Whats Jim Tying - Peach Jig Bugger
Posted on April 29 2022
2 Comments
Jim recently retired after 23 years of service in the US Army. He's the father of an awesome 6 year old son. Jim's is an avid fly fisher and fly tier....
Welcome to TCO Fly Shop's source for all things that matter to us... fishing, hiking, exploring and enjoying time in the outdoors with family and friends. We hope you enjoy the content provided here from our amazing staff.
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Fulling Mill Fly Boxes
Posted on April 13 2022
Guide Box Published: 22nd March 2022 | Author: Fulling Mill A Guide Box loaded with nymphs. Fulling Mill is excited to announce the newest addition to our fly box collection: the Guide Box. With a capacity of... -
Jim's Fly Tying Blog: Fancy Frenchie
Posted on March 30 2022
4 Comments
Fancy Frenchie
I was tying up a batch of Sexy Walts and thought why not jazz up a Frenchie a little more. All that we’re doing here is replacing the wire rib with Veevus pearl tinsel. This fly has become a staple in my box and has caught fish everywhere. -
Jim's Fly Tying Blog: Hare’s Ear Soft Hackle
Posted on February 14 2022
5 Comments
Hare's Ear Soft Hackle
Jim recently retired after 23 years of service in the US Army. He's the father of an awesome 5 year old son. Jim's is an avid fly fisher and fly tier. He loves all things related to two-handed rods and spey casting
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Beat the Cold: 2022's Winter Essentials
Posted on January 06 2022
On the Water Simms Merino Midweight OTC Sock A great Midweight Merino wool over-the-calf sock to keep your toes toasty. Simms Boxer Briefs From flashlight wake-up calls to sunset campfires, the... -
Purple Poison Tung Midge - Fly Tying Blog by Jim Natiello
Posted on January 05 2022
3 Comments
Purple Poison Tung Midge
Jim Natiello joined TCO after retiring from the US Army after 23 years. He loves all things Spey casting, and his happy place would be stepping down through a run swinging flies for Steelhead, Coho, and Brown Trout in the Salmon River.
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Stocking Stuffers under $25
Posted on November 12 2021
By: Amy Coen
Christmas morning stockings have always been my favorite part of gift giving. Not only do you need to find items small enough to fit in the stocking, but they need to be fun and creative. It's typically a gift pulled out of the stocking that provides the most excitement and joy for the rest of Christmas morning. I have great memories of treasures I've received in my stocking. With that in mind, I've created a list that anyone can use if they need help finding a fun gift for a stocking stuffer and all of them are less than $25...we have free shipping!
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Creating Your Own Adventure Rig
Posted on November 10 2021
Whether you're driving your Toyota Prius to the office, or you're hauling your Tacoma to the worksite, our vehicles are sacred. We've put together a list of our favorite items to outfit your vehicle for maximum enjoyment. -
Our Favorite Gifts To Beat The Holiday Rush
Posted on November 03 2021
For the Beginner: 1. Orvis Encounter Kit 9ft 5wt Instead of the term "entry level," we prefer to describe the new Encounter rod outfits as "affordable awesomeness." Built for... -
Top 10 Treats to Trick Your Trout and Steelhead
Posted on October 29 2021
1. Heisenberg From the mind of Nick Blanco, this general articulated baitfish streamer has been an absolute knockout since it's inception. Equipped with glow in the dark beads to spice... -
Scott Centric 10' 4wt Review
Posted on October 08 2021
1 Comments
Posted By: Frank Landis
For this post I’ll be sharing an in-depth breakdown of my thoughts regarding the Scott Centric 10 ft 4 wt. I chose this specific rod to add to my lineup because I was looking for something that is purely vesatile. Though I enjoy using rods that are strictly purpose built for Euro nymphing, I find that there are a lot of days that I simply want to cast a fly line instead of a long leader. As a result, I often carry two rods, one to maximize my nymphing efforts through most of the day, and one in case of a hatch and I need a rod to easily cast a fly line. We get in depth for this review, and it’s a long one, but hopefully it gets you thinking about not only this rod, but some different approaches to being versatile with less equipment.
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Good Things Come in 3’s: The Triple Crown Experience
Posted on October 01 2021
Over 7,500 miles. Nearly 400 days. 22 states. Three trails. One man. Between June of 2014 and October of 2018, I set out to complete the highly coveted Triple Crown... -
Fire Up the Grill With These Items for Labor Day
Posted on September 03 2021
1. A pair of Killer Shades: Every backyard barbeque needs an equally hot pair of shades. These are eco friendly and stylish enough to wear at home or on... -
Night Fishing The White Flies
Posted on August 24 2021
This time of year, everyone is asking if the white flies are on the Yellow Breeches. While it’s been a fun Summer of feeding ants, beetles, and grasshoppers to... -
Tying the White Fly: The Tighty Whitey
Posted on August 20 2021
3 Comments
Posted By: Kalvin Kaloz
With summer in full swing, I found some time to start working on what I hope will become a series of monthly fly patterns to share on Connected. Considering the time of year and the local waters surrounding where I live, the obvious choice for August is the famed white fly.
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New Product - FullingMill Hopper Box
Posted on August 11 2021
New Product - FullingMill Hopper Box!
Posted by FullingMill: July 14, 2021
Hopper season is just around the corner. Have you been dreaming about throwing big bugs to the riverbank and watching trout crush them? We sure have. In honor of this very special time of year, we couldn’t be more thrilled to share our newest fly box. Introducing, The Hopper Box!
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Top 10 Euro Nymph Patterns - Fulling Mill
Posted on July 12 2021
Top 10 Euro Nymph Patterns - By: Fulling Mill
Modern nymphing techniques, especially those known as Euro nymphing, have exploded in popularity in recent years. While Euro nymphing has been well established on the competition scene for years, many other anglers are now realizing just how effective it is. If you’re looking to try it yourself—or looking to up your game—you’ve come to the right place. While rods and lines matter, you can’t catch anything without the right euro nymph patterns!
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An Ode To Our Favorite Pets
Posted on June 25 2021
4 Comments
We're taking a break from the fishing content to give a shout out to our pets. Over the past year, we've been thankful for all the furry friends in... -
Our Favorite Gear for 2021 Opening Day
Posted on March 18 2021
Opening day is a tradition for anglers everywhere, and it holds a special place in the heart of Pennsylvania fishers. We've put together a list of our favorite new and time-tested... -
Sink Hole Meadow Stonefly
Posted on March 03 2021
1 Comments
It’s been a long, grey winter, but hope is on the way. In a few short weeks, we will see Early Black Stoneflies skittering across the surface of spring creeks... -
Snow Day Reflections - Proper Layering
Posted on January 19 2021
As I sit on the couch with a fire roaring sipping a hot cup of coffee, I find myself reflecting on my morning outing on a local spring creek. I have made fishing in the first snowstorm of the year a tradition for as long as I can remember. Although, I have always been horrible at layering properly.
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Top Ten Gifts this Holiday Season
Posted on December 09 2020
The fly-fishing industry is one of creation and innovation. There are new products coming out monthly that are always tempting for the gear nut. Christmas is a perfect time to shop for those new and innovative items for the angler on your list. The 10 items below represent new and exciting items for the Fall 2020 season. Happy Holidays!
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The only beer you should be drinking while tying this Thanksgiving...
Posted on November 24 2020
When the summer ends and Fall begins the chilly air brings in new beer styles and different fly fishing techniques. Coffeys Sparkle Minnow and Troegs The Mad Elf is essential for a successful and fun day on the water. -
The Double Squirrel Nymph
Posted on September 30 2020
The double squirrel nymph has become a staple in my trout and steelhead boxes over the past few years. This little nymph is simple, and not groundbreaking by any means, but it works and it's fun to tie. I started tying this fly about 5 years ago because I was tired of my hare’s ear nymphs not being as buggy as I wanted them to be.
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The B-52 Bombers of Late Summer!
Posted on August 27 2020
Posted By Neil Sunday
While the White Fly (Ephoron leukon) steals the show in mid-August, the “Hex” hatch remains my favorite on the Yellow Breeches.Around August 10th each year, I start scouting our streams in the evenings looking for the Hexes (Hexagenia limbata). Their sheer size and number, and the ferocity of the strike is what draws me to this oftentimes overlooked hatch. -
A Forgotten Essential: The Hook Hone
Posted on July 30 2020
1 Comments
Posted By: Frank Landis
In the fly fishing world, we talk a lot about gear and accessories. This includes all of the little tools and products that are designed to make our life easier. Forceps, nippers, hemostats, zingers, floatant, shot, leader straighteners, threaders, knot tools… the list goes on. Let’s face it there is a lot of stuff out there that you can hang off of your vest or pack. For many of us, there seems to be too much stuff. We get a lot of new anglers that come into the shop that ask what do I really need. We also have a number of experienced anglers looking to pare down their packs and eliminate wasteful items that take up space and make you feel overencumbered on the water. Most people are going to be sure to have their hemostats and nippers, but there is one item that I consider essential that too many anglers forget or choose to pass on. The hook hone. Having an easily accessible way to sharpen hooks on the water is extremely important and here’s why.
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Summertime Carpin'
Posted on July 23 2020
6 Comments
Posted By Neil Sunday
Summer is here and the water temperatures are in the 70s! At this point, many anglers will resort to traveling or perhaps just enjoying tying.
With the current Covid 19 situation, and travel being an elevated risk, I chose to learn how to catch carp on the fly rod this Summer!
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Quick Tie: The Foam Beetle
Posted on July 16 2020
7 Comments
Posted By: Frank Landis
As we enter the heat of terrestrial season, I thought I’d share a recipe and some tips for tying the foam beetle. It’s a simple and effective terrestrial pattern that is extremely versatile. In smaller sizes, it can imitate small beetles and large ants, and in larger sizes it can imitate beetles and any other insect that may fall in the creek. It's a fantastic summertime pattern so check it out and get on the vise!
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My Two Cents On Ants, Hoppers, and Beetles.
Posted on July 08 2020
12 Comments
Posted By: Neil Sunday
As the summer heat descends upon us, I’ll look to ants, hoppers, and beetles to bring trout to the surface. My home water (The Cumberland Valley) is steeped in traditions of terrestrial development for fly fishing along the Letort Spring Run and Yellow Breeches Creek.
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BWO Series Videos - Part III CDC Sparkle Dun
Posted on May 20 2020
6 Comments
Posted By: Lenny Gliwa
Part III - CDC Sparkle Dun
When Al Caucci and Bob Nastasi first created the Comparadun style of fly tying, they forever changed dry fly fishing across the globe. These deer hair flies sat lower in the film than their Catskill style predecessors and showed the trout something new. And the trout liked new… a lot. While the original Comparadun still dominates a large portion of each of my dry fly boxes, there are a number of incredibly effective variations on this style of tying. Craig Mathews, of West Yellowstone, MT and Blue Ribbon Flies fame, made a major contribution to tying with the addition of a zelon trailing shuck, and the Sparkle Dun was born.
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BWO Series Videos - Part II CDC Burke Emerger
Posted on April 29 2020
6 Comments
Posted By: Lenny Gliwa
Part II - CDC Burke Emerger
Emerger patterns come in many styles, but one of my favorite and most consistent producers has always been the CDC Burke Emerger. This simple dry fly pattern has accounted for some of the largest dry fly caught wild trout I have ever seen. I was first introduced to this style of flies by my former boss, Paul Weamer. Weamer is, in my opinion, one of the foremost authorities on technical dry fly fishing for selective trout and is arguably the best fishing entomologist in the country. The Burke emerger is a platform that I manipulate to cover a wide variety of insects. Tie it in a size 14 with a pinkish body, and you have a fantastic male Hendrickson emerger. Tie it in a size 18 with a yellow body, and you now have your Little Sulphur emerger covered. The versatility is truly amazing.
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BWO Series Videos and The Bug Book by Paul Weamer Book Review
Posted on April 03 2020
9 Comments
Posted by: Lenny Gliwa
Series Overview Intro
In this new video series, I hope to teach you about the major hatches of the Eastern United States and how to select flies to best represent those bugs. The thinking with these videos is that I wanted to not only show tiers how to imitate these insects, but also to teach every angler about my thinking in approaching each hatch and how bug behavior can impact fish behavior. After working for TCO for over a decade now, I have seen what troubles most anglers in selecting flies for a given hatch and my hope is that these videos will provide some insight into my process and hopefully provide some new information to help you be more successful on the water. With that, check out the first set of videos in this group of videos, The Blue Winged Olive Series. Please let me know what you think of the videos and what else you would like to see us doing.
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Fly Of The Month - Hendrickson Dry Fly
Posted on March 25 2020
8 Comments
Posted by: Neil Sunday
It’s almost April, and the trout are starting to look up. Any day now, with this warmer weather we’ve been having, Hendrickson’s will make an appearance on the surface.
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Tying Tips and Patterns for Euro Nymphing - Part II
Posted on March 19 2020
4 Comments
Posted by: Frank Landis
My Confidence Patterns:
Here are a few patterns that I will fish with confidence anywhere that trout live. From the east coast to the rockies, these flies have brought me success in all seasons and under a variety of conditions. You should try and develop your own lineup of flies that you consider your go to patterns if you don't have some already. I would fish these patterns along with a few others regardless of what fishing reports and guide books might suggest. That's not to say you shouldn't factor in some local knowledge and have other options, but having patterns you know will work anywhere goes a long way in your overall success.
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The Yukon Territory Part II - Pike
Posted on March 11 2020
Posted by Chris Frangiosa
Continuing with The Yukon Territory Part II - Pike
…with sinking lines and weighted flies in hand, we plied the dark waters. The flies were chosen because they looked like small defenseless grayling and after only a few retrieves with the large streamers we were onto fish. In the next few hours we caught and released many hard earned Lake Trout. The trout’s steel-gray and black spots were bright from being in the river all summer and the fish fought strong and hard. More importantly we had read all the signs, realized our abilities and put ourselves in the right place to catch Lake Trout on a fly. After climbing the steep incline, I looked back upon the now calm waters and felt a sense of triumph, an impression that we had connected with nature on a higher level that night.
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Fly Selection, Tying Tips and Patterns for Euro Nymphing - Part I
Posted on March 11 2020
8 Comments
Posted By: Frank Landis
Choosing a fly pattern is widely considered one of the most important decisions we make on the river. At the same time, it is largely over complicated, especially when nymph fishing. During most scenarios, we as anglers can be just as effective with a few patterns of different sizes and weights. There is no need to attempt to imitate every possible insect and nymph that we could encounter. In fact, I find that if a wide variety of nymphs are drifting through the column, fly pattern will be one of the least important parts of the puzzle. Even when a very specific hatch is going on, matching the pre hatch nymphs does not need to be very exact. For instance, when fish are feeding on pre-emerging sulphurs, I don’t think a true “sulphur nymph” will fish too much different than a generic pheasant tail pattern of the appropriate size. At the end of the day, you could tie on a terribly tied monstrocity and with a good drift, you’ll find a fish that will eat it eventually. I don’t mean to imply that fly pattern doesn’t matter at all, but I think most of us, myself included, will over analyze fly selection more than we need to.
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Fly Of The Month - Hank's Sleepy Madtom
Posted on February 21 2020
Posted By: Sam Reibman
I tied this fly to be a really simple sculpin/madtom pattern that ties up quickly and doesn't require very many materials. It's been used to catch both trout and smallmouth on my local waterways. -
The Yukon Territory Part 1 - A Lake Trout Expedition
Posted on February 12 2020
1 Comments
Posted By: Chris Frangiosa
In the days leading up to our expedition I tried to picture what the Yukon held in store. Nothing that I had imagined was even close to the beauty that is the Yukon Territory. This area of the world holds so many wonders that on any given day you cannot possibly absorb everything around you. The landscapes are breathtaking, the air is clean and within all of this runs river and lake systems teeming with fish. This is the fly-fisherman’s paradise of the freshwater north, and should be considered what the Seychelle Islands are to saltwater, a Mecca to which all fisherman dream of facing.
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Winter Dedication and Below Freezing Fortitude
Posted on January 21 2020
3 Comments
Posted By: Chris Frangiosa
If you don’t know me and just read this BLOG you may start to believe that I am a winter person. Someone who seeks out the coldest conditions and finds ways to get there and fish. That would be completely wrong. In fact, my main focus for the past 20 years has been the tropics. That is where I belong, where I feel most at home and the place I dream about.
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Getting Started with Euro Nymphing Leaders
Posted on January 14 2020
8 Comments
Posted By: Frank Landis
In Euro nymphing, having an appropriate leader is going to be a huge factor in your success. If you’ve done any research online, you’ve probably found a multitude of different leader formulas. If you’re new to the technique or if you’re new to leader tying in general, it can be confusing and intimidating to sift through the information and find something that is going to work for you. There really is no “right” or “wrong” leader formula, but there are a few constants that I think are really important to being successful while Euro nymphing. I’ll discuss a few different leader materials, a few basic formulas, and options for pre-tied leaders as well. Personal preference will dictate what you end up gravitating towards, but this will be enough to get you started and provide a solid base to work from.
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Wintertime Dry Fly Fishing - My Go-To Gear and Flies
Posted on January 07 2020
2 Comments
Posted By: Tyler Pensyl
As the weather begins to dip around freezing and the October caddis hatch is a thing of the past, the only thing on my mind: Midge Season! Most of my fishing buddies have a good laugh when I tell them that, but, for me, winter dry fly fishing provides an incredibly fun challenge.
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TCO End of the Year Steelhead trip
Posted on December 30 2019
1 Comments
Posted by: Chris Frangiosa
This past weekend some of the TCO crew headed to upstate New York to participate in a Simms dealer camp and to do some winter Steelhead fishing. These kinds of trips accomplish a few things. Firstly, we always come back with a further knowledge of the products we sell and also get to test plenty of gear. Secondly, and most importantly, we have a chance to share special moments together as a family both on and off the water. The second one is most important, we are all gathered at TCO for a reason. We all love fly fishing and the beautiful locations and moments that come from it. In fact, we all took a mo
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Fly Lines for Euro Nymphing
Posted on December 17 2019
5 Comments
Posted By: Frank Landis
A fly line is probably one of the most, if not the most, important component of a traditional fly fishing setup. Many anglers would agree that more money spent on a line is a better use of your resources than almost any other piece of tackle. In some cases, having multiple fly lines for different applications is well worth it. For Euro nymphing, this concept changes a bit. The effectiveness of a Euro nymphing setup relies on using a very long leader that inhibits as much drag in your drift as possible. -
Top 10 Fishing and Outdoor Gifts for the 2019 Holiday Season
Posted on December 09 2019
Posted By Chris Frangiosa
Top 10 Fishing and Outdoor Christmas Gifts for the 2019 Holiday Season
The fly fishing industry is one of creation and innovation. There are new products coming out monthly that are always tempting for the gear nut. Christmas is a perfect time to shop for those new and innovative items for the angler on your list. The 10 items below represent new and exciting items for the Fall 2019 season. Happy Holidays!
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The Situation: “Cold Feet and the Perils of Winter Fly Fishing”
Posted on November 18 2019
4 Comments
Posted by: Neil Sunday
The Situation: “Cold Feet and the Perils of Winter Fly Fishing”
The Problem:
The Cold weather months are upon us, and many folks just seem to stay inside and let cabin fever grow! But for the anglers that are willing to adjust to the cold water temps, many feeding fish are out there and ready to eat.
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Outdoor Research UL Compression Sack Review
Posted on November 09 2019
1 Comments
Posted by: Matt Brindle
I’ve been backpacking for about 35 years. For the first five, my Montgomery Ward sleeping bag was rolled and bungee corded to my pack frame. I stuffed my next bag (a Coleman) into a $5 stuffsack procured from Kmart. For the past 20, my bag has either been stuffed in the bottom of my pack, or stuffed within a trash compactor bag in the sleeping bag compartment of my trusty Gregory Forester.
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The Hardest Working Rods in My Quiver: Loomis IMX-Pro
Posted on November 04 2019
1 Comments
Posted by: Brendan Ruch
As a fly shop employee there is an innate obsession with gear that sometimes gets out of control. Fly fishing is a gear sport after all. Typically when a new premium rod series is released, the shop staff will talk about what models they need to add to their rod quiver. You don’t often hear this kind of buzz around mid-priced rods. The G.Loomis IMX-Pro was announced at IFTD in 2017 and shocked the TCO Haverford staff when we got our hands on them. When we got a chance to fish these rods, it was evident that every rod in this series was designed to meet the needs of a specific style of fishing. Of course, every length and weight of a rod series is meant to serve a specific purpose, but the IMX-Pro series stands out because of how well these rods perform in their given areas.
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Great Lakes Steelhead Flies with Alex Kolivras
Posted on October 27 2019
1 Comments
Posted by: Frank Landis with Alex Kolivras
As temperatures start to become brisk and the fall weather sets in here in Pennsylvania, you can be sure to see an influx of anglers come to the shop preparing to make their annual pilgrimage to the tributaries of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario for Salmon and Steelhead. As part of this process, the fly tying room becomes a popular place for many of our customers. This is no surprise, as many of the most effective steelhead and salmon flies are simple and cost effective to tie yourself.
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Euro Nymphing Rods Explained
Posted on October 20 2019
1 Comments
Posted By: Frank Landis
One of the first things people ask here at the shop when thinking about getting into Euro Nymphing is “Can’t I just use my 9 ft 5 Weight?”. The short answer to that question is yes. You could pretty much use any trout rod to Euro nymph. In a pinch, I’ve fished Euro leaders with my fast action 9 ft 5 weight and was able to make it work and catch a bunch of fish. Despite this, myself and most others would agree that getting the right tool for the job is going to make a huge difference. -
The Situation: Finding Success in Low and Clear Water
Posted on October 12 2019
6 Comments
Posted by: Neil Sunday
The Problem: At the end of September, I took a road trip to Penn’s Creek located in Central Pennsylvania. When we approached the creek, we were greeted with gin-clear water and lots of exposed rocks. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but we were determined to fish.
