At the FFF show in Pleasanton this weekend I had the privilege of meeting Fly tyer and engineer Vincent Su. He fabricated this unique 720 degree fly tying vise which has a rotating base. For fly tyers this is a really amazing piece of machinery as it eliminates many problems when tying parachutes and other difficult flies which require rotation of the bobbin. Here Vincent showed me how to tie a #22 Olive parachute mayfly. He also gave me a few helpful hints in general about tying that I will be able to implement. I enjoyed meeting Vicent Su and am sure his vise will be used by many upcoming tyers for decades to come!

These flies are traditionally tied using gray dubbing for the body. I switched this set using sparkle blend olive to match many of the olive bodied insects that hatch.

Next to the Bird’s Nest I ilke to use these the most on the streams in the Sierra. The hare’s ear are a standard like eating bread with every meal. Also one of the first flies I began to tie. This variety uses a tungstun bead head to  sink it and a flash back over the thorax to reflect light.

Crimp barb of hook and place bead on and stick in vise. Wind thread to middle and place a bunch of deer hair fibers on hook and tie towards back forming a nice thick short tail. Tie in a piece of gold tinsel. Add dubbing and wind back to beginning of thorax leaving a nice taper. Wind a few wraps of the gold around and tie off at thorax, clip excess. Tie a piece of flash in. Add another portion of dubbing and pull flash over the top towards the bead making the wing casing out of flash. Tie and trim excess flash. Whip finish. Done. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! Tight Lines! PM

I tied these mosquitos a little differently then I have seen them. I used black stretch tubing for the body and white thread for a stripe around that. Slim and shiney with the contrast of the soft grizzly hackle for the wing. I tied a pair of grizzly tips for two small wings behind the hackle. Black microfibetts for a tail. Done.

California has been having a frequent late rains which causes a long mosquito season. Last year while fishing on the Eastern slope I was eaten alive! Now I want revenge, ha! Tight Lines! PM

This is my go to fly for the Tuolumne River where I love to do most of my flyfishing. There’s an orange stonefly that begins to emerge around spring and are everywhere. When they’re abundant this fly is unbeatable! I use the feathers from an African gray parrot because they most resemble the orange color that I need. This fly is a must have if you are fishing these rivers and want to get some fish to rise to the surface! Tight lines! PM