fly tying Archives - Interior Fly Fishing Co.

28 May 2018

Fly Tying: The G.B.D Micro Leech

by Jordan Oelrich | posted in: Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, Stillwater Fishing | 0

Whether it is in a morning/evening session or after a big chironomid feed takes place, micro leeches are a staple food source that can save even the toughest of days. This fly works great in the shallows under a strike indicator, fished on an intermediate sinking line, or in deeper water on a full sink.

This is an incredibly simple marabou micro-leech with a collar of Arizona Simi-Seal in “Black/Purple”. To me, that is the most important part of the fly itself. The iridescent and translucent qualities of this dubbing allow you to keep the fly sparse while still maintaining a teardrop profile. read more

6 Apr 2018

3 Essential Stillwater Ice-Off Patterns

by Jordan Oelrich | posted in: Fly Fishing, Stillwater Fishing | 0

Finally back and settled from a long day of travel that started at 5:00am in Houston, Texas returning from Tarponville Fishing Lodge in Costa Rica. Tomorrow there will be a full recap of the trip, safe to say it is one of the most incredible fisheries I’ve ever experienced.

Despite the current weather in the interior of British Columbia, ice-off is right around the corner. Fishing the first few days after the ice leaves a lake can be tricky, but when approached properly will yield some great results. Here are a few patterns I swear by during the ice-off period: read more

22 Mar 2018

How to Tie a Flashback Marabou Damselfly Nymph

by Jordan Oelrich | posted in: Fly Tying | 0

June is my favourite month in the interior to target the damselfly migration. When fish get keyed in on damsels, it becomes a feeding frenzy and the takes are often savage. Fish will cruise ledges and dropoffs intercepting damselfly nymphs as they clumsily make their way towards shore to shed their exoskeleton and take flight. read more

20 Mar 2018

3 Tips to Maintaining a Clean Fly Tying Station

by Jordan Oelrich | posted in: Fly Tying | 2

This is as late in the evening as I have ever made a blog entry. It would be easy to just skip a day, but luckily for this business, my OCD does not let that happen. Writing early in the morning after exercising not only seems to be a more creative time of day but allows me to take my time and proof every little detail.

Today was not a day where I had a chance to write in the morning, and after spending the whole day moving we are just getting settled in around 10 pm. Sometimes it seems like the more I want to come up with an article topic, the harder it becomes. A form of writer’s block you could say. read more

14 Mar 2018

Stillwater Fly Fishing: Using Throat Samples to Determine Depth

by Jordan Oelrich | posted in: Chironomid Fishing, Fly Fishing, Stillwater Fishing | 0

Throat pumps are one of the great tools of stillwater fly fishing. When used correctly, they do not harm the fish at all and allow you to see exactly what was on the recent menu. They become very effective during a chironomid hatch, as what’s in the throat pump can give you a great idea how deep you should be fishing.

When a chironomid pupa transforms from a larva and ascends the water column, they will build up a gas inside of their abdomen. This is what gives them the silvery sheen that is often referred to as a “chromie”. Seeing this silvery chironomid pupa in a throat sample is a great indication that fish may not be feeding all that close to bottom. Typically, fish that are stuffed with shiny chironomid pupa are actually suspended in the water column. Using a depth sounder to pick up fish will give you confirmation of this. read more

13 Mar 2018

Fly Tying: The Cranberry Larva

by Jordan Oelrich | posted in: Chironomid Fishing, Fly Tying, Stillwater Fishing | 0

Though it was -9C when I got in the truck this morning, I know that we are almost halfway through March and ice-off is not all too far away. Laying eyes on an ice-free interior lake you’ve been dreaming of since December is one of the best feelings in the world for an obsessed angler.

This tutorial covers one of my favourite ice-off patterns. This fly has proven effective for over five seasons now in the early windows of spring stillwater as well as late fall and even mid-summer lake fishing. The cranberry holographic Flashabou is (in my opinion) what makes this pattern. It is dulled a little bit by the red scud backing but I believe that is a good thing. A subtle amount of sparkle from the holo flash mixed with the true hemoglobin colour that the red scud backing brings is a deadly combination. read more

12 Mar 2018

Michael & Young Chironomid Fishing Courses – Saturday, March 24th

by Jordan Oelrich | posted in: Chironomid Fishing, Courses, Fly Fishing, Fly Tying | 0

Find chironomid fishing frustrating, boring or downright futile sometimes? Have you had some success but still want to further your knowledge?

Calling all of those on the Lower Mainland of BC, don’t forget about the two upcoming “Intro to Chironomid Fishing” courses at Michael & Young Fly Shop on Saturday, March 24th.

This course runs three hours in length and includes the following:

Proper boat setup

How to approach trophy stillwater fisheries

Locating and effectively covering a chironomid emergence read more

7 Mar 2018

Fly Tying: How to Tie a UV Pregnant Shrimp

by Jordan Oelrich | posted in: Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, Stillwater Fishing | 0

Freshwater shrimp, or scuds, are a staple item in a trout’s diet. From the day the ice comes off until the day it goes back on, shrimp are never a bad option to tie on during periods of slow fishing or early/late in the day.

This particular fly is one of the only shrimp patterns I fish. I gained a huge appreciation for it during a day of ice-off stillwater fishing in April of 2011. Fishing was incredibly slow, I had only hooked two fish all day and went into a shallow flat that wasn’t more than 3 feet deep for last light. read more

5 Mar 2018

Fly Tying: Chironomid Underbody Colours

by Jordan Oelrich | posted in: Chironomid Fishing, Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, Stillwater Fishing | 0

One of the things that makes a body material great for imitating chironomid pupa is translucency, being able to change the underbody material to give off different effects opens up a world of options. Anti-static bags used to package computer parts have long been one of the most popular materials for imitating the dull silver sheen that the natural pupa themselves take on as they ascend the water column, but what you put underneath this material can change the whole fly itself. read more

4 Mar 2018

Stillwater Fly Fishing: How Often is Too Often to Change Flies?

by Jordan Oelrich | posted in: Chironomid Fishing, Fly Fishing, Stillwater Fishing | 2

We’ve all felt it. Pure desperation, that helpless feeling of somehow not being able to get one single fish to eat the wrong bug, fly fishing can downright hurt your feelings sometimes. The fish show up on the sounder and the occasional sound of splashing on the surface assures you that surely they do exist, but it just isn’t happening. It’s easy to put blame on your fly choice, and sometimes it takes many changes to find “the one”, but how often is too often? read more