Flies – Tunes and Ties

Classics and Freestyles

For my fourteenth birthday, my Mom gave me a copy of Ernie Schweibert’s book, “Matching The Hatch.” For much of the rest of my life, I spent my time at the vise, book open, imitating the mayflies, stoneflies, caddis and other aquatic insect life that inhabited the Catskill rivers I’ve come to love so much. Two factors have come to moderate that; First, I began working a part-time retirement job at our local fly shop, “The Compleat Angler,” where I could buy hundreds of exquisitely-tied patterns without spending hours at the vise. Secondly, I began to fall in love with Atlantic Salmon and the flies that attracted them – especially the lovely old classic patterns. So for the past ten or so years, I have been tying classic salmon flies exclusively. Their proportions, colors, materials and challenge have been a fatal attraction for me. And the folks that tie them have given me an even more special benefit – I have met so many through my IG page, and their encouragement and instruction have been both amazingly helpful and have forged lasting friendships. So what follows is a sample of my ongoing attempts to learn this amazing craft.