Dan has been busy working away at tying different types of fly fishing flies for the last few months. He’s a seasoned angler who grew up fishing the rivers of Northern California and he’s been hand tying his own flies for years. But this year, he’s been tying different types of flies almost every week. He is in the process of building a few more gift packages, but for now (just in time for the holidays) we have an ASSORTED GIFT PACK (8 flies in a pack) and a CADDIS GIFT PACK (5 Caddis flies in a pack). It’s the perfect handmade gift for the outdoor adventurer in your life! Buy a holiday gift pack here
ABOUT THE HAND TIED FLY FISHING GIFT PACKS:
THE TROUT GIFT PACK INCLUDES 8 must-have, handmade flies in a small, reusable container. This is a great selection for anyone starting out or a perfect re-stock of the essentials for a seasoned angler.
2 Elk Hair Caddis, Ginger — sizes 16 and 14
The caddis fly is pretty much on the menu for any trout anywhere. If trout were humans the caddis fly would be like a slice of pizza floating in front of you. You could not resist. I use premium Whiting hackle held in place with thin wire for durability, to catch the light, and hints at the insect body segmentation.
1 Dan’s Hot Pops Caddis, Ginger/Flame — size 16
I use bright thread and bleached elk hair on my my Hot Pops Caddis to give it some stimulator flash on the head and tail. Use these when the sun is high and the trout need extra motivation to move into the feeding current.
(as far as I know, this is my own variant/pattern. Not that it’s some major invention, but just, you know.)
2 Parachute Adams, Gray — sizes 16, 14
This is a great, flush-floating, high-visibility, all-around mayfly pattern. I tend to use these on textured water when it’s getting a little dark, but I want to stay out a little longer. These flies sit perfectly on the water and tend to make up for sloppy casts. Not that any of us cast sloppily.
1 Madame X, Light Orange/Gold – size 10
This is a classic fly pattern I’ve tied in orange and orange/gold as an attractor for stone flies and grasshoppers and other big game food. I use use darker “Perfect Rubber” legs that are speckled with light catching sparkles and look super buggy. Try bouncing one of these off a bank and giving it a little action.
2 Bead Head Prince Nymph — size 14
Tried and true, the Prince Nymph is the fly you pull out when there’s no surface action, but you know they are down there. It’s a general attractor pattern that may cover a few different bugs, but nobody seems to have a definitive answer to that. I tie it heavy with tungsten beads and lead-free wire, so it sinks fast and you won’t need to add a split shot which might get you snagged up.
Trout flies made by hand in the USA and built to last. We only use the best materials:
-Tiemco and Daiichi Hooks — barbless
-Whiting Farms Pro Grade Hackle
-Lead-free wire
-Tungsten Beads (nymphs)
-Hareline Dubbing & Hair
Why tungsten beads?
Yes, they are expensive. BUT they sink 3x as fast as a normal bead because tungsten is super heavy. This means you don’t need to use an added split shot weight which can spook a fish and get snagged up. Not requiring a split shot also makes this a great nymph for a dropper rig. Plus the tungsten is non-toxic and won’t harm the environment.
Why lead-free wire?
I use this to weight the bodies of the nymphs. It’s not as heavy as lead, but luckily that doesn’t matter because of the tungsten bead. Another great reason is that lead is prohibited in some fisheries. But the best reason is because it’s the right thing to do. We want to leave our streams in good shape and do the least amount of damage as possible. Using lead-free wire is the least we can do.
