Welcome to the bench. I’m Johnny Utah, and these are the flies I tie, fish, and trust. From photo-by-photo tutorials to full tying videos, this blog’s built for tiers who want to learn the right way—no fluff, no shortcuts, just fishy patterns that work.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
question?..... sneak peak
Took a break from posting and taking pics of ties and flying. I've been thinking about getting back at it. I've still been tying and flying, just the camera has not been in the picture.... lol I need to reboot the blog here, since photo bucket decided to steal my images for some of the post and I know links are down on some topics on the side bar. Ill have all these problems done soon.
So my question to my subscribers is, which flies or techniques would you like to see here? Leave me a comment and let me know! maybe the infamous golden oldie?
Tight ties
Johnny Utah
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Best u.v. Resin on the block.
Deer creeks uv resins are bar none my favorite. Been using it for a while now and I'm sold big time. No tack no haze and diamond hard.
Nymphed with it on my golden oldie and high test hairs ears along with the diamond scuds and many other nymphs. The resin didn't crack, scratch or even fog and held on to the patterns after many outings.
I highly recommend you pick some up. You can get it with free shipping from www.castersonlineflyshop.com. Be sure tell them Johnny sent ya!
Tight ties!
Johnny.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
A splinter mouse
Tied it small for smaller trout. I also tapered the foam to give it a mouse profile for day time fishing on some local streams. I cut the rabbit fur on angle as well to give it more of taper.
Hook- #4 stinger
Thread- 6/0 uni black
Tail- zonker strip.
Body- wound zonker strip
Top- evazote foam black.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Small rusty hackle wing spinner video
Materials
Hook- Daiichi 1110 #20
Thread- Uni 8/0
Tail- Light dun rooster hackle
Abdomen- Tying thread
Thorax- Rust or rusty brown dry fly dub
Wing- light dun hackle.
*** I forgot to mention in the video that I only use neck hackle on these. I find the saddle hackle barbs too large width wise. Neck hackle is just a lot more supple and that's a great thing for a spinner.
Monday, June 30, 2014
A great little fly
The hackle wing rusty spinner is a staple in my box. Tied large to small. Pictured is a size 20. The small sizes with a simple thread body have served me well on many streams. From the tough limestones to tail waters and everywhere in between.
The hackle wing spinner is an old spinner pattern that is hands down one of the most effective and durable ways to tie a spinner. Quick, easy and few materials make this fly a no brainer.
I'll be instructing how to tie this pattern at our up coming ridge and valley tying night on July 1st at the Musconetcong water shed association blg in asbury nj. @ 730pm. Come on out and learn to tie this deadly fly. Also Utah's fly corners next video in the works is for the #20 rusty hackle wing spinner. So stay tuned.
Johnny
Monday, October 28, 2013
Little black diving caddis tutorial
Here is a tutorial for the diving the caddis wet fly. I always tie a few small black ones. They work really well on streams with good little black caddis populations. The fly is effective almost all day long and is best fished down and across with mends to allow the fly to drift naturally or dead, then allow to swim when the mend straightens.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Ready 2 Pop tying video
Materials
Hook- Daiichi 1180 12-18
Thread- Black Uni 8/0
Tail- Teal flank dyed claret
Abdomen- Teal flank dyed claret
Rib- Kreinik Metallics Blending Filament 032
Thorax- Marabou butt material form the base of a claret teal flank feather, blended with STS claret
Wing case- Evazote foam black
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Diving caddis video
Materials
Hook- Daiichi Alec Jackson North country spider hook
Thread- Uni 8/0 Tan
Body- Polar dub Tan\
Wing- Mallard flank dyed wood duck
Wing topping- Antron yarn white/clear
Hackle- Hebert miner hen neck hackle Barred dark ginger
Thursday, May 23, 2013
The H.O.H. dun and the sulphur hatch.
Ok, so I belong to a group on a fly fishing website called the fly of the month group. This months fly was any H.O.H. fly. H.O.H. meaning hackle on hook.
My friend Tom tied up some duns in a variant style, with the trimmed hackle for bodies. I thought they looked pretty cool. So I decided to twist up a thorax dun. I figured why not do a favorite dry fly pattern of mine and seeing how the hackle was getting trimmed for the body the v cut hackle just made sense to me.
The fly consists of only hackle and thread. So there is nothing on it that can absorb water, thus making it a perfect dry fly. The idea that Tom had behind the hackle cut body was for it to give the translucent effects that the naturals have to them. Sounds reasonable to me, so I twisted one up in sulphur and headed on out to a local freestoner for the sulphur hatch.
So with my trusty 2 wt and H.O.H. I made my way to the stream at the last bit of twilight. I went a favorite pool of mine. It consist of heavy riffle leading into and long tail out. I can always find some trout sipping and gulping insects near or in the tail out.
On the way to the water I was being buzzed by sulphur duns and spinners flying about. I just hoped the rain would hold out long enough for me to get a trout or two.
The clouds cleared a bit and the moon came out and bathed the pool in moon light. I could see fishy noses poking up from the water every so often. I made my first cast and landed a bit short of the feeding lane. The next was on point and the trout took the H.O.H.. A good fight later I had the hen landed.
I hooked several fish and one was very large as i couldnt really move the fish with my 2 wt. haha. The fly popped on that fish and I remembered why I didnt use mustad hooks anymore...... I ran out of daiichi 1100 in 14! and had some mustad laying around.
I'm not a great photographer by any means! but I'm no photographer at all in the dark! But you can still make out the fly. The proofs in the pudding as they say. I will do a tutorial of this technique very soon. And my daiichi hooks should be on there way! Thank you J.W trout
My friend Tom tied up some duns in a variant style, with the trimmed hackle for bodies. I thought they looked pretty cool. So I decided to twist up a thorax dun. I figured why not do a favorite dry fly pattern of mine and seeing how the hackle was getting trimmed for the body the v cut hackle just made sense to me.
The fly consists of only hackle and thread. So there is nothing on it that can absorb water, thus making it a perfect dry fly. The idea that Tom had behind the hackle cut body was for it to give the translucent effects that the naturals have to them. Sounds reasonable to me, so I twisted one up in sulphur and headed on out to a local freestoner for the sulphur hatch.
So with my trusty 2 wt and H.O.H. I made my way to the stream at the last bit of twilight. I went a favorite pool of mine. It consist of heavy riffle leading into and long tail out. I can always find some trout sipping and gulping insects near or in the tail out.
On the way to the water I was being buzzed by sulphur duns and spinners flying about. I just hoped the rain would hold out long enough for me to get a trout or two.
The clouds cleared a bit and the moon came out and bathed the pool in moon light. I could see fishy noses poking up from the water every so often. I made my first cast and landed a bit short of the feeding lane. The next was on point and the trout took the H.O.H.. A good fight later I had the hen landed.
I hooked several fish and one was very large as i couldnt really move the fish with my 2 wt. haha. The fly popped on that fish and I remembered why I didnt use mustad hooks anymore...... I ran out of daiichi 1100 in 14! and had some mustad laying around.
I'm not a great photographer by any means! but I'm no photographer at all in the dark! But you can still make out the fly. The proofs in the pudding as they say. I will do a tutorial of this technique very soon. And my daiichi hooks should be on there way! Thank you J.W trout
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Snowshoe cripple video
Hook- Daiichi 1180 #16
Thread- Uni 8/0 olive
Abdomen- Pheasant tail and brown marabou in a dubbing loop
Wire- xsmall utc silver
Thorax- olive super fine
Wing- Snowshoe rabbit
Hackle- Dun saddle hackle
Thread- Uni 8/0 olive
Abdomen- Pheasant tail and brown marabou in a dubbing loop
Wire- xsmall utc silver
Thorax- olive super fine
Wing- Snowshoe rabbit
Hackle- Dun saddle hackle
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Early season baetis
Saturday, March 9, 2013
March brown wetfly
The march brown wetfly is an old wet fly, and very effective one in the mid spring right on through the season. I like to give it a little more pop/flash/ with the u.v. high test dubbin. I also will tie them with the standard orange head. Winged or wingless, it's a great fly to fish, that will catch trout any where.
Materials
Hook- Daiichi 1560 #10-14
Thread- Yellow/orange uni 8/0
Tail- Bronze Mallard
Rib- Med. gold oval tinsel(lagartun)
Body- U.V. high test or hares ear
Hackle- Brown partridge
Wing- Hen pheasant secondary.
Materials
Hook- Daiichi 1560 #10-14
Thread- Yellow/orange uni 8/0
Tail- Bronze Mallard
Rib- Med. gold oval tinsel(lagartun)
Body- U.V. high test or hares ear
Hackle- Brown partridge
Wing- Hen pheasant secondary.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Catchem Flymph tutorial
Here is what i call my catchem flymph. It is hands down one of my best producing flymphs i use in the spring straight through the season.
It's a spin off from a hare's ear softy or flymph. But using the u.v. high test dubbing blend along with the rusty Montana fly co midge body thread in combination with the rusty orangutan ice fur and dark partridge.
This fly is fine tuned, meaning each element adds to the fly patterns effectiveness. I have tied many different combination of this fly pattern. But this combination is the
the golden ticket.
If this fly is on my line in a cast of wets, I always know what fly the trout took as soon as they strike. I havnt really spoke about this fly here on the corner, as its been a little secret of mine.
Even if you dont fish wets, this fly can be fished dead drift on the bottom and it produces wonderfully. From bottom to top, the catchem does what the name says.
Now lets twist one up already!
Materials
Hook- Daiichi 1560 10-16
Thread- Montana fly co midge body thread, Rust
Shuck- Ice fur, Rusty orangutan
Body- U.V. High Test Blend
Rib- Montana fly co midge body thread, Rust
Hackle- DARK partridge hackle
Now go catchem! If your interested in some u.v. high test you can email me at www.jeuflies@gmail.com
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Johnny's A.G.P. wetfly
I like making a wetfly from a bird skin, and this one comes all from a golden pheasant skin. The fly is very buggy and the trout sure like it. A golden pheasant skin is a wealth of materials for tying flies. Every bench should have one at least. Twist of these guys up and give them a go in up coming months, the fly has served me well and I hope it will do you well also.
Materials
Hook- Daiichi 1560 #12-14
Thread- Uni 8/0 black
Tail- Golden pheasant tippet
Rib- Small silver oval tinsel
Body- Red tip marabou from rump of golden pheasant
Thorax- Just a bit of the red tips from the marabou dubbed
Hackle- Rusty grizzly shoulder feather
Wing- Golden Pheasant secondary feather.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Snowshoe cripple
I like the dubbing loop with wire method for these flies. It adds just enough weight to get the ass of the fly down in the film but not enough weight to pull the whole fly under. It has been my experience that the pattern works best when it floats in this manner. Be sure to have some cripples in your boxes for the up coming hatches, its a true killer.
Not the greatest pictures but ya get the idea. :).
Materials
Hook- Daiichi 1170 #16
Thread- Veevus gray olive 16/0
Tail- Hen pheasant tail, and brown marabou
Body- Hen pheasant tail and brown marabou spun in a silver wire dubbing loop.
Wire- x-small utc silver wire
Thorax- olive dun superfine dubbin
Hackle- Dun dry fly hackle
Post- Dun snowshoe
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Hackle stacker video
Materials
Hook- Daiichi 1180
Thread- uni 8/0 light olive
Tail/shuck- Rusty orangutang ice fur
Body- Adams grey super fine dubbin
Hackle- Brown and grizzly dry fly hackle
Monday, February 25, 2013
The hackle stacker tutorial
The hackle stacker is great dry fly pattern. It was devised by Bob Quigley. The fly utilizes a paraloop technique by winding the hackle around a post and then pulling them over the top of thorax. The pattern can be a bit of a bitch to tie at first but once you do a couple you will have it down. You can also utilize a gallows tool for this task but I find it as easy to just use my finders. So lets tie one up, the tutorial is of an adams, but this pattern can be tied to match any mayflies.
Materials
Hook- Daiichi 1180 #10-24
Thread- Grey Uni 8/0
Tail- Mix of brown and grizzly
Abdomen- Adams grey super fine dubbing
Hackle- Brown and grizzly rooster hackle
Loop- Tying thread
Thorax- Adams grey superfine dubbing
Materials
Hook- Daiichi 1180 #10-24
Thread- Grey Uni 8/0
Tail- Mix of brown and grizzly
Abdomen- Adams grey super fine dubbing
Hackle- Brown and grizzly rooster hackle
Loop- Tying thread
Thorax- Adams grey superfine dubbing
Underside or trouts view, Looks tasty to me. The best part of the this fly is you can stroke the hackle down to each side it makes a great hackle wing spinner! |
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