakes, or down for BWO’s. This style of fly and trailing tactic works for most mayfly hatches.
