Steve Schweitzer, GFF partner

Advice on how to lay out a good classical salmon fly.

Combine the practicality of Sheridan Anderson, The witty prose of John Gierach and the comedic illustration of Gene Trump and you have the only Alan Pratt book ever published. Click here to read why this book surpasses simple flyfishing comedy into absolute hilarity. A genuine 6 on the GFF scale!

Above average in pattern selection and book layout. Misleading title: it's more of a fly-tying handbook featuring flyfishing in South Africa.

Here's a quick and simple way to make your own dubbing wax if you don't have the patience or confidence to custom blend your own.

The first rule of salmonfly tying is preparation... gathering your materials, laying them out and sizing up the situation.

Below we present you a brief pictorial essay of The Fly Tying Show, Saturday January 29, 2000.

Almost everyone has the right stuff at their tying bench to make a great batch of dubbing. But not many people know they have everything they need to make an outstanding seal's fur dubbing substitute. This dubbing is a viable replacement for SLF, angora goat and seal's fur, and the trick to making it is so simple it will amaze you!

I've developed a habit instilled in me by my salmonfly tying mentors. When evaluating the salmon fly dressings of others, I look at the floss work first. It is a key characteristic that determines and shows the skills of the cream of the crop.

There are many intended uses for this guide, namely as reference to ensure you have a fairly complete compendium as to what you will need to get started in flytying or to use when dropping the perfect holiday gift hint. But more importantly, it is meant for the budding fly tyer, in hopes that the years of wisdom gained through trial and error from myself and my tying buddies will steer the newcomer down the right path

In the most simplistic terms, a flytying kit must only have the tools and materials necessary to tie the flies you may use on a single trip or a single river. However, like most of us, a travelling flytying kit consumes more space than 26 high-schoolers crammed in a Volkswagen Beetle.

European authors Chris Mann and Terry Griffiths angle for a new spin on beginner flytying books. With barely a photograph and just a small piece on materials and tools, see why this book gets a rare score on the GFF Review scale. GFF partner Steve Schweitzer reviews the book.

St. Croix has long been known for superior spin-fishing rods... until know. Read the review here.

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As you probably know the egg was way earlier than the chicken. This article show you how to make The Cluster Egg Fly (pom-pom eggs) - a very popular type of fly for steelhead and salmon.

Want to use LeaderCalc but don't have access to MS-Excel? No problem! We at GFF recognize that many of you have been missing out on the extensive capabilities of LeaderCalc in helping you design your own tapered mono leaders.

I'll warn you now; the hopper is my favorite pattern. It's big, I can see it, it's fun to cast and present it with a plop, I have fun tying them and the fish just adore the big, juicy, summer delight.

Don't be fooled by the title! This hatch chart encompasses 46 different 'hatches' that are applicable to the entire US. It's ready to print out and keep by your tying desk for ready reference (Web, PDF and Excel formats). It's the most complete hatch chart on the net!

You have one extra rod with no sock and rod tube. You've been putting off buying a tube...why don't you just make your own?! With $4.00 and about a 1/2 hour's time, you'll have a DIY rod tube. These won't win beauty contests, but they work just as well as any retail version. Read here how to DIY.

Prime Jungle Cock necks are rare to come by. Learn how 'upgrade' fishing quality JC necks in this article.

It's a beadhead, no, a hare's ear, no... How about a flashback pheasant-tail... could be sort-of-a prince nymph, maybe a copper-john-alike or a biot-bug; whatever it is, it's versatile!. This is the Universal Nymph by GFF partner Steve Schweitzer.

Epoxy is out! Hotmelt glue is in! When it comes to tying eggs and MOE blanks, this stuff is the new hot way to do it! Let our own Mad Scientist
teach you more...

This little pattern will sink just like a beadhead and will imitate the colors a golden stone nymph has, almost to perfection. Follow the tying sequences in the article to make your own! Steve Schweitzer has created another killer!

Make your dry fly dubbing in bulk quantities while washing your clothes! It's that easy! Harvest the fibers that come from you tumble dryer and prepare it for fly tying. Read the whole story by Steve Schweitzer here.

What is production leader tying? Tying more than 2 leaders at a time! But, if you are like me, you find out that tomorrow you may go fishing, so you scramble to tie just enough leaders (usually 2) to handle the day and go on with life.

I am not one much for buying a lot of flyfishing accessories, so when the HSI Float-n-Tote rod holder arrived at my front doorstep to review, I was sceptically intriqued. I have never had much use for a float tube rod holder since most of my float tube fishing is done in litle ponds and near shore on lakes. However, the perfect trip was coming up to test out the rod holder system.

Comparaduns are one of the most versatile mayfly patterns in existence representing a low-riding mayfly to near perfection. However, many tiers shy this simple pattern due to the perceived complexity of tying the deer hair wings. Learn to master the technique with GFF partner Steve Schweitzer.

"Where have I been? Why didn't I use this before?!". The Quick-Seine is not a new product on the market as it won the Top Ten new product award at the 1996 International Fly-Tackle Dealer show,

A recent tying binge left me with a few thoughts on how to tie a quicker and better blue-winged olive mayfly. The ideas aren't necessarily new, but they certainly are worth sharing.

Maintaining that expensive string coated with plastics and polymers is the best medicine for adding years of life your flyline. Consider cleaning flylines after every 3-5 uses or when the water is particularly dirty.

The flats of Oahu in Hawai'i, harbor some of the largest bonefish in the world... although, Hawai'i isn't your typical bonefishing destination. Read why, how to do it and what you will catch

Martin Joergensen's annual trip to the Danish island Bornholm is coming up. This year without GFF partner Steve Schweitzer by his side. Steve here tells the story of the 2002 trip, where they both indulged in fish, good food and friendship for a week.

Strike indicators aren't just flyfishing bobbers; they do much more, if you know the secrets! Learn how to make and use them from GFF partner Steve Schweitzer.

It's for the trade only. Joe Q. Public can't get in. Before any trade magazine, before any other internet webzine... let GFF be THE FIRST take you on an EXCLUSIVE tour of this invite-only show. See who hobnobbed at the show and 

Made with only two materials, this highly effective caddis emerger pattern will take only minutes to tie and allow you to load up your fly box with the Global FlyFisher's hottest new pattern.

In the vise, this pattern may not look exciting, but when wet, this fly takes on a whole new personality! It's a simple pattern for complex trout. Be sure to read Steve's "Tips for the Curious Fly Tier" which explains how this pattern came about and

One of GFF's all-time most popular articles and downloads just got better! Download two new upgrades for FREE! 1) Leadercalc2007, enhanced with new formulas and label making features and 2) the all new GFF's Leader Guide, a 28-page PDF book you can use for your classroom or personal use.

Fly Fishers are the original "green" advocates. We are active in conservation. We advocate catch-n-release. We support stocking programs. We even save the lives of bait(!) But there's more we can do.

Steve Schweitzer is at it again. He just can't stay away from those chick-a-bou feathers. Maybe it's because chick-a-bou is so versatile and incredibly buggy looking. After tying up four variations of a crawdad pattern, he finally found what worked best. See what he caught on his latest addition to the Tabou Series of flies and

If you play guitar and tie flies...you are wasting some valuable tying material every time you change your strings. Old guitar strings have something to make flies land softly on the water and jig just enough to tease fish into striking. Learn from GFF partner Steve Schweitzer what to keep from old strings and how to tie

Perch and Shad are tasty baitfish that warmwater game fish love to snack upon. Modifying the classic Deceiver-style pattern yields a tasty fly that is easy to cast and won't tangle upon itself. Find out from GFF partner Steve Schweitzer the key steps required to tie 

Despite its diminutive size, this innovative wrist-watch display and remote sonar sensor gives float tubers and kayakers a truly portable way to find fishy water faster. And at a MSRP of $80 USD, the price point is wallet friendly too. Read GFF's review of this handy (pun intended) device which may

Effective anglers carry a myriad of emerger-style flies to take picky trout during hatches. While there are many styles of emergers to choose from, para-hackle style flies may not come to mind first. Tying emergers para-hackle style is a forgotten technique not often taught and even fished less. We at GFF can't understand why!?! Read along as GFF partner Steve Schweitzer walks you through the

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The leader is an essential part of the fly fishing setup. This article tells you a bit about designing leaders

In order to calculate the proper formula of a fly fishing leader, you need to understand the basics of leader design.

Monofilament nylon, or mono as it is referred, is by far the most popular leader material in use today.

The taper is the most single important aspect of a leader. This article tells you the principles behind leader design

What is the proper leader length for given conditions and circumstances?

The best knots to use for your knotted, tapered fly fishing leaders.