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The most recent and requested articles at Fly Fishers' Republic (*). If you're after something different, try the main site navigation, or use the dedicated search facility:

A deepwater midge pupa. Midge: * While the pupae may immediately swim to the water surface, water temperature may temporarily arrest this passage through the water column and the pupae will hold just off the bottom waiting for conditions to change. In lakes this phenomena, known as staging, is especially significant to anglers more »
Phil Rowley's bead head Chromie deep chironomid pattern Chromie: * Phil Rowley, fishing companion to Brian Chan, is one of North America's leading stillwater protagonists. He has written extensively on the subject and has designed many new fly patterns. Learn to tie one of his most successful flies with this step-by-step guide more »
Brian Chan with a nice rainbow trout. Chironomid Tactics: * From the master of stillwaters, Brian Chan, an excellent guide to fishing midge pupa imitations for trout. Outlining hatches, fishing techniques, fly selection and essential knots like the duncan loop and the non-slip loop knot. You'll find a number of useful links and references more »
Fishing North Caralina. Fall on the Nan: * "When he realized what he had, he spun a 180, and took off downstream like a rocket! The drag screamed that sweet string symphony in my ears, but I couldn't see my rod"... Jerry Giles with a tale of risk. For heavans sake take care out there! more »
Thorax dun fly pattern. Thorax Dun: * The contemporary dressing of a famous fly originated by Vincent Marinaro. With recipe and step-by-step tying sequence in both left and right hand tying versions. Just follow the page links for each version and click the small images for close-up detail... more »
Tim Holschlag with a nice fall smallmouth bass. Super-Sized Smallies: An article by Tim Holschlag. "I was only ten and the fish barely 10 inches ....that little smallmouth bass was great, but when I started catching bigger ones I was stunned. Such spectacular jumps, such incredible power and stamina". From the writer of Smallmouth Fly Fishing... more »
Antron body and CDC winged emerger pattern. Mayfly Emerger: Hatches of the largest mayflies come and go in just a few weeks. To make the most of your opportunities in a hex or drake hatch make sure to include an emerger pattern in your box. Having proved successful over a number of seasons you'd be mad to hit the water without this one more »
A bronze scaled common carp. Fly fishing for carp: They eat the same stuff as other fish do, including mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, minnows, tadpoles, small frogs, crayfish... carp will hit all parts of an aquatic insect's life cycle... Ian Colin James looks at the no-chumming approach to carp on the fly. more »
Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear and Pheasant Tail Nymph. Classic Nymphs: The patterns section now includes two modern classics, the Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear Nymph and the Pheasant Tail Nymph. Features include recipes and step-by-step tying instructions. The tying sequences include high resolution macro photography... more »
Beautiful New Zealand Rainbow. Paradrake: Mike Lawson's version of the deer hair extended body mayfly. This article is updated and now includes step-by-step photos with notes. Also included are notes on where and when to fish the pattern and details on the fly's origins and tying variations... more »
Kelly Davison's Ice Cream Cone a Kamloops chironomid pattern Try an Ice Cream Cone: As the season progresses and temperatures rise, it's not just you that might fancy an Ice Cream Cone. Stillwater midge hatches have moved into deeper water where you may need a nice Ice Cream Cone to tempt those fish. Try Kelly Davison's Kamloops chironomid more »
A tiger fish from Lake Kariba. Jozini Dam: Situated in the North Eastern corner of KwaZulu Natal is the Pongolapoort dam, also know as the Jozini Dam. The surrounding shores with their abundant game and bird species and the lake itself providing excellent tiger fishing, the feel is that very reminiscent of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe... more »
Klinkhamer Special fly pattern with polpropylene wing post. Klinkhåmer Special: From the pattern index, one of the most successful patterns around today. It was designed and first tied by Hans van Klinken in 1984. The L T Caddis however, was given the now recognised name 'Klinkhåmer Special' by Klinken's colleague Hans de Groot. A great emerging caddis... more »
Tying the booby Buoyant Eyes: An illustrated guide to the modern and fastest technique for tying buoyant booby eyes. Using plugs of closed cell foam to dress a range of modern classics, including versions of the Minkie, Viva, Woolly Bugger, and Sparkler. Bringing durability to Frazer's original pattern... more »
Elk Hair Caddis fly pattern palmer hackling Tying the Elk Hair Caddis: Al Troth's Elk Hair Caddis first hit the scene in 1978. Now one of the most popular dry flies in the world, alongside patterns like the Adams and the Wulff, this pattern is found in most fly boxes. Follow this step-by-step guide to dressing your own Elk Hair Caddis more »
Net spinning caddis larva. Caddisflies: The free-living caddis belong to the genus Rhyacophila of the family Rhyacophilidae. They are mostly green in colour, though some are brown or grey, and generally between 6 and 18mm in length. There are several fly patterns dressed to imitate this group. Often fished in the Czech nymph style more »
Redington Waders. Chena wader & boots: Sue Macniven has been testing out the new women's chena river waders and boots from Redington. After a cold winter with rivers running high, Sue took some time out her guiding schedule to record her thoughts on these light weight breathables... more »
Tying a feather slip wing. Feather-slip wings: Used for tails and wings on patterns including the Butcher, Muddler Minnow, and March Brown. Paired feathers come from various birds including, turkey, mallard, starling, grouse to name a few. The following illustrated guide will work for wings or tails... more »
Blue blank of the Sage VT2. Sage VT2 Review: Tony Edwards considers the Sage 590-4 VT2 excellent for river fishing. With short crisp strokes it delivers great accuracy. It's a dream to roll cast, delivering twenty yards plus with ease. In able hands the rods power and backbone make light work of dispensing the full line... more »
Trout in the Classroom: Ideally, the mother and father of your eggs will have been chosen to represent a good genetic fit for the river where they'll eventually end up. The Wandle Trust's eggs come from Sparsholt College in Hampshire, which is located on a sufficiently similar southern chalkstream... more »
Good Friends: That prolific angling writer and carp angler, Richard Walker, once announced that the friends he fished with were at least as important as the fish he caught. While I wouldn't quite go that far, I would claim that they are vitally important on a slow day! more »
Redington Waders Review: Thirty guides in Alaska were enlisted to help develop and test these new waders. Only when the guides were satisfied did Redington offer the waders for retail. Bearing in mind how demanding guides are of their equipment, you can be sure the waders will stand the test of time. more »
Partridge & Orange: This is one of the most popular and well known of all the north country spider patterns. Fished by anglers like Thomas Evan Pritt from the North Country School. Not always presented in using traditional techniques the P&O is great in an October Caddis hatch... more »