Nothing kills a great day of fishing like getting cooked until you feel like an overdone ham halfway through the day. What’s particularly silly about letting this happen is that it’s entirely avoidable with a little preparation and the right gear. Continue reading →

  High Country Flies has been providing dip tanks for treating wading gear for many years now, and to toot our own horn a bit, have even received special recognition from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for doing so. We use a simple bleach solution in these tanks, which has been proven to effectively treat wading gear from transmitting Aquatic Invasive Species (ANS) such as Didymo, Whirling Disease and mud snails. The water in these tanks gets changed regularly throughout the season. Keep in mind that the solution we use works even if the water looks dirty – it’s … Continue reading →

But there is another knot that we feel is one of the most important knots to master as soon as you start branching out from the basics described above, and that is the Non-Slip Mono Loop….. Continue reading →

  The past few years have seen a big focus on wading boot soles, over justifiable concern about how aquatic nuisance species (ANS), are transmitted. There has been a strong trend away from felt soles and toward rubber compound sole materials, primarily because rubber soles are easier to clean and dry out quickly. There is certainly a lot of good thinking behind this trend. At HCF, we take these threats seriously, and applaud all efforts to heighten awareness about invasive species impacts. In fact, years ago we initiated, and continue to maintain, dip tanks for treating wading gear at entry … Continue reading →

  For folks who are new to streamer fishing, and/or who have found casting and fishing streamers to be a frustrating experience, we thought we’d share a few tips on how to make your life a lot easier while fishing them. Effective streamer fishing begins with taking the time to put the appropriate leader on. Too often we see people take the light, 8′ – 9′ leader that they already have attached to their line, intended for dry flies or small nymphs, and they simply tie a streamer on to the end of it. This is probably the biggest mistake … Continue reading →

As we wait patiently (ok, anxiously…) for spring runoff to abate and our rivers to clear, this is a great time to go through your gear and make sure everything is solid for the upcoming fishing season. Some of this may seem obvious, but we find that far too many people tend to discover things that should have been maintained or replaced at the worst possible time -  while losing that first big fish of the season, or breaking a rod, as a result of something which could have easily been preventable. So we encourage you – take a little … Continue reading →

“Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.” –Henry Ford Fortunately, such is not the case for modern fly fishers and their fly patterns. Fly designers have long debated the relative merits of the “big three” elements of fly design: size, silhouette and color. What every fly tyer and angler wants to know is, of the “big three”, which is most important? Some would say that this is an essential question to answer. Dialing in on the perfect fly takes time and a little luck. Opportunities can come and go … Continue reading →

At High Country Flies we’re particular about the flies we sell…and fish with. We have to be. With a name like ours, people expect it, and rightly so. Most of the flies we purchase come from two primary sources, local tyers and Umpqua Feather Merchants. Whenever possible we use local tyers. Not only are locally tied flies normally the best available, but it allows us to work closely with the tyer so they are tied just the way we want them. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough such tyers to provide an adequate supply of flies. The majority of our flies … Continue reading →

Continuing our discussion about the little things that make a big difference we turn to products ranging from sunglasses to fly boxes which taken individually, are perhaps not of great import. Collectively, however, they represent the classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of it’s parts. By getting our equipment in order we come closer to achieving our goal of fly fishing effectively, efficiently and hassle free. Spotting Fish/Optics Typical Scenario: The angler is late on the hook set because they don’t see the fish moving to the fly in advance of the take. Or, the angler … Continue reading →

They say it’s the little things in life that can make it all worthwhile, and fly fishing is no different. A little attention to detail can make your gear and tackle work for you rather than against you. Flies that won’t float, leaders that won’t turn over or break too easily, or hunting through the 101 pockets of your fishing vest for that elusive but essential item are just a few of the myriad frustrations which can humiliate even the staunchest of anglers. Volumes have been written on the whys and wherefores of rod and reel design not to mention … Continue reading →