"In 2014 I was in the Czech Republic with my Fly Fishing Team USA mates for the World Fly Fishing Championships. Our guide showed us a tag nymph which he preferred to swing for coarse fish on flatter sections of the Vltava River.

I had some success with it during practice but felt I could improve the color scheme, the hackle mobility, and adapt the weight to suit it to nymphing for trout and grayling in the other beats of the river.

After a few manipulations I landed on the recipe for the Blowtorch. It was instrumental in 2nd and 1st place finishes during that championship and has become my favorite attractor nymph since."