We’re excited for Tyler Boroff to join us as a Signature Tier. Tyler is currently a full-time guide residing in Colorado. For him, guiding is much more than a job. It’s instead an opportunity to share his expertise as well as learn from others. “Whether it’s someone’s hobby or someone’s escape, being able to share that moment and the joy of fly fishing with others is why I love guiding.”
Tyler sees tying flies as an art form. The process starts with being in tune with the waters at hand and current weather to anticipate the possible insect activity occurring that day. From there, he make an educated decision using research and skills to adapt accordingly. He understands a fly can be developed from several species of insects, then narrowed down to a precise functional fly pattern. Small, subtle differences in his designs are what make my patterns unique and extremely productive. By sharing his patterns with the world I hope to inspire future generations to follow their dreams and do more of what they love.
Q: You started tying at the age of 4. Do you remember what pattern you first tied?
I grew up fishing a lot of ponds and slack water. Smaller midge clusters and midge adults were always preferred. The Griffith’s ghat was the first fly pattern I tied.
Q: What was it that got you hooked on fly fishing at such a young age?
My dad was my main influence. Growing up we went on a lot of weekend trips to fish different bodies of water. The challenge of figuring out how to fish all these different types of water as well as catch the species that lived with in caught my interest and became an addiction.
Q: You’re very talented at tying small bugs. How did you end up specializing in them?
When I began fishing tail waters I realized that some of my biggest catches were on smaller bugs. I needed to know why, so I spent 7 years on the San Juan studying and testing several small bug patterns. Then I took those same patterns and tried them all over Colorado with success. That’s when I realized small fly patterns were just as effective as other fly fishing methods.
Q: What is your favorite river or lake that you’ve ever fished?
I would have to say my favorite place that I’ve fished is the Missouri River in Montana. The Missouri was the best teacher. It taught me everything from small dry fly fishing to technical nymphing.
Q: What was the most challenging river or lake you ever fished?
I would say all bodies of water are difficult at first. But once you spend the time to figure out what works they are no longer as challenging. That’s one of the main reasons why I think people fly fish. Everyone likes the feeling of conquering a challenge.
Q: One of your new flies with us is the Bling Caddis. What lead to the design of this fly?
This fly was designed in the late spring for the Animas and Upper Rio Grande rivers. It mimics a cased caddis with a flashy core. The fly is intended to be a quick sinking attracter fly for rising spring river flows.
Q: Another of your new flies with us is the Foamie Homie. How did this fly come about?
The Foamie Homie was developed at the San Juan River. This fly resembles the body of a thin emerging midge. I added a flash collar to appear like an air sac coming from the emerging wing of the midge. This is one of my preferred flies that I personally use everywhere I go.
Q: A third of your new flies with us is the Hot Belly Baetis. Like the others above, how was this fly born?
This fly was born on the south plate River of Colorado. With the high amount of beatis found there I wanted to match the hatch but also catch a fishes attention. That is why this fly pattern has a discreet hot spot on it that’s partially concealed by the wing case.
Q: What is most exciting to you in the world of fly tying right now?
I think the growth of fly tying materials has developed immensely. This will allow fly tiers to stay creative and keep growing. It will be most exciting to see what everyone will create in the years to come.
Q: Do you have any tips for people who want to get into fly tying?
I would say a necessary part of developing flies is to study your local River entomology. Knowing what the bugs look like will help you tie better flies. And, choose an existing fly pattern to practice with. Tying a repetitive fly patterns allows you to fine tune the specifics in your desired pattern, which is also an integral part of the final design.
Q What advice do you have for people who want to specialize in tying small bugs like you do?
In a small bug every thread wrap matters to keep a small yet detailed profile. Therefore, repetition and attention to detail is key. To do something in a delicate and subtle matter takes patience. So, when tying small bugs take your time and do it right to develop good tying habits.
![](javascript:sharePopup('https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.fullingmill.com/tyler-boroff-qa/&picture=https://blog.fullingmill.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Unknown-3-1.jpeg&title=Tyler Boroff Q&A"e=Tyler Boroff Q&A', 'Share with Facebook','600','400','100','300')){kind=link}