GUIDE FLIES YOU CAN LEARN TO TIE

Over the years, Dave McKenna has created some legendary flies, both for the fish that haunt the tropical flats and the trout that swim in the cold streams of his home waters. A handful of his patterns have been so popular that we had a few videos created to walk tiers through how to tie our heaviest hitting flies!

McKenna's Rumblebug

"I originally designed this fly for some friends fishing the Rumble in the Rhododendrons' down in Cherokee, NC. After seeing the water become tea colored from rains, I settled on contrasting Glo-Brite Purple and Orange floss with an extra flashy UV Rainbow dub collar to stand out in the current. The lemon-barred wood duck tails give the deadly pattern one of nature's best triggers. Oh, and by day two, they had the competition won and this fly got its name, The Rumble Bug!" ​-Dave McKenna

Tie the Rumble Bug on premium Firehole #516 barbless Jig hooks, and coat the pearl tinsel with Solarez UV Bone-Dry resin for extra durability.

Dave's Sexier Walts Worm

This nymph is the utility player of any nymph angler's fly box. Mimicking just about anything buggy that floats or tumbles along the stream bottom, you can be certain that something will take a swing. Simple materials and techniques make this nymph a quick pattern to whip up that you can be sure will get munched in any trout stream. ​Another dynamic combination of colors and contrast make McKenna's Sexier Walt's a famous performer in the Guide Flies series of signature Walts Worms. This sexier version has made its rounds around the world and become a secret weapon for many guides and competitors, especially in challenging situations when nothing else seems to work. Don’t always think about what the trout want to eat, sometimes go for straight sex appeal.

The Guide Rusty Spinner

Firstly, we didn't invent this pattern, but we did discover that adding Semperfli UV dub to these spinners is like adding a trout attracting strobe.  In the surface or in the film this fly will undo many mayfly hatches.  Another Dave McKenna masterpiece. This dry is simple to learn and doesn't require a ton of materials, so for those just dipping their feet into tying dry flies, this and the Guide Stimi are great places to start to hone your floating fly skills!