- Tying
A size 18 midge for the last warm afternoons
The tiniest fly in my box, tied in ten minutes, and why I still carry it in November.
Nov 8, 2026 · 7 min readRead: A size 18 midge for the last warm afternoons - Rivers
The small creek in November, and why I walk it first
Low water, leaves in the pools and a rod I mostly use as a walking stick.
Nov 1, 2026 · 6 min readRead: The small creek in November, and why I walk it first - Gear
What is in my fly box this week, and what is not
Eight patterns, one empty slot and a box that is finally tidy.
Oct 25, 2026 · 8 min readRead: What is in my fly box this week, and what is not - Notes
Pinning my patterns on the corkboard
Every recipe on a card, pinned by the vise, in the order I tie them.
Oct 18, 2026 · 5 min readRead: Pinning my patterns on the corkboard - Tying
Three turns of hackle, and then stop
Most of my flies are over-dressed. Here is how I learned to put the thread down.
Oct 11, 2026 · 6 min readRead: Three turns of hackle, and then stop - Rivers
Fishing a pool the size of a kitchen
Small water needs a small cast, a slow step and a lot of looking first.
Oct 4, 2026 · 7 min readRead: Fishing a pool the size of a kitchen - Gear
How I keep my flies from rusting in the box
Dry the box on the windowsill, leave the lid open, and stop overstuffing it.
Sep 27, 2026 · 5 min readRead: How I keep my flies from rusting in the box - Notes
Three patterns I have stopped tying
Pretty on the bench, no good on the water, and one that I still miss.
Sep 20, 2026 · 6 min readRead: Three patterns I have stopped tying - Tying
A hare’s ear nymph from a pinch of fur
The scruffiest fly I tie and the one that catches the most.
Sep 13, 2026 · 7 min readRead: A hare’s ear nymph from a pinch of fur - Rivers
The morning I only watched the water
No casts at all, just an hour on a rock learning where the fish sit.
Sep 6, 2026 · 5 min readRead: The morning I only watched the water - Gear
A small bag for a short walk upstream
One box, one spool, one pair of nippers and a sandwich.
Aug 30, 2026 · 6 min readRead: A small bag for a short walk upstream - Notes
Why I write the recipe on the back of the card
So the next fly I tie looks like the last one I liked.
Aug 23, 2026 · 5 min readRead: Why I write the recipe on the back of the card
Newsletter
Slow Water
One letter every Sunday: a fly to tie, a river to look at and a small thing I learned this week.
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