Don Moroz has the right idea, why not make money doing what you love to do.
Don has taken one of his hobbies, fly tying and turned it into a work from home idea for making money.
Great job Don.
I am a bit of a fly fishing nut and usually tie my own flies. I have never had any desire to make my living tying flies. I much prefer to tie them and then use them myself, although they do make great gifts.
I went to the Moncton Market to see if I could find a couple of friends that usually have a booth there. My friends weren’t setup that day but I was happy to turn around a corner and see Don’s booth setup.
Don Moroz, owner of Don’s Fly Box
I talked with Don for a few minutes before being dragged off by my wife to look at some things I had absolutely no interest in but it was great talking to Don.
Next time you drop into the Moncton Market check out Don’s Fly Box booth.
Maybe you can even buy your wife a set of new earrings.
If you’re looking to maybe start tying your very own flies be sure to checkout Amazon for a few great books on Fly Tying Basics.
I love fly fishing for just about any species of fish but smallmouth bass hold a special place in my heart because they are real fighters. I also fly fish for a Atlantic salmon which put up an awesome fight as well but they are few and far between unlike the smallmouth bass here in New Brunswick, Canada.
The fly I would like to look at today is called the Clouser Minnow and works great for pretty much any species of fish, fresh or saltwater.
Ass you can see by the picture, top left, you can tie the Clouser minnow in just about any colour.
Here is a video I found that will show you how to tie one up.
I hope you learned how to type a Clouser minnow for smallmouth bass and get out and use it. Happy fishing, friend.
I like to vary the size of the eyes depending on the size of the hook I am using. I also use a figure eight pattern to secure them in place. Also depending on the fish I am going after I will vary the hook size. However when I am fly fishing for smallmouth bass I don’t have to worry much about the size as they will smack em good whatever size you use.
When I am fly fishing for brookies here in New Brunswick I like to keep a supply of brown and white bi-visible flies, in a few different sizes. The trout sometimes like the ones that look a little plump but there are other times that they want something fairly small, so having these bi-visibles in sizes from 10 – 16 will give you more options to toss at them.
The white front of the bi-visible makes the fly a whole lot easier to see drifting down stream.
Here is a video showing you how to tie a brown and white bi-visible trout fly. It’s one of the easiest flies to tie, enjoy.
Was this winter longer than most? It sure seemed that way to me. Maybe it’s because I bought a treadmill so I could keep walking through the winter. I didn’t get out side much at all. Ahhh maybe that’s cabin fever. Guess I will have to travel south next winter.
I’ve been pretty busy with my online business all winter and even took on a couple of extra web design jobs to help my son get through college this year. It will be good to see him get a trade. He seems to be really enjoying it and is meeting his new temporary boss this afternoon. Very proud of him.
So with all that I have been doing this winter I still haven’t tied a single fly yet, but I have been looking at some I want to tie but I want to tie some that will work for trout, bass and pickerel, maybe even for Atlantic salmon.
One I found this morning on Youtube looks promising and is easy to tie.
It’s a leech pattern streamer, like a woolly bugger, that only uses a few items. Some maribou in what ever colour suites you, depending on the colour of leeches where you live. A little orange yarn to form an egg and some wire to weight the hook and of course some thread and to finish it a some hackle. That’s it.
I’ve caught pickerel, a relative of the northern pike, but my biggest was about 22″ and that was a huge amount of fun with lots of yelling and laughing. I couldn’t imagine hooking into a 50″ northern on a top water fly but I’m definitely up for the challenge.
Here is a video I have to share with your today. This guys does this all the time and it looks like a real blast.
Since I met Casey and Jamie we haven’t fished for pickerel using the fly rod but this year’s going to be different. I have already talked Jamie’s ear off about the fun I’ve had fly fishing for pickerel so I know he’s going to go for this year. And Casey is learning to fly fish this year so I know we’ll be going for pickerel and smallmouth bass.
Now all I have to do to get ready is start exercising my arms and to get some top water flies tied, before we head out. I have been talking about tying all winter but have been working from home growing my business and have set other things aside. Time’s running short, less than a month until fishing season opens and I don’t get much tying done when I’m out on the water so it’s gotta be NOW.
I am going to tie a few leech patterns, a couple of top water popper type flies and a few streams that will travel just under the surface, like the Mickey Finn I use for Atlantic salmon fishing on the Renous and Miramichi Rivers here in New Brunswick.
The itch to get out on the water is getting stronger each passing day and I’m finding it hard to concentrate on working. I’m just sitting here in a dazzle staring out the my office window into our snow covered backyard wishing I was out fishing.
Then I started thinking about tying some flies for the up coming fishing season but instead went looking online for some fly fishing related sites and that’s when I found Hatchesmagazine.comI spent the next few hours reading articles, watched a couple of awesome videos. The first was about brown trout and mayflies, very cool. The second was about musky fishing on the fly, something I have yet to try, maybe this year.
I subscribed to HatchesMagazine’s newsletter so I can keep up with what’s new there.
I didn’t find Hatches Magazine directly. I was on a FlyTyingForum.com checking out flies I might like to try my hand at tying and saw their link and then followed it.
Great kit for beginners All the tools and materials you need to learn how to tie jig flies Comes with high quality tools, vise, hooks, and tying materials Also includes instructional DVD featuring Lefty Kreh Let the experts at White River Fly Shop help you enjoy the satisfaction of catching a fish on a fly of your own creation. The Jig Tying Kit from White River Fly Shop includes everything you need to learn how to tie your favorite jig flies. With all the high quality tools, vise, hooks, and tying materials needed to make your introduction to jig tying simple and enjoyable, this premium kit also includes an instructional DVD featuring Lefty Kreh. Packed with carefully selected supplies, this kit will make your introduction to jig tying enjoyable. Great kit for beginners All the tools and materials you need to learn how to tie jig flies Comes with high quality tools, vise, hooks, and tying materials Also includes instructional DVD featuring Lefty Kreh Let the experts at White River Fly Shop
Wikipedia on The Muddler Minnow: The Muddler Minnow was spawned, so to speak, by Don Gapen of Anoka, Minnesota in 1937, to imitate the slimy sculpin. Gapen developed this fly to catch Nipigon strain brook trout in Ontario, Canada. The Muddler, as it is informally known by anglers, was popularized by Montana, USA fisherman and fly tier Dan Bailey. It is now a popular pattern worldwide and is likely found in nearly every angler’s fly box, in one form or another. Due to its universal appeal to game fish, the muddler minnow will remain as an integral tool in sport fishing.
The Muddler Minnow Catches More Than Just Trout
I have tied a few muddler minnows over the years as they are a variable pattern and can be fished in a number of ways. I have always been a top water guy so that’s how I fish it most often but it does excellent under the surface as well.
Even though I most often tie my muddler minnows to go after brook trout they also catch smallmouth bass and even chain pickerel. Look out when these guys hit the fly as you’re in for some major fun.
Note: When I plan to fly fish for pickerel I will use a small section of fluorocarbon as a leader as those little teeth are like razors and will cut through regular leader line like butter.
Here is a video I found on Youtube that will help you tie muddler minnows so you can see for your self.
The fly tying materials you will need to tie the standard Muddler Minnow:
Head: Deer hair, natural colour
Tail And Wing Section: Mottled turkey wing feather
This Holufusion Fly Tying Material is an easy way to add a just the right amount shimmer and appeal to trout, salmon, bass and saltwater fly and streamer patterns. The semi-translucent Holofusioin fly tying fibers and can be used for accent or as the body on baitfish imitations like the world-famous Clouser pattern. This Holufusion Fly Tying Material is an easy way to add a just the right amount shimmer and appeal to trout, salmon, bass and saltwater fly and streamer patterns. The semi-translucent Holofusioin fly tying fibers and can be used for accent or as the
This Holufusion Fly Tying Material is an easy way to add a just the right amount shimmer and appeal to trout, salmon, bass and saltwater fly and streamer patterns. The semi-translucent Holofusioin fly tying fibers and can be used for accent or as the body on baitfish imitations like the world-famous Clouser pattern. This Holufusion Fly Tying Material is an easy way to add a just the right amount shimmer and appeal to trout, salmon, bass and saltwater fly and streamer patterns. The semi-translucent Holofusioin fly tying fibers and can be used for accent or as the
This oversized Tie Fast tool makes tying 6/0 hooks and 120-lb. mono a breeze. This oversized Tie Fast tool makes tying 6/0 hooks and 120-lb. mono a breeze.
I have done some fly fishing for chain pickerel. Actually New Brunswick was the first place I ever saw and caught a pickerel on the fly, well really on anything, it was my first pickerel, but it set the stage for many many happy days on the water battling these wacky and vicious toothy water wolf.
My first pickerel was while fly fishing a little brown dry fly for brook trout and got a surprise catch, a little pickerel which was actually smaller than most of the brookies we caught that day.
Over the years since I have used boats, canoes and my float tubes to fish for pickerel on the fly and started using some bigger flies we use for smallmouth bass and Atlantic salmon.
I also used a few black wooly bugger leech patterns to have fun on the water and would like to share a video showing you how to tie the wooly bugger so you can give them a try yourself.
Fly Tying Materials You Will Need For The Wooly Bugger
Here’s a video showing what you need to tie a wooly bugger, a great description of materials.
How To Tie A Wooly Bugger
I tie the wooly bugger streamer as a leech pattern and don’t use the bead head. I have never had a trout, bass or pickerel ever complain about the lack of a head. They wooly bugger is a very easy fly to tie and I’ve found that a 6 – 10 inch retrieve works best for me. So here is a video that shows how to tie the wooly bugger.
Introducing the best chenille we&8217 ve found for tying woolies, and no bugger should ever leave home without it! Made from the densest Antron available with a little pearl Mylar tinsel mixed in for fish-attracting flash. Introducing the best chenille weamp 8217 ve found for tying woolies, and no bugger should ever leave home without it! Made from the densest Antron available with a little pearl Mylar tinsel mixed in for fish-attracting flash.
Living in New Brunswick Canada I don’t see pike like I did in Ontario but I do see Chain pickerel, which get up to about a max of 30 inches and are just as aggressive as a pike the same size. They are after all part of the pike family.
My first pickerel caught was on a fly rod while I was fly fishing for brook trout. Imagine my surprise when a little pickerel grabbed it in mid-air. Even though it was a tiny specimen I could see they were vicious and was eager to try the fly rod for some bigger ones.
Since my first pickerel I have caught hundreds and hundreds of them, all exciting fun but the most fun I think I have had fly fishing for pickerel is using a fly that had the hook point snapped off. I was using it just for the reaction I get from the pickerel, same applies to pike of course. I would just cast it out and watch the reaction from the pike and to see how far I could attract them from.
On the right days I have had them easily come from 10 or 15 feet away while casting in the weeds. Most times they would be moving, more than one coming in all directions, before the fly ever hit the water so they had to be sitting right at the top of the water. So cool.
I have had pickerel take the fly, the one with no point on the hook, and still hold on to it all the way back to the boat or float tube. I have even lifted some out of the water, without being hooked and they just won’t let go.
What I have found is that pike and pickerel like the same food and will attack all the same flies. I use bass flies and salmon flies to catch them here in New Brunswick and do quite well with them.
But I am looking to tie a few flies designed for pike so I was looking through Youtube as I do often and found some cool pike on the fly videos I would like to share and then at the end I will add in a video showing how to tie a pike fly.
Here is a cool video where they are casting to pike and watching them take flies. I get such a kick out of watching that wake more through the water.
That was so much fun watching but I have to add this one as well. We don’t get pickerel that big here in New Brunswick but even so I have great fun catching them on a variety of flies.
And now a video showing you how to tie a fly for your pike or pickerel fly fishing trips. Enjoy and keep your arms strong.
I love top water action, who doesn’t, but I also like to use streamers, the same streamers I use for Atlantic salmon work great. Streamers will run just under the surface and they get a lot of action and most times I still get to see the strike right at the surface too.
The Mickey Finn Streamer
I usually use the Mickey Finn streamer for spring run Atlantic salmon but once I gave the Mickey Finn a try for pickerel I added it to my pike on the fly flies. The Mickey Finn streamer takes about 3 minutes to tie once you learn how and is quite durable.
Enjoy the video and maybe I will see you on the water fly fishing pike or pickerel.
Fly fishing for pike is not for the faint of heart! However, for fly fishers with the desire to test their skills against the fiercest freshwater gamefish, this DVD ''Pike on the Fly In Pursuit of the Water Wolf'' with Barry Reynolds is a must-watch. Follow along as Barry Reynolds takes you to some of the most pike infested waters in North America, from little know rivers and tributaries to the mighty Yukon while he pursues the great water wolf with flies. Barry explains his admiration for the tremendous northern pike and why he keeps going back year after year, the quest for the ''Holy Grail'' a pike of over 50 inches on the fly! In fact, eight pike of over 50 inches were taken during production of ''Pike on the Fly In Pursuit of the Water Wolf'', including Barry's personal best&8212 a monster pike measuring 54'' in length and 28'' in girth. The film's intense soundtrack along with its breathtaking beauty and heart-pounding pike-fighting action will entertain every angler and not just those armed with a fly rod. ''Pike on the Fly In Pursuit of the Water Wolf'' also includes bonus footage for those who want to know more about flies, leader set-ups, fly lines and other valuable information that&8217 s required for taking pike on the fly. Approximately 68 minutes. Fly fishing for pike is not for the faint of heart! However, for fly fishers with the desire to test their skills against the fiercest freshwater gamefish, this DVD ''Pike on the Fly In Pursuit of the Water Wolf'' with Barry Reynolds is a must-watch.
Catching smallmouth bass on the fly rod is a blast, especially when I’m using some of my bass popper flies.
Bass popper flies are easy to fish, they’re fun and the strikes are quite often very explosive and that’s why I like using poppers.
Here is a video I found on Youtube that shows how to tie a popper.
Crease Fly Bass Popper – PA Fly Tying Lessons
Crease flies were originated by Capt Joe Blados for stripers and blues.
Scaled down, these flies are an effective alternative to loud poppers when largemouth and smallmouth are skittish but still taking surface patterns. Crease flies wiggle and swirl when stripped and this action often drives bass crazy.
Watch this video to see how to tie a very simple, effective, and durable surface pattern for smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing.
Don Moroz has the right idea, why not make money doing what you love to do.
The itch to get out on the water is getting stronger each passing day and I’m finding it hard to concentrate on working. I’m just sitting here in a dazzle staring out the my office window into our snow covered backyard wishing I was out fishing.
