Are Brownliners Tying Today’s Most Creative Flies?

It’s clear brownlining is coming into its own as a bona-fide segment of the fly fishing world – especially once you see the kind of ~~frightening~~ brooding creativity being poured into the flies being created to fool carp.

Often imitating food sources little seen in fly fishing, the new wave of brownliners are tying flies more reminiscent of saltwater patterns than those used on trout streams, and in truth, the growth in “brownline patterns” mirrors the not-so-long-ago explosion in saltwater fly patterns.

Carol’s Grass Carp Fly (courtesy Roughfisher)

The Boa Crayfish (courtesy Singlebarbed)

Singlebarbed’s Death Clam (courtesy Singlebarbed)

As a truly lazy fly tyer, I’m content to whip out a few Beetle Bugs and Hares Ears and call it a day, so I’m constantly amazed at the lengths to which inveterate materials hound Singlebarbed pursues new fly tying materials.

It’s either a sign of rampant creativity or a serious pathology, and since the guy shrugs off heavy metals and advanced bio-toxins over the course of the average fishing day, it’s probably best if I assume the former.

Of course, it’s Fly Fishing Industry Week here at the Underground, so we have to ask; now that brownlining’s picking up steam, will the industry respond?

Will the latest carp flies suddenly become centerpieces in the Umpqua catalog?

Will freshwater-tapered 7wt “carp rods” sprout at rod racks nationwide?

Can the feature-length “Carp X” be far behind?

The Underground doesn’t know. But I’ll keep my eyes peeled for signs of Brownline life at FFR.

brownlining, brownliner, carp, flies, fly pattern, fly tying