Kyle and I have been throwing around the idea of getting a lot more fly tying here on the Duranglers’ blog. We have had a few installments, but are hoping to dive headfirst into the fly tying blog underworld this fall and winter. Until then, here are (in our opinion) the 5 Best Fly Tying Blogs you need to be following right now:
Charlie’s Fly Box
Craven’s Screaming Banshee
CHARLIE’S FLY BOX WEBSITE LINK
Favorite Posts: Craven’s Screaming Banshee
The Colorado standby. Charlie Craven is an amazing tyer (and fly photographer) with an incredible knack for teaching. He is able to easily articulate nuances in his fly tying techniques that make sense to anyone. Charlie has a lot of famous flies credited to his name which are listed on this site with great instructional detail. There is also a vast amount of recognizable patterns here with step by step tying instructions. Beginning and veteran tyers alike can all benefit from his innovative techniques with old and new patterns.
Charlie also has a few great books available. One for the beginner (or for the veteran who would like to step up their tying game) and one documenting many of his famous patterns.
Fly Fish Food
Favorite Posts: Cheech Leech, Deep Dish Callibaetis, Mongrel Meat
Coming out of Utah; constant innovation is the name of the game here with the guys at Fly Fish Food. Seemingly strange and obscure techniques applied to old patterns bring about fantastic results. Not only does this blog have a lot of great step by step instructional videos; they also have great posts for those who really want to get creative at the vice. The Fly Fish Food guys also post a lot about new tying materials that work really well.
Heck, their recent post on the Complex Twist Bugger had me up late this week working on a few buggers of my own for the Animas and Rio Grande Rivers…
The Fly Fish Food Complex Twist Bugger has so many potential variations.
Hopper Fishing Blog
HOPPER FISHING BLOG WEBSITE LINK
Favorite Posts: Variations on the Chubby Chernobyl, Tying the Pink Pookie Hopper
I am seeing a trend here: articulate and informative instruction coupled with beautiful photos equate to great fly tying blogs! The Hopper Fishing Blog is no exception. The name of this blog says it all; a blog about hopper tying and fishing. While this blog does not have the expanse of patterns and posts that other fly tying blogs have; it more than makes up for it with a nice and simple layout, beautiful photos, and fantastic step by step instructions. If you are looking to fill your terrestrial box for the summer, this is the site for you.
Disclaimer: if you are opposed to using foam, this is not the blog you are looking for.
The Easy E Hopper by the Hopper Fishing Blog
Steelhead Alley Fly Tying
STEELHEAD ALLEY FLY TYING WEBSITE LINK
Favorite Posts: Mike’s Meal Ticket, Wiley’s Shaggy Craw, Senyo’s Wiggle Stone
This blog does not get updated as much as we would have liked…but there is still more than enough patterns for trout, steelhead, bass, and pike here to keep you busy for a long, long time. Operated by Greg Senyo; Steelhead Alley hosts a boat load of fly tying patterns and instructions…oh and if you don’t know the name Greg Senyo, you really should. Not just an innovator of epic fly patterns and intruder style steelhead flies; Greg is also a creator and developer of fly tying materials. Most famous being Senyo’s Laser Dub.
Check out a few other materials Greg Senyo is responsible for here!
Fly Fishing the Ozarks
FLY FISHING THE OZARKS WEBSITE LINK
Favorite Posts: Kelly Galloup’s Articulated Bottoms Up, Nick Granato’s Ghetto Tramp
Streamers; lots and lots of streamer tying videos. While this is a Youtube channel and not a blog, we are still including it because it is updated frequently and we love streamers. The instructional videos posted on this channel are second to none. If you want to get into the articulated tying game; start here. There are also a fair amount of pike and musky flies to keep you up past bedtime.
And that is it! Our top 5 picks for the best fly tying blogs. I hope these sites can help kickstart your fall and winter fly tying. Keep an eye on the Durangler’s blog in the near future for more fly tying related awesomeness. Let us know in the comments if you have a favorite fly tying site you frequent not listed here!
-Andy
I think that these blogs are superb for fly tiers everywhere.
Agreed, thanks for the good word!
-Andy
You’re right on with these, I’m a big fly fish food and FFTO follower. Thanks for turning me onto Charlie’s though, that’s a gem I’ll be following.
count me in. great idea
Fantastic group of fly fishing blogs. I really like Hopperfishing because it’s so specific! Such great resources.
Thanks Ben, we totally agree!
thank you for these sites. I am a beginner fly tyer. this helps a lot. Thanks.
Absolutely Brian! Thank you and take care.
Thanks, excellent collection of fly tying blogs. I Really like Charlies fly box.
Can you guys tie an Orange Mysis pattern?
Yes, we could indeed. Do you want us to tie one for our blog Thomas?
Thanks,
-Andy
Thank you for these sites and excellent coverage
you even haven’t named the best of the best: “fly tying nation” (http://dronsworld.blogspot.com/) with incredible complete tutorial, “the one fly” or “https://thefeatherbender.com/” and Davy MacPhail youtube chanel : https://www.youtube.com/user/DavieMcPhail your top 5 is way far behind all these…
Those are some good ones for sure Eric.
I can totally agree with your choices for the fresh water species that are being targeted in the states not surrounded by saltwater, however I live in Florida and while I love and follow Kelly Gallup and some other primarily freshwater fly tyers I think this list leaves some of us who live and breathe saltwater a little in the cold ?. Pun intended ?.
Hey Joe,
Thanks for the input! While we of course live in trout country, most of our favorites will revolve around trout fishing. However, 239 Flies and Backwater Fly Fishing have great saltwater fly tying blogs. What are your favorites?
Andy
To this list should be added the fly tying blog of Barry Ord Clarke. Thefeatherbender