Designing & Tying Saltwater Flies with D.L. Goddard

D.L. Goddard's design tips: Fly must be tied in less than three minutes, catch fish and appeal to the angler. Fly is designed a) Using preconceived concepts of what prey looks like, how it acts in the water or b) Around a specific material without preconceived concepts. Ask yourself- What does the bait look like? (size, color, shape, which materials might work best, hook selection, material selection and tying techniques). In using either method it is essential that you know what you are going to do before selecting the materials and the hook. A good fly design should have movement in the water because of the way it is tied and/or because of the materials used.

Once you have finalized a design, write the entire pattern down including materials, brand names, where you got the material, step by step sequence and store fly in properly labeled clear bag. D.L.Goddard retired in 1990 as a Captain from the Miami Beach Police Department where he spent 27 years as a full-time police officer. During that time he was also a part-time flats guide and after retiring, began a new career as a commercial fly tyer, outdoor writer and photographer. He has been published in numerous publications and also teaches fly tying, fly casting and fly fishing. He now resides on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with his wife Stephanie and their three dogs. D.L.'s Mantis Fly, D.L.'s Pulsator, D.L.'s Glass Minnow, D.L.'s Mylar Minnow, D.L.'s Firecracker