DuPage Rivers Fly Tyers

Let's hear your fishing stories! The rivers are in good shape and the fish are biting, both in our warm waters and in the cool streams of the Driftless.
Recently Pete found some cold water and some active fish! The bugs are thick and it's the perfect time to get out there. Pete says a dark caddis dry fly in #16- #18 worked really well!

What a great day to have a fly rod in hand!
DRiFT started our Summer fly casting program with a great turnout and our newest Certified Casting Instructor! Started off with some solid practice tips and some great foundational information. You all should really think about joining us on Saturday mornings!

And aside from the Fox River, many of our local waters are looking pretty good! Good enough for Dennis to paddle into a mess of nice smallmouth! Great job Dennis!

It's Spring! So you know what that means? Trout and tornadoes!!! Our club president and his son scheduled a trout trip with PJ's Guide Service to fish the Driftless, but didn't realize they'd scheduled it right after (and just before) a severe tornado spawning storm hit the area. They saw a lot of blown-out water, but with PJ's local knowledge and pre-scouting, he got them on some water that couldn't have been better! Looks like they had a great trip!

Get out there and fish!

Join us Tuesday, April 14th, for a casual evening of tying and socializing!
Bring your tying tools and materials and refill your fly box, learn a new fly or get started on flies for the 2027 Tie-A-Thon!

Show up anytime after 6pm!

The Bubblehouse Brewing Co.
2121 Ogden Ave Unit A
Lisle, IL 60532

Tuesday's tie is Bob Quigley's Film Critic!

Join us April 7th for a detailed tie by our Vice President! Those who know Mark know he is a very detail oriented fly tyer, and tonight he'll show us how it's done while tying a very detailed fly.

One of Bob Quigley's most popular patterns is the Film Critic, a great name for a brilliant pattern. Using Quigley's own ground-breaking Hackle Stacker hackling technique for flotation and the impression of legs, an ingeniously constructed yet simple trailing shuck, an accurately low hanging nymphal body coupled to an adult thorax and upright advanced wing, the Film Critic creates the impression of a mayfly nymph hanging in the surface film, distracted by its own stuttered emergence.

Half nymph, half adult, the Film Critic mimics a mayfly at its most compromised stage, dangling a nymphal abdomen below the surface while leaving an adult wing profile above to both better fool the target as well as provide good fly pattern visibility for fly fishers.

In keeping with form following function, the abdomens of all Film Critics are ribbed with copper wire, not only to reinforce, but, in Quigley's eyes, to add a bit of weight and allow the pattern to hang at the proper angle at the surface.

Using a curved hook to better position these important aspects of the fly at the proper place in the trout's view also affords a more than adequate hook gap, even when tied in smaller sizes.

As an added bonus, and contrary to many flatwater patterns, the Film Critic is extraordinarily buoyant, equally at home in the rough waters and pockets of Colorado's Rio Grande as it is on Quigley's slick home waters of the Fall River.

Materials:

Hook: Orvis 1639 emerger hook size 12
Thread: 10/0 Olive
Trailing shock: Mallard flank wood duck gold crinkled zelon copper
Rib: Copper wire
Abdomen: Super fine dubbing olive
Wing post: Polypropylene yarn white
Hackle: Blue dun

Tools:

Quality hackle pliers