“The Krystowski Minnow is one of my early original fly designs. I began tying this fly long before I was part of the fly fishing industry and a contract fly designer. It was at a point in my life when I had very limited time to spend behind a vise and, more influentially, when I had very little money to spend on tying material. I needed an all-purpose baitfish streamer that I could use for every occasion. I could not afford to have multiple fly boxes for every species of fish, but I was fishing everywhere and often. I needed a fly for river smallmouth, farm pond largemouth, Spring steelhead, Fall browns, wiper, walleye and northern pike. If I had a handful of Krystowski Minnows in my box I was all set. The fly needed to be cheap to tie, fast to tie and never fall apart…even after being chewed on by northern pike. I have old fishing buddies back in my home town who fish this fly over everything else. The fly is named after a family in northern Ohio who owned a small bass pond and would let me fish and invite me in for dinner. The earliest prototypes of this fly were fished in their pond” — Jay Zimmerman (Colorado Fly Fishing Reports ) Krystowski Minnow Tying Instructions Hook: Gamakatsu B10S #2 Thread: Black 6/0 UNI-Thread Wing: (Bottom) White Icelandic Sheep Hair, (Middle) Chartreuse Icelandic Sheep Hair, (Top) Black Icelandic Sheep Hair. Eye: Extra Small White Painted Lead Eyes Step 1 : Begin with Gamakatsu B10S #2 hook. Create a ¼ inch thread base of black 6/0 UNI …

A Fly tying video which shows how to tie a classic dun pattern using Upwings from Reel Wings, a product invented by Joseph Ludkin. Reel wings are a unique range of realistic insect wings for fly tying. Tied and Tested ‘Reel wings’ come in two styles; Up-wings for Mayflies, duns, olives and spinners. Flat-Wings for Hawthorns, Gnats, Midges and Smuts. Each style comes in three sizes; Small, Medium and Large. Each pack contains 10 wings. Reel wings are made using a unique manufacturing method. The process gives a very realistic, etched surface finish. The material used to manufacture Reel Wings is extremely thin; this keeps the wings supple so as not to hinder casting. Reel wings are designed specifically for fishing use unlike many other imitation wings on the market. Reel wings may be left natural or can be coloured to suit using ink washes or graphic marker pens
Video Rating: 5 / 5