Your one-stop website for fly fishing the White River, the Norfork Tailwater, and Lake Taneycomo
“This page shows the incredibly elaborate fly tying setup that is utilized by White River fly fishing guide, Jeremy Hunt. White River and Norfork Tailwater fly fishing requires many types of fly patterns be available because of the constantly changing water conditions. Flies used by wading fly fishermen may become ineffective once the water comes up and fly fishing is done out of a drift boat or river boat. Click on the picture of Jeremy’s fly tying bench to see some of the flies that are commercially produced at this fly tying station – these patterns are specifically designed to catch trophy brown trout and large rainbow trout on Ozark Mountain trout fisheries.”
My Fly Tying Station
American Dagger Moth
Latest Fly Pattern added to the data base
127 How to steps for patterns added so far!! Last update 9-15-2011
This will be an ongoing addition, so make sure you always check back to see the latest fly pattern added. Once it’s in, it will also be under the different categories in the fly tying section. I don’t just tie trout flies, so if you’re seeking warm water flies, you will also find them here.
Up-coming Calander Events
Sowbug Round-up for 2012- March 22,23,24th
I will be attending for one day only tying on Friday in the afternoon time slot. I hope to see some new faces along with some that I've seen in the past. It's been three years since I made it to one of these because of schedule conflics due to guiding. I have some cool patterns to share, and yes they will be streamer patterns for sure!!!
Free Fly Tying classes at Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery
Free tying classes at Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery held on Saturday's (2 a month Feb 11th & 25th between 2-4pm). Next class will be on February 11th 2012. The next couple of classes for the whole month of February will be all about big articulated streamers. These browns are ready for action on the White River and NFOW. It’s just that time of year so get your hat on tight and come join us for a wonderful class. All you have to do to be a part of it is call in to the Hatchery and reserve a spot, or email me and I’ll take care of it.
*Bring your vice and tools, but if this is not possible, we will have some loaner equipment. All materials will be provided. Beginners are welcome to observe for as long as they need to before joining in the fun.
Fly Tying News
Tying Class – General 2-17-2012
Here are some videos from our last couple of fly tying classes. The videos are “Bucktail Streamer” and Gartside version of an articulated streamer. This color combo is sick and the browns JUMP on this color more than any other color scheme out there. The other colors you want to tie these in are olive/yellow, yellow/black, white/blue and black/red. We will continue classes through March and then it will be on hold till fall. I will however, keep uploading tying content on the site so always check back periodically to see the latest patterns or what’s HOT on the river.
Haven't tied these in years.......
November 19 2011 Fly Tying Class- Midges for our Tailwaters
Second weekend for classes and it’s good to see everyone back. Next classes we will be focusing on nothing but streamers. Yes, you heard it! This is a class you don’t want to miss. Streamers, or should I say “articulated streamers” is the hottest thing going right now. This by far is the easiest way to search out big fish on any river. Sticking with indicator rigs will take you a lot longer to hook big fish on a consistent basis. We will go over how to fish these while tying them so this is going to be a win win if you are after learning more about BIG streamers instead of the good ole size 6-10 wooly bugger style patterns. Here’s a few videos on what we tied for midge patterns. Great staple patterns for our tailwaters, or for that matter, any tailwater or midge fishery. We can’t cover all patterns, but here’s a few of the popular ones, enjoy!
November 2nd 2011
Tying Class- Working with foam
Being that this was our first class of the fall season it wasn’t a bad turn out. It was good to some old faces along with some new. I want to thank everyone who attended and for those of you who couldn’t, hopefully this videos will give you some help with your tying at home. I always have a lot of fun doing these classes and that’s why I do them for free. Enjoy!!
March 12th 2011 Fly Tying Class
Tom Rogers, the White River Basin veteran guide and crafty tier, took the stage for this class because Jeremy had prior guiding obligations. Everyone in the professional fly tying world has their own philosophy, and the two words that best describe the way Tom fishes and ties would be “simple and versatile”. There is no reason to overcomplicate the sport, and usually the fish dictate what flies we fish with and how we present them.
When it comes to nymph fishing, Tom is unique in the respect that he primarily fishes with lead-weighted flies instead of using a split-shot or a bead, especially during low-water conditions on the White River and Norfork Tailwater. Tom tied up his ‘famous’ sow bug pattern for the class participants…this is truly a plain fly that is endeared by trout. A pattern like this epitomizes Tom’s simplistic approach; it does not matter what we see at the vice, what matters is how a fly looks to the fish one is pursuing.
Tom is by no means one-dimensional, and he doesn’t just fish with weighted nymphs; Tom also uses a selection of bead heads that work very well in deep water on windy days or when the dams are releasing light to moderate amounts of water. For the class, he tied up his “versatile” freshwater shrimp fly. This pattern will catch fish anywhere at any time, but it works particularly well on the Norfork’s big browns when the water is rising during the spring and summer. Tom is also one of the best dry fly fishing guides in the area. He is known for his unique techniques and flies.
Although Tom was out of the fly fishing game for several years, he is working his way back as a guide and a show tier. If you ever see him out on the water, be sure to say ‘hello’ and then study what he does and how he does it. Tom Rogers has a style and eloquence that is worth mimicking, especially if you want to catch more fish.
March 9, 2011
Special Guest Tier for This Week’s Class
As many of you may know, we are extending the fly tying classes at Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery below Table Rock Dam throughout the spring and summer. The upcoming class is on Saturday, March 12th from 2pm to 4pm. White River legend Tom Rogers (of TNT fly fishing in Cotter, Arkansas) will be the special guest, and you don’t want to miss out on learning from this extremely creative fly tier who is known for focusing on creating very realistic patterns that are also somewhat easy to tie. I know there will be plenty of stories told, and you won’t want to miss out on meeting such a character and learning the savvy tricks of such a passionate fly angler with over 20 years of White River Basin experience.
February 22, 2011 Recap of last few week’s fly tying classes - Streamers and more streamers...
The first pattern we tied was an articulated streamer that utilizes three short-shank hooks. The purpose of this fly is to create a long profile while cutting down on the frequent short-strikes that occur when tying streamers long off the back of a single hook. The smaller hooks seem to do a great job of solidly hooking into large fish, as longer hooks seem to pop free much more of the time. Although the water on all the rivers is primarily low right now, this will once again be a big-brown producer when higher flows resume by summer (at the latest). The amount of movement that articulated streamers produce is very seductive, and I am lucky (in a way) that there are no longer any hook restrictions on the stretches I guide on. I would be careful throwing an articulated fly with multiple hooks out West because the regulations in that region are often comprehensive, complicated and vary from one body of water to another; it also could appear that you are targeting the highly-protected bull trout (landlocked Dolly Varden) if you use such a beast of a fly in their native rivers and lakes.
Anglers like to fish Wooly Buggers, so I decided to break out a mottled and variegated version of this popular fly that seems to work for me. I used two light colors of marabou for the tail – this helps with contrast and creates a lot of movement. The body was tied with variegated chenille, and I used a grizzly hackle to keep with the theme of the pattern. Finally, I wrapped several kinds of ice dubbing just behind a cone head. This gives the fly an extra bit of realism that often triggers bites after long follows.
Finally, we finished up with another streamer: a deer hair sculpin that also works well as a fleeing crawfish imitation. Watch the video, and you will see that I put my own twists on a pretty popular pattern. I do these things, like adding rubber legs and tying the fly unweighted, to enhance versatility. Patterns tied with deer hair heads have so much erratic movement when fishing them on sinking lines in moderate to heavy current that they incite a bunch of reaction strikes because this sculpin just looks like a critter in trouble caught out of its element; whether the trout think it’s a crawdad or sculpin makes little difference, as long as they bite it. During low water, you can slide a cone head down your tippet and fish this fly slowly - it can be deadly in areas where there are big fish hanging out in shallow, slow water. A lot of huge browns on the White will congregate in these types of areas all year as a matter of protection. In shallow water, they can see when trouble is approaching, but these are some of the most difficult fish to fool that you will ever encounter.
We tied up a lot of streamers this year, but that is what the class’ participants were most interested in, as a whole, and I wanted to give everyone what they wanted. What might end up being the last class for awhile (we are trying to have one class a month throughout the year so please stay tuned for that as we are working on the details as we speak) will be held on March 12th from 2pm to 4pm, and after that, I will be busy guiding most every weekend until late next fall. So, if you want to see what a fly tying class taught by someone who wears his passion for the sport of fly fishing on his sleeve is like, check it out on the 12th.
With over 20 participants attending our last fly tying class at Shepherd of the Hills trout Hatchery, it was the largest turnout in over four years of putting these events together. I’m proud of how far we have come, and really, there is no better free (or pay) fly tying class available. Tiers of all skill levels are learning new patterns and improving their catch-rates while on the water. Hopefully, this will encourage more of my readers to come down to Branson and see what this is all about – everyone is always welcome.
The first fly we worked on was a “Dubbing Loop Leach”. It is tied with new material that has flash incorporated into it. This makes it a quick-tie because you don’t have to add any Flashabou or other additional types of flash, but it is still very seductive-looking in the water. The Dubbing Loop Leach is the perfect alternative to a Wooly Bugger, and for whatever reason, the fish seem to grab it and hold on.
I decided to stay with the streamer theme for the second pattern we tied. The Magnum Murdich Minnow is a Michigan fly that imitates a small rainbow trout that has just been stocked. A rattle is incorporated, which helps the “MM” work really well at night, and it also pushes a lot of water, so the trout know it’s there. Even though this fly is tied large (size #4/0 for the class) on a long-shank hook, it is surprisingly easy to cast. I’ve been discussing night fishing with another guide-friend of mine, and we have both noticed how so many strikes come right when the fly hits the water. Most likely, this is a reaction to small rainbow trout falling out of the hatchery truck, so the next time you know that a recent stocking has taken place, try a Murdich Minnow…and then get ready for your fly line to feel heavy.
Please be sure to stop in at one of our upcoming classes if you are in Branson on a Saturday when we are getting together. We now have the use of a projector and screen, so those folks who would rather watch than actively tie will still be able to see exactly what is going on. Thanks again to everyone who has spread the word about these fly tying classes, and we hope to see all of you soon.
December 18, 2010 - Fly Tying Class Recap
Flashy Streamer concepts were on the agenda
So for this last class, I wanted tie something that would be beneficial to everyone; not only the students who are new, but also for the ones I have had tying with me for the better part of the last four years. I also wanted to help the tiers on my site. Since I don’t have all the free time in the world right now, I would have to make this class work out in the sense that when I show everyone these new patterns, I need to also be able to post them on the Web site for how-to step tutorials, as well. It’s hard to consistently balance out the beginner patterns with the advanced patterns, but it’s my goal to make sure that everybody has a positive learning experience both in class and online.
This week’s tying was more for the guys I’ve worked with for several years. The last two classes were primarily focused on teaching the basics of tying; from wrapping the thread on a hook, to learning how to use a whip finisher. The only problem was, we had a couple of true neophytes that needed to learn from the very beginning, but they were up for the challenge, and they didn’t hold back the more advanced students. Most of them really only wanted to watch, but I always encourage people to jump right in so they get some immediate hands-on experience. To make a long story a bit shorter, the new guys did very well. It took us two hours to learn one fly, but because we were working with several different materials on this one pattern, it taught them so much. I think the reason why people don’t tie advanced patterns that are on their mind is simply because no one has showed them how to really tie the fly or how to comfortably handle all the materials that are used. Of course, there are people like myself who will buy a fly and tear it apart just to learn how it’s put together, but still, if you haven’t tied much or worked with certain materials, the process is still somewhat intimidating and can keep people from learning challenging ties. I say all this because there is one guy in my class who has always wanted to tie big streamer flies, but never had the chance to learn. When he was finished with the fly, you could see the look of amazement on his face and he was so proud of himself. It made me feel good because I taught him something he can now take with him to his vise and he can apply it to his own patterns. I guess you could say he stepped out of the box and challenged himself to learn something different, and that is what fly tying is all about!
The fly we tied in class was a smaller streamer pattern that I’ve been having lots of luck with as a trailer-fly fished behind a really big streamer. I sometimes like to fish a dull patterns followed by a loud pattern just to see how the trout are reacting on that particular day. It’s similar to fishing a dry and a dropper rig, but on a much larger level. Fishing two different flies can increase your odds and it lets you know exactly what the fish want. This allows you to be versatile and dial in several different patterns that are working that day and it will make you a more productive fisherman in the long run – it never hurts to add another fly to the arsenal of patterns that you are already confident in. The more arrows in your quiver, the better your chances are of catching lots of fish and bigger fish.
Information about the pattern
This fly is all about flash and getting the fish’s attention. Even though this pattern is considered a streamer, it has several components going for it. I mean this fly could only be tied with flash and nothing else, but who would buy it or have enough confidence in the pattern if it was only tied with flash and nothing else? But regardless, the main objective of this fly is to sparkle and get the fish’s attention. The other materials that are incorporated in this pattern help build the fly’s body for durability and functionality. For example, if the fly didn’t have barred marabou for the tail, then the flash would lay down (on the hook shank), thus causing it to fowl up on the cast and wrap around the hook. The other important part of the fly is its head. The fact that the head is tied with wool allows this pattern to push lots of water which allows the fish to feel its presence with their lateral line. Deer hair works the same way, along with sili-legs and other flowing materials. This is why it’s important to always keep “water displacement” in mind when tying streamers. Utilize materials and tying techniques that work for you instead of against you; this concept lets the flies to do much of the work as you are stripping them through the water. Many tiers think the same way when considering using flies tied with flash. There is a balance to tying flash into the tail or into the fly itself, but in this case, it’s all about the placement and utility of the flash and this is why this fly was originated. The more I work with flashy flies, the more I understand why fish are drawn to them. Sunny days are perfect for throwing flashy stuff, and such patterns are also effective on clear nights and if the moon is bright. On overcast days, I hardly fish with any flash in my flies, and if I do, it is really subtle. I hope this helps you the next time you whip up some flashy flies – think about the conditions when you will likely be using the pattern, and utilize varying amounts of flash for versatility.
I hope to see you all at the next class and remember; if you can’t make it, always check here to read the follow-up report on what went on so that you don’t miss out on anything that was covered.
December 10, 2010
Fly tying classes are now in full swing
Like usual, the first tying classes of the winter took a little while to get rolling, but after a few smallish sessions, we are starting to get our regular crowd back; it’s good to see familiar faces along with some new ones. The dates we have for the rest of December through January are: December 18th, January 8th and January 22nd. These classes are free to the public, and you don’t have to be a fly tier to participate. If you’re interested in learning what tying is all about and you just want to observe before jumping in, you are more than welcome to attend. The last classes we have had focused on the basics, and we are still going to be tying some very simple patterns for [at least] the next few events. I rarely plan what patterns we are going to tie each Saturday ahead of time, as I like to sense the mood and desires of the participants before making any decisions – this is just the style of teaching I’ve adapted from my start as a guide. Give the ‘customers’ what they want with respect to a curriculum, and then very little time is wasted. I always strive to ensure that everyone is benefiting from the core principles being taught, so if you are looking to improve on concepts that you are struggling with, this is the right environment for you. Of course, I do have at least one fly I hope to teach, but the rest of the class is conducted in a free-form style.
The patterns we are covering right now are the core basics, as mentioned, but these are also staples that produce trout every day on any of the five Ozark tailwaters. Once we cover most of these, we will start slowly progressing into more advanced concepts, and hopefully by the end, everyone will be whipping up articulated streamers and dry flies like the pros. I’ve really never taught much using deer hair because it’s a tough material to work with, but that’s been something I’ve been wanting to try – please let me know if this is something that you are wanting to learn or polish up on. Make sure that you keep checking the dates of the upcoming classes and I’ll be sure to mention when deer hair is on the agenda. I think I’ve come close to covering everything, and I hope to see everyone at the next class.
If you have any questions whatsoever, please feel to email me at flytiehunt@hotmail.com or you can always call me at (417) 294-0759.
My little "River Monster" being like daddy.
The Ultimate ‘Cure’ For Cabin Fever – Fly tying classes will be starting up again
A lot of people have been asking about when fly tying classes will be commencing for the late fall and winter, and after working out a bunch of details with John Miller at the hatchery, I finally have a definitive answer. The first class will be on Friday, November 19th between 2pm to 4pm at the hatchery, and this event will be an opportunity for everyone to share some big fish stories, as the meeting will start off with a mini-seminar discussing this year’s brown trout run. We will also tie up some of the most productive patterns, and this will likely be the only meeting of the year where a good percentage of time will be spent discussing fishing and flies in lieu of strictly tying. I know that many folks have to work on most Fridays (myself included), so starting in December, we will try and schedule the classes in the evenings or on the weekends.
The following month, the topic will be “Bull Shoals Tailwater [the White River] tactics, flies and techniques”, and this meeting will be on December 4th from 2pm to 4pm at the hatchery. Due to the popularity of these get-togethers, we will try to have at least two a month. I have also been talking to Phil Lilley about strengthening the Trout Unlimited Chapter here in Branson, and we are kicking around the idea of adding a fly tying component to those monthly meetings to encourage education and so that there is some time for relaxing and socializing after current business is conducted. I will keep everyone updated regarding our progress in this regard, along with posting dates and times for both the fly tying classes and TU meetings.
