By Jamie Pike Where do I really begin?  I suppose I should go back to when I first tried my hand at binding feather and fur to the cold steel of a hook.  I was  a Paramedic in a small rural Newfoundland community.  I was new to the area, and knew no one there except the other medical staff that I had been introduced to.  The  drive was approximately an hour from my residence and I then would live in a small apartment within the firehall for 4 consecutive days (24hr days) then I would return home for 3 days. ...

By Kenzie Kozera   Originating in 1878, the Akroyd was a creation of Mr. Charles Akroyd and quickly became one of the most common patterns to swim the River Dee. Although initially tied for Atlantic Salmon, the Akroyd has become a popular steelhead fly as well. Variants of the Akroyd such as the white wing, cinnamon wing, or double wing have seen world-wide usage and are believed to be as effective, as they are beautiful.   Recipe: Thread: White for the rear of the fly and black for the front and head. Tag: Silver Tinsel. Body: First half: yellow seal...

by Fred Klein   The Blue Jay fly is a beautiful fly pattern with origins unknown but likely in the British Isles, as with many old patterns. The first documented account was included in Charles Orvis’ book ‘Fishing With The Fly’ in 1883. The wet fly shown on an oil color plate shows an American Blue Jay wing feather. American Blue Jays have been protected since 1918, all other references found later than this use European Blue Jay feathers, which are still readily available today.   Blue Jay as shown in Ray Bergman's Trout 1938   Jay Silver as shown...

by Kenzie Kozera A creation of Ally Gowan, this flashier cousin of his uber-famous "Ally’s Shrimp" was described by Gowan as having a flowing effect and was suitably named the “Cascade”. This pattern has produced many Atlantic Salmon and sea-run trout across the globe and has earned a place in the fly box of many anglers (myself included). The Cascade appears to work in all conditions, whether it be a cloudy or a bright sunny day. The size and profile can also be adjusted to suit both high and low water conditions, with hooks as small as #12-14 in summer months...

By Kenzie Kozera When a fly has been in use for more than a century, you can bet it works! Originating in the United Kingdom, the Blue Charm is now a global staple among anglers of multiple species. You would be hard pressed to find any angler in Atlantic Canada who does not have some variant of a Blue Charm amongst their boxes of wet flies. Originally tied as a feather wing with mallard or turkey, Blue Charms are more frequently tied with a squirrel tail wing now. However, you may notice that charms with a white wing (calf body, calf...