Vince Wilcox's Naturally Artificial Signature Flies: Learn To Tie The Best-Selling, Most Effective Patterns

by Vincent Wilcox

Overview

Vince Wilcox's Naturally Artificial Signature Flies will enable tiers of all levels—from absolute beginners to long time tying experts—to follow along with ease. Vince Wilcox's Naturally Artificial Signature Flies has detailed, color images of all the steps. Some of the flies will feature over fifty photos in order to clearly illustrate for the beginner how to complete the fly patterns. The expert tier will find a plethora of useful tips and techniques throughout. Featured flies will cover all fishing situations from nymphs, dry flies, and terrestrials, and discuss the thought processes behind creating them, the materials applied, and the inherent properties they possess. Also find a brief section on how and when to fish each pattern, a useful feature most tying books omit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762771530
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/03/2012
Series:	Fly Tyer
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 10.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Vincent Wilcox has been a signature tier for Idylwilde Flies since 2004 and has had over thirty patterns tied and sold commercially throughout North America. His flies have been featured in books such as Dave Klausmeyer's 501 Fly-Tying Tips for All Skill Levels and The Master's Fly Box, Todd Hosman's Colorado Trout Flies, Randall and Mary Kauffman's Fly Patterns, and Montana's Best Fly Fishing by Ben Romans.

Read an Excerpt

“Fly fishing and tying are just in the blood.” One of the attributes of an accomplished fly tier is that all of his patterns share common characteristics and look pretty much alike. You can usually tell that the same individual made all of them. Flip through the chapters of this book, and you’ll see what I mean: each collection of flies seems like a separate family. Every tier has his preferences with respect to materials selection and proportions, and how polished—or bedraggled and buggy—his finished flies look. Vince Wilcox is a talented fly designer, an experienced guide, and a fly-shop owner. He is also a leader in using the latest materials to create better fish-catching flies. At first, some of his flies look a little whacky, but Vince doesn’t have time for nonsense; as a guide, he must get his clients into fish, and he creates new patterns that achieve that goal. You’ll quickly recognize Vince’s patterns as new—you might even say newfangled—designs. Let me assure you that there is nothing newfangled about his flies. Each pattern is well thought out and thoroughly tested; many evolved after several years of testing on the water. Vince boldly uses new ingredients in bold ways, and the ability of his flies to catch fish makes them bestsellers in his shop and through the commercial fly-tying outfit, Idelwylde Flies. Vince is another accomplished angler and tier who has fished his entire life. He learned both to fish and tie flies from his father, who was a guide in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. “I’m originally from Saranac Lake, New York, right in the heart of the Adirondacks,” Vince said. “Oh yea; my dad was a fly fisherman, a tier, and even a guide. Fly fishing and tying are just in the blood.” Vince knocked around the country for a while, and eventually landed in Colorado. That move lead to professional fly fishing. “A friend of mine got married in Colorado, and I went to his wedding,” he said. “I wasn’t living in the New York at the time—someplace else—and I didn’t like where I was. But I liked Colorado, so I bought a new truck, packed it up, and moved there in 1995. I sold cars at a dealership for a while—it was a pretty good job—but then I started Wiley’s Flies and ran a couple of different fly shops. Although I’ve fished my whole life, I really didn’t get heavy into the commercial side of fly tying until about the year 2000.” A lot of us experience the same ebbs and flows with our fishing as we mature. We spend a lot time on the water when we’re young, but then we discover relationships, establish families, and start careers. We have less time to fish, and our tackle spends more time in the closet. Fortunately for Vince, the move to Colorado led to professional fly tying and creating his own patterns. “I started tying the type of flies I sent to you when I moved to Colorado. I was trying some of the flies I was finding in the local shops, and I wasn’t getting the results I wanted, so I decided to start developing my own patterns. That what spurred it on: I just wanted to catch a few more fish.” Vince returned to New York State a few years ago, built a new fly shop Rainbow Lake, and established a guiding business. Living in the heart of the Adirondacks gives him a lot of options for fishing. “I fish the Au Sable, the Sarinac, the St. Regis, and the Salmon Rivers. But I also fish a lot of smaller streams for native brook trout. Only about three percent of the original brook trout range still exists in the Adirondacks, and a lot of that water happens to be within minutes of my shop. I get a lot of clients who really want to fish for wild trout in small streams, so that’s where I take them.” Vince’s fly-tying philosophy seems about as varied as his fishing. All materials are fair game, and he quickly discovers what will help him catch more trout “I’m not stuck on any one type of material. I’ll try just about anything if I can find a good application for it.” You’ve developed your own style of tying, haven’t you? “Many of my flies are a little bit different. I hope the style comes through. But each and every one catches fish.” We spent time reviewing Vince’s collection of flies. I wanted to hear his thoughts about material selection and learn more about how he develops a new pattern. Throughout the interview, he kept using the word “fun.” “The Foam Sally is a fun bug. There are a lot of Sally stonefly dry-fly imitations out there, but a lot of them don’t float the way I think they should, and you can’t see them on the water very well. You can get away with using a yellow Elk-Hair Caddis—that’ll serve the purpose to imitate an adult yellow Sally—but I wanted to do something different.” What’s different about the Foam Sally? “For one thing, my Foam Sally has an egg sac. And there’s an underbody of Midge Diamond Braid and the body is Micro Tubing. I use that tubing on a lot of my nymphs and dry flies. It’s a great, easy-to-use material. It’s also transparent—even the colored varieties are transparent—so you can change the color or specific shade of the body by changing the color of tying thread or underbody. When do you use this pattern? “The Foam Sally is perfect for fishing in June and July to imitate a real Sally stonefly, and it also works as a golden stonefly imitation. I also use it as an attractor pattern throughout the fishing season.” Vince develops a lot of original ways to apply materials to his flies. The wing on the Foam Sally is a good example of his creativity. “Look at Foam Sally from the bottom. I glue a piece of mottled Thin Skin to a sheet of foam using spray adhesive, then I cut out the wing. When looking up at the fly, the fish sees a natural-looking imitation while the angler easily spots the top of the bright yellow wing on the water.” Vince is also a master at finding unusual names for his patterns. For example, take the terrestrial imitations he calls Herbie. “That’s named for Herbie the Love Bug. You know: from the movie! I tied that fly for fishing the Green River in Utah. It’s a beetle, it’s a cricket, it’s a cicada—I use it to match all that stuff. It’s a great bug, and it floats like a cork.” The Glo Ant looks similar to the Herbie. “To be honest, I don’t know which fly came first: the Glow Ant or Herbie. The night fishing on the North Park lakes up around Walden, Colorado, was absolutely fantastic. Well, I stared playing with Glo Yarn—the yarn on that fly is the Uni brand of Glo Yarn. I used to make big ants—like size eight—and charge them up with a UV light. You’d cast the fly and it was easy to see on the watewr. In fact, the first time I used it—it was around eleven o’clock at night—I couldn’t see the ant. I quickly realized I couldn’t see it because a fish had taken it! Then the lightbulb went off: set the hook when you no longer see the glowing yarn.” Do you use terrestrials in the Adirondacks? “I have a tendency to fish terrestrial patterns later in the season, but I use this fly throughout the year as a big indicator dry fly and fish it with a nymph.” Tell me about some of your other terrestrials. “The VW Hopper is another fun bug.” It must be unsinkable. “It is, but it sits flush with the surface of the water. You see the wing and indicator, but the lower part of the abdomen sits in the water. The Chernobyl Ant was the inspiration for the VW Hopper. I tried different materials for the wing, but they twisted the leader. It looks nutty, but I designed that fly over several seasons.” This fly has very prominent eyes. You don’t see a lot of terrestrial patterns with eyes. Are they necessary? “I fished versions with and without eyes, and the ones with eyes just caught more fish. The eyes are a prominent feature on a grasshopper, and they must be important to the trout. I certainly have better results with hopper patterns that have eyes.” What’s origin of the JC Special? “The JC Special is named for John Clark, my fishing partner in Colorado. He’s a really nice guy, and one of the best friends you could have. John is in his seventies, and he was having trouble seeing my AC Caddis and asked me to add the Hi-Vis parachute. Then he said he’d like the fly better if I threw some rubber legs on it, so I said I’d make a fly just for him. This pattern has become one of my best sellers, and Idlewylde Flies is also having good luck selling it. I think they sell about one-hundred-thousand a year!” You add egg sacs to a lot of your flies. How do you make them? “I usually use Midge Diamond Braid for the egg sac. I melt the end with a cauterizing tool; if you don’t seal the end, the material will fray when fishing.” Caddisflies are important throughout the United States, and you have several terrific imitations. “The AC Caddis is my ‘Anything Caddis.’ I sent you the pheasant-tail version, and the antennae are just a couple pieces of elk hair pulled forward. I fish that fly during a caddis hatch, but I use larger versions to match stonefly hatches, and smaller ones work great during blue-winged olive may fly hatches. Just change the sizes and colors to match different insects. I tie it in sizes twelve to eighteen. When I was designing that fly, it was about the only one I was fishing. It just gets it done.” Vince continued our discussion by describing some of his other dry flies. “The Para Variant was one of the first dry flies on which I used Micro Tubing. The theory is that if you don’t squeeze the tubing too tight, it holds a pocket of air that helps the fly to float. It is also more durable than a quill, is easy to work with, and it doesn’t absorb water. “I also use Micro Tubing to make extended bodies for mayflies. You can buy packaged extended bodies, but they end up costing about fifty cents apiece. I needed to come up with a simple way to create extended bodies, and Micro Tubing is the perfect ingredient. Jut slip a couple of Microfibbetts into a short piece of tubing, and then tie the tubing to the hook to create the abdomen. That’s how I make the abdomen on the Micro Mayfly.” Does the Micro Mayfly catch fish? “You bet it’s effective. I’ve used patterns tied that way to catch the most discriminate trout, even spring-creek trout. When there’s an olive hatch on, and you’ve tried half-a-dozen flies and not caught a fish, this pattern will often produce.” In addition to terrestrials and dry flies, Vince also creates original nymphs and emergers. Once again, he uses the newest materials to develop better patterns. And his flies are always evolving. “The Big Thompson Special is a dummied-down nymph that has changed lot over the years,” he said. “It’s based on the Copper Bob or Copper John—whatever you want to call it—and the original Sawyer Pheasant-Tail Nymph. I just dummied it down, and it still worked. Later on, I switched to Diamond Braid for the abdomen and fine pearl chenille for the thorax. In addition to catching trout, the Big Thompson Special is a wicked steelhead fly.” The Big Thompson Special has a marabou tail. Do you fish it with a dead drift, or do you give it some action. “I do both. I start with a dead-drift presentation, but if I catch nothing in an area where I know there are fish, I’ll start using a little action and make it swim. I’ll start the action maybe two feet in front of the strike zone just to move the fly a little bit and catch the attention of the trout. But the Big Thompson Special also works well on the swing like a regular wet fly. The Superman is a really unusual pattern. Are people accepting it? “Oh yes, they’ve accepted it. It’s been around for a while and people know that it catches fish. Initially people thought it was a little off, but then it was featured in Fly Tyer magazine, guys started tying and fishing it, and it really took off. I also sent free samples to people who ordered on-line from my shop, and they found out that it’s not a novelty fly. I started getting stories for anglers who tried it, and they all talked about how well it works. “The Ginger Snap is also really catching on. It’s a yellow Sally or sulphur nymph. It’s a great little subsurface fly tied with a dry-fly hackle. There’s some logic behind making it that way. The folks at Idelwylde asked if I ran out of wet-fly hackle when I submitted this one, and I told them that I’d been experimenting with dry-fly feathers. Dry-fly hackle gives off small air bubbles in the water, and the fibers don’t collapse around the fly. Also, even though it has a small tungsten-bead head, if I grease the leader, I can fish the fly in the surface foam. I can fish the Ginger Snap deep when I have to, but I can also fish it just under the surface when the trout start to rise; there’s no need to change flies.” We concluded our talk by discussing Vince’s emerger imitation called the Low Rider. “The Low Rider is a little emerging mayfly. It’s sort of a Klinkhammer with a cul de canard trailing shuck; it’s pretty dainty. It’s available commercially in sizes eighteen and sixteen, but I can tie that down to size twenty. If I need to go larger or even smaller, I have some other flies I prefer, but within that size range—twenty to sixteen—the Low Rider is perfect for matching an emerging mayfly. That’s another pattern that is very visible on the water; the Low Rider is a good choice if you’re having trouble seeing your fly and you need to use a small pattern. It’s my go-to small fly for anglers with failing eye sight.” Did you create these patterns in Colorado or New York? “I designed most of those flies while living in Colorado, but this is what I try to explain to people: fish are fish. I use the same flies from coast to coast. And I see this reflected in my on-line store. I have customers in every state except Hawaii, and also in fourteen countries. Sizes and colors might change t match local conditions, but the same flies apply to most places. There is a lot of Western influence in these flies, but these are the patterns I use in New York.” Foam SallyFoam SallyHook: Mustad C53S, sizes 16 to 10.Thread: Light cahill 8/0 (70 denier).Egg sac: Red Midge Diamond Braid.Dorsal underbody: Dark brown Midge Diamond Braid.Abdomen: Orange Micro Tubing.Under wing: Medium brown cul de canard.Wing: Yellow Wilcox’s Foam Wing Sheets or a substitute.Hackle: Grizzly dyed March brown.Antennae: Brown speckled Centipede legs. HerbieHerbieHook: Dai Rikki 280, sizes 12 to 8.Thread: Orange 6/0 (140 denier).Abdomen 1: Orange Midge Diamond Braid.Abdomen 2: 2-millimeter-thick black foam.Wing: 2-millimeter-thick black foamHackle: Black.Thorax: Orange Ice Dub.Legs: Orange/yellow speckled Centipede legs.Indicator: Wilcox’s Psychedelic Foamicator. VW HopperVW HopperHook: Dai Rikki 280, sizes 14 to 8.Thread: Orange 6/0 (140 denier).Abdomen 1: 2-millimeter-thick brown foam.Abdomen 2: Chartreuse Midge Diamond Braid.Hackle: Furnace.Abdomen 3: 2-millimeter-thick golden stone foam.Under wing: Pearl Krystal Flash.Wing: Yearling elk.Thorax: Chartreuse Ice Dub.Legs: Yellow speckled Centipede Legs.Eyes: Yellow dome eyes.Indicator: Wilcox’s Psychedelic Foamicator JC SpecialJC SpecialHook: Mustad C49S, sizes 16 to 10.Thread: Black 8/0 (70 denier).Shuck: Dark brown Midge Diamond Braid.Abdomen: Midge Tubing.Under wing: Pearl Krystal Flash.Wing: Elk hair.Post: Float Vis.Hackle: Furnace.Legs: Speckled brown Centipede Legs.Thorax: Olive brown Ice Dub. Para-VariantPara-VariantHook: Mustad 94840, sizes 18 to 10.Thread: Black 8/0 (70 denier).Tail: White Kip tail.Abdomen: Midge Tubing.Post: Float Vis.Thorax: Olive brown Ice Dub.Hackle: Furnace. AC CaddisAC CaddisHook: Mustad C49S, sizes 18 to 14.Thread: Black 8/0 (70 denier).Shuck: Dark brown Midge Diamond Braid.Abdomen: Micro Tubing.Under wing: Pearl Krystal Flash.Wing: Elk hair.Post: Elk hair butts from the wing.Thorax: Olive brown Ice Dub.Hackle: Furnace.Antennae: Elk hair fibers pulled forward before trimming the post. Glo-AntGlo-AntHook: Mustad C49S, sizes 16 to 12.Thread: Orange 8/0 (70 denier).Abdomen 1: 2-millimeter-thick black foam.Abdomen 2: Red Midge Diamond Braid.Hackle: BlackWing: UNI Glo-Yarn.Indicator: Wilcox’s Psychedelic Foamicator. B.T SpecialBig Thompson Special (B.T. Special)Hook: Mustad 3906B, sizes 16 to 12.Bead: Copper, brass, or tungsten.Thread: Black 8/0 (70 denier).Tail: Grizzly marabou dyed tan.Abdomen: Rust Midge Diamond Braid.Thorax: Fine black pearl chenille.Collar: Ice dub, rusty brown SupermanOlive SupermanHook: Mustad C49S, sizes 18 to 10.Bead: Gun metal, brass, or tungsten.Thread: Olive 8/0 (70 denier).Abdomen: Olive Ultra Wire.Wing: Fuchsia holographic tinsel.Thorax: Gray UV Ice Dub.Legs and arms: Knotted olive Micro Tubing.Wing case: Fuchsia holographic tinsel.Collar: Black UV Ice Dub. Low RiderLow RiderHook: Mustad C49S, size 18 or 16.Thread: Olive 8/0 (140 denier).Shuck: Olive Antron.Abdomen: Olive Micro Tubing.Under wing: Pearl Krystal Flash.Wing: Medium dun cul de canard.Post: Float Vis.Hackle: Dun.Thorax: Light olive UV Ice Dub. Ginger SnapGinger SnapHook: Mustad C49S, sizes 18 to 12.Bead: Gun-metal brass.Thread: Light cahill 8/0 (70 denier).Abdomen: Light golden stone Micro Tubing.Underbody: Dark brown Midge Diamond Braid.Rib: Ginger Ultra Wire.Hackle: Light ginger.Thorax: Light yellow UV Ice Dub.Collar: Olive brown Ice Dub. Micro MayflyMicro MayflyHook: Mustad C49S, 16 to 20Thread: Olive 8/0 (70 denier).Eyes: Wilcox’s Nymph Tubing, black.Abdomen: Olive Midge Tubing with Microfibbets.Wing: Plastic packing material or raffia.Hackle: Grizzly.Thorax: Olive UV Ice Dub. PT SupermanPheasant-Tail SupermanHook: Mustad C49S, sizes 18 to 10.Bead: Gun metal, brass, or tungsten.Thread: Black 8/0 (70 denier).Abdomen: Copper brown Ultra Wire.Wing: Fuchsia holographic tinsel.Thorax: Olive brown Ice Dub.Legs: Knotted Micro Tube.Wing case: Fuchsia holographic tinsel.Collar: Black UV Ice Dub.

Table of Contents

Introduction A brief synopsis of what the reader can expect to accomplish by purchasing “Synthetic Synergism”, including why tiers of all levels and all regions can benefit from it. Part I Nymphs Chapter One Minute midge – A midge pattern created to be fast, efficient and of course productive. Basic rotary vise skills will be applied and lead into more complicated patterns. Chapter Two Lint Bug – A fly that has been the favorite of many anglers throughout the country. Learn how to tie the fly that started as a pocket lint request. Chapter Three Marabare – The Marabare is a guide fly, meaning it can be quickly tied and fished in a variety of situations. Combines the techniques and materials used in the minute midge and lint bug even while adding another level of sophistication by incorporating a trailing shuck. The new tungsten anodized beads give it a fresh look and a quicker descent. Chapter Four VW Emerger – This fly combines synthetics to create a midge/baetis that has been sold by the thousands. Chapter Five Madison pupa – Named after my daughter and the river, this fly will incorporate the use of eyes for additional weight and allow tiers to add a new technique to their belt. Chapter Six C-Squared – The cased caddis can be viewed as a free-living caddis from the bottom or a caddis still in its case from the top, allowing it to cover several species at once. Another technique is implemented here with the addition of collars and full wing cases. Chapter Seven T.N.T. – Caddis pupa are an important part of any tiers arsenal and this one has been a staple in fly boxes for decades. This “dynamite” fly can flat-out get it done under the most difficult conditions by fishing it deep along the bottom or just under the surface and anywhere in between. Chapter Eight Ginger Snap – Created to represent the sulphurs of the east and the PMDs of the west, the addition of a dry fly hackle on a nymph makes the collar remain stiff under water, producing a trail of tiny air bubble as it makes its way through the water. Teaching tiers how to create flies with alternative materials and think outside the bubble. Chapter Nine Little Green Machine – This fly has gained a place in fly boxes from coast to coast by producing in all situations, from still water to rivers and streams. More underlayment techniques are demonstrated to the tier to show the translucent properties of the micro tubing. Chapter Ten Big Thompson Special – A solid pattern that can be fished for caddis, stoneflies, and mayflies alike. This pattern is a quick version of the infamous Copper John that takes one quarter of the time to tie and remains just as effective. Chapter Eleven Microstone – If I could only carry one stone fly, this is the one. The first of its kind to incorporate midge tubing for an abdomen, throw on a wire rib and a wing case coated with UV knot sense and you have a stone fly designed to ride upside down to avoid snagging and more positive hook sets. Chapter Twelve Rapunzel – A true damsel in distress, this fly has been able to come to the rescue for anglers around the world. Damsels are abundant in every lake and stream and can also be fished as a Hexagenia or dragon nymph in the larger sizes. A unique design that utilizes nymph tubing burned into a set of glass eyes to hold them in place using a cautery tool and an underlayment beneath the tubing for an added touch of realism all while swimming through the water with its Cul De Chicken tail and wing pads. Chapter Thirteen 3WB – Wilcox’s Woven Water Boatman teaches tiers several different techniques, including how to use a half-hitch weave to create a lateral profile made of midge diamond braid, and a full flash wing case covered in knot sense to represent the air bubble the naturals carry on their belly. Another fly designed to ride upside down and engage the fish in a more positive manner while avoiding streambed vegetation. Chapter Fourteen Prince Charming – Prince charming is the perfect blend of natural and synthetic materials, creating a synergistic effect that makes it a shop favorite. Here we will discuss the benefits of adding the tungsten head and dry fly hackle collar as well the history behind the original Prince Nymph. Chapter Fifteen Superman – There is an added element of fun to your fishing when you are asked, “What did you get ‘em on?” and you can respond, “Superman.” We discuss wire abdomens and the first ever commercial fly to use knotted micro tubing for legs. Chapter Sixteen Bunny Bugger – Utilizing the newest materials and some new techniques, this bugger works for trout, bass, northern pike, salmon and steelhead. Part IIDries Chapter Seventeen Para-Variant – The first parachute fly of the book is tied using new and easy to follow techniques. This was also the first dry fly I tie having replaced the traditional quill bodies with the synthetic tubing to aide in flotation and durability. Chapter Eighteen ELC – Many anglers believe what they are witnessing in the evening is a caddis “hatch” when in fact it is the pregnant females returning to the water to drop their eggs. We discuss what to look for and the alternative ways to tie and fish this pattern. Chapter Nineteen Bevo – This caddis utilizes stripped grizzly hackle quills to represent long antennae. Add trimmed foam for wing pads to supply extra buoyancy and stability. Chapter Twenty Low Rider – This little CDC parachute mayfly has been a favorite of spring creek and tail water fisherman because of its realistic profile and addition of the high vis parachute. Chapter Twenty-One AC Caddis – Elk hair is used as a parachute as well as antennae, demonstrating to the tier how to make the wing, parachute, and antennae from one material. Chapter Twenty-Two Micro Midge – The first of its kind in production, this extended-body tube midge is easy to tie and flat out catch fish, especially during those hatches when the angler needs to drop down to fifteen feet of leader and a 7X tippet. Chapter Twenty-Three Micro Mayfly – Another first in the industry, this fly utilizes tubing as well as micro fibbets to form the tail. Add a realistic set of microscopic eyes by incorporating a cautery tool and some nymph tubing for a realistic wing. This mayfly has outstanding visibility for those anglers looking to see a size twenty from sixty feet away. Chapter Twenty-Four JC Special – This fly was created to help my long-time fishing partner John Clark see the fly better on the water. The addition of rubber legs makes the fly come alive. Hundreds of thousands of this fly have been sold, and the tying steps have never been released. Chapter Twenty-Five Dingle Berry – Articulated nymphs and streamers have been around for some time, but articulated dries were unavailable on the commercial market until I created this series. Chapter Twenty-Six Foam Sally – One of the first commercially-available flies to incorporate foam for a wing, and the first to use adhesive foams to add a mottled wing to the underside, this pattern floats like a cork even while riding in the film just as a natural would. Part IIITerrestrials Chapter Twenty-Seven Glo-Ant – Incorporating the use of a phosphate-impregnated yarn to add a glow-in-the-dark wing is a first in the industry. Tied in larger sizes, these flies can make nighttime fishing a reality for many anglers, and in the sunlight the glowing sheen gives the wing a realistic appearance on the water. All species of fish have found this one hard to resist. Chapter Twenty-Eight Herbie –Created as a cicada pattern, this beetle imitation can also be fished as a cricket with outstanding results. The No-Fray wing over the top of the foam is impossible for fish to resist and it floats like a cork too. Chapter Twenty-Nine VW Hopper – Sold by the thousands, these hoppers have taken the angling world by storm, and for good reason. The foam overlays used on this fly were the first of their kind, and the addition of a set of eyes make this fly too hard to resist for the angler and the fish. Chapter Thirty Nymphing strategies for rivers and still waters – This final section will give anglers the benefit of my thirty years of experience, providing techniques to make them more successful anglers in all situations, complete with diagrams.

Editorial Reviews

Vince Wilcox's Naturally Artificial Signature Flies includes patterns that will appeal to tiers of all skill levels. Tie Vince's flies and you will catch more fish." —David Klausmeyer, Editor, Fly Tyer magazine"Vince Wilcox is the most creative and unorthodox tier of his generation. His flies are as fun to tie as they are to fish." —Ross Purnell, Editor, Fly Fisherman magazine

From the Publisher