Bloodthirsty black flies are biting viciously now. These tiny, humpbacked expletives, so beneficial to fish and birds, are miniature vampires capable of torturing the unprotected. Next time one tries ...

The dry-fly fishing up the Fryingpan River just won’t quit! Many people refer to the Fryingpan as the “jewel of the valley,” and one of her best attributes is the low water temperatures flowing out of ...

Mayflies thrive in the fertile waters around Vail. Mayflies are quiet, unobtrusive insects that hatch and sail away out of sight. Unlike the clownish bouncing of the caddis moths or the spectacular ...

Fly anglers love studying aquatic insects because imitating those bugs is how they catch fish. And while the world of aquatic insects is vast and can be extremely complex, the basics are simple. Four ...

Anglers and guides alike are all commenting on the prolific pale morning dun (PMD) hatches we are seeing this year. The Fryingpan has the most robust emergences of these mayflies, but there are solid ...

In the beginning of your fly fishing journey, the most common concept of fly fishing is floating a "bug"-like fly on the top of the water to induce a fish to strike. The fly is supposed to represent a ...

In my early days as a fly-fisherman, I studied mayflies intensely because they are so important to so many aspects of the sport. I continue to be fascinated by these beautiful and important aquatic ...

Photo for the Mirror by Walt Young Mayflies are elegant, delicate insects that have fascinated fly anglers for generations. The month of May can be the best time of year for fly anglers in central ...

Traditionally fished in the down-and-across presentation common to wet flies, the natural materials of a soft hackle fly impart dramatic and lifelike motion in river currents, resembling mayflies and ...