When I started fly fishing I understood the casting. I wasn’t necessarily good at it, but I understood what was needed. I understood most of the gear. Certain rods needed certain line weights, certain weights were good for different things etc. All Cool.
What I couldn’t get was which fly to use when and why, and what they were supposed to represent. I thought learning to tie my own flies might help, but nope.
In the end I started researching what they were supposed to represent and what they were used for. This site is the culmination of that. How to tie a fly isn’t an all inclusive fly pattern website. Such a thing is madness. What I have attempted to do is distill the understanding of what the different patterns are supposed to represent and how to know when to fish it.
In this section of our site I highlight the most important patterns. The patterns that every fly fisher man or woman should have in their fly box to get them started. Oh, and I’ve found what I feel are the best videos on how to tie them.
The site continues to be a work in progress. I’d start with reading the articles on the basic Mayfly and Caddis lifecycle and important fly patterns (links to the side). If you can get those down you’re well on the way to understanding fly selection and how to tie your own. If you are after a certain pattern try the search bar. Enjoy!