When I was 7 my dad was building fly rods, and of course I wanted to do it with him. Rather than buy the materials for me to do the same (quite an investment for a 7 year old) he bought a $40 fly tying starter kit and a book by Dick Talleur, figuring if I lost interest it wasn’t much of a loss. 40 years later and I am still tying. From my youngest days I wanted my flies to look “like the picture” and so I have always spent as much time trying to make the fly look “pretty” as I have trying to make something to catch a fish. In 2000, I was living near the Salmon River in upstate New York, and tying flies there for steelhead and salmon fishing led me to spey flies. A book by Kent Helvie led to Jorgensen who led to Radencich, and then to Kelson, Tannant, Hale, etc.. Atlantic Salmon Flies perfectly satisfy my desire for a challenge and my natural inclination toward persnickety tying, and with early mentorship from John McClain, Ronn Lucas and others I became fully immersed in the classics.
I now live in Texas and for the last 12 years tie classics almost exclusively, with a focus on trying to stay more or less true to the old patterns while putting my own aesthetic to the finished product. I am always learning more and look forward to meeting and talking with anyone interested in this amazing hobby.
I now live in Texas and for the last 12 years tie classics almost exclusively, with a focus on trying to stay more or less true to the old patterns while putting my own aesthetic to the finished product. I am always learning more and look forward to meeting and talking with anyone interested in this amazing hobby.