Tim Romano

Step-by-Step Photo Instructions on How to Tie "Banksia Bug" Fly

Online Editors — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:47:55 -0400

Step-by-Step Photo Instructions on How to Tie "The Dirty Rat" Fly

Online Editors — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:12:16 -0400

Step-by-Step Photo Instructions on How to Tie "Triple Wing Caddis" Fly

Online Editors — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:54:48 -0400

Step-by-Step Photo Instructions on How to Tie "Booby Frog" Fly

Online Editors — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:06:47 -0400

Step-by-Step Photo Instructions on How to Tie "Durex Condom Pike" Fly

Sarah Smith — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:23:25 -0500

Underwater Icicle Kills Everything In Its Path

Dave_Maccar — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:12:35 -0500

by Tim Romano

As anglers, we are in water, around water, on top of water a lot. It doesn't matter if it's salt or fresh I think many of us feel a connection with the stuff. As such I had to share this video from the BBC with you all. It has absolutely nothing to do with fishing, but a lot to do with water and is simply amazing.

It shows a time-lapse of a "brinicle" forming on the ocean floor. I'm guessing somewhere near one of the poles. The video shows the "finger of death" freezing everything it touches and is supposedly the first time this has ever been recorded.

Hope you were in awe as much as I was.

Enjoy.

Slide Show: Fly Fishing The Louisiana Marsh

Sarah Smith — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:57:29 -0500

I'm addicted--hopelessly in love with New Orleans. The fishery, food and all the people that come along with it. In what seems to have tuned into a bit of a tradition, Deeter and I spent the better part of the last week shacked up with our friend and guide extraordinaire Gregg Arnold. We ran around the marsh from Venice to Hopedale with a cadre of Florida guides and friends who often winter in the marsh like Brian "Bear" Holeman, Brian Esposito and Jason Rucker.

The weather made things a bit difficult, but as usual the guides got us on fish and most importantly we had a hell of a time doing it. If you've never seen the city or the fishery I highly recommend you put it on your list. You won't be disapointed. Enjoy the pics.

Tie Talk: Four Ways to Improve Your Flies With a Sharpie

Online Editors — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:08:56 -0500

This week the new Tie Talk man, Jay Zimmerman brings us one of his favorite tricks for spicing up a multitude of different flies. The Sharpie. Read Jays simple yet elegant tips below on how to use the pedestrian black magic marker to bolster your tying skills.

Unconventional tricks. Cheap tricks. I love ‘em all. Peek into any avid fly tier’s kit bag and you will learn some cool new stuff to add to your own arsenal. The best ones are usually the simple ones. One of my favorites is having a black Sharpie marking pen handy on my fly tying desk. Here are some of the ways I like to use it.

Sex up a streamer. This is a trick to add parr marks or other stripes and markings on otherwise bland streamers. Sometimes I will just darken the very top of a baitfish or sculpin, but every now and then I will completely change the appearance of the streamer by adding very aggressive markings. When I do this I will use one of my larger pens and be sure to have a folded napkin or old newspaper underneath. Be sure to press down hard enough on the first side so that it outlines the markings to follow—to maintain a sense of natural symmetry.

Touching up a midge. I never like spending too much time on any one midge pupa. Simple and slender is the key to tying them successfully, especially a larger chironomid. Keep the abdomen long and skinny and build the thorax up slightly fatter with thread. Use the Sharpie to darken up the top of the thread thorax before coating the fly with Softex or Loon UV Knot Sense.

Dot your own eyes. Instead of finding sloppy ways to adhere stick-on eyes to your foam flies (that will inevitably fall off after the third or fourth cast) use the Loon UV Fly Paint to create your own. The yellow paint comes out an excellent glowing green when applied over a solid green foam.

Once the paint is cured with a UV light it adheres fairly permanently to the foam. I do my frog eyes in four steps. 1: Apply yellow UV paint and cure. 2: Sharpie black pupils. 3: Cover with a coat of clear UV Knot Sense and cure (this prevents the pupils from smudging). 4: Apply a final coat of Hard-As-Hull or some other glossy head cement.

Ribbed for dry fly pleasure. Nothing looks as good on the slender body of an adult mayfly as quill or Biot, but if you need some fast ribbing build up the body with thread, then hit an inch or so of the thread with your Sharpie and wrap it forward. Pow! Ribbed.

Spreading The Word About The National Fishing In Schools Program

Online Editors — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:25:23 -0400

by Tim Romano

Recently you might have noticed Katie Cole in some of our casting tip videos. She's the program manager for the National Fishing in Schools Program and asked if we might know anybody (wink-wink) who'd be interested in checking out the new video they produced to educate people about their program. They hope to get more schools to sign up, and to get kids interested and educated about fishing who might not have exposure to it otherwise.

We think it's an excellent idea and told her that we probably do know some folks who this might resonate with. Yes, the video is a bit long but if you're interested or might know someone else who could/would like to get the program started in their school, pass the info and our link along.

For more info contact Katie M. Cole, or click the links below.

National Fishing in Schools Program

3601 Calvert Street, Suite 26

Lincoln, NE 68506

970-708-9373
katiemcole@flyfishinginschools.org
www.fishingeducationfoundation.org
www.flyfishinginschools.org

Shadow Casting Competition: You Could Be The Next Brad Pitt!

Sarah Smith — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:09:31 -0400

by Tim Romano

We've all heard about competitions for distance fly casting and accuracy shoot-outs, but have any of you ever heard of a shadow casting competition? Yes--shadow casting. The faux cast made famous by Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It. The Shadow Cast was supposed to imitate an entire hatch of rising insects at once. Right.

The gents over at Jazz and Fly Fishing--never a group to take themselves very seriously--have come up with a shadow casting competition complete with video entries and judging by Jason Borger. Jason was Brad Pitt's casting double in the movie. It says that the competition ended October 1st, but it seems as if they are still taking entries. If you want a solid laugh wander on over to the competition page and view a couple of the videos. Good luck and let us know if any Flytalk folks enter a winning Shadow Cast. We'd love to see it.