The Flies

Rainy Creek flies aren’t the same species you’ve been buying in fly shops. There are a couple reasons for this.  The first: I tie them to last. I use high-quality adhesives, epoxies and head cements to make sure your fly’s not going to fall apart after hooking a few fish.  Hell, it should be good for your whole trip, if not the season.  (This isn’t to say that your flies won’t be susceptible to normal wear and tear; they simply will last far longer than your average store-bought, mass-produced.) For example: hairwing summer steelhead flies will have superglue reinforcing the wing. Ever had your hairwing pull out, little by little, all day long, until you’re left with a hackle and a tinsel body when you thought you had a fly? Me too, and admittedly with flies I tied. I’m done with that, and so are you.

The second: They’re tailored to very specific situations. For example, a fly that’s meant to be stripped, HARD, from the bank to a drift boat might look a little bit wooden and lifeless on the swing-  or at least require a shift up in rod weight to cast all day.  Rainy Creek trout-swing flies, on the other hand, will cast nicely, swim seductively while they swing, and won’t fall apart after a few fish chew on them.  Likewise, most of my trout dry flies sit low or flush in the surface film, keeled by a stout hook - meaning they’re more likely to land right-side-up, and be easily inhaled by a trout who doesn’t want to break the surface.  I’ve had the good fortune to be able to test hundreds of fly patterns (my own and others) over the years, and to observe what works best and what doesn’t.

You’ll note that Rainy Ck. flies are more expensive than store-bought flies. The paragraphs above explain why. I’m a guy in Idaho sitting at his desk, tying every fly I send to you. I tie them with extensive attention to detail, taking steps that make them last.