Unwind a bit, Getting it Right
Guest Blogger: Mike Cline, Bozeman, Montana
Despite having tied flies for some 50 plus years, I still marvel at the artistry some tiers achieve. The J. Stockard Pro Tyers produce some beautiful flies that in my mind are the envy of us amateur tiers. Looking back to the early 1960s when I started tying, things have changed quite a bit. Today the patterns we tie are significantly different due to the increased use of synthetics, specialized hooks, new tying tools and the expansion of fly fishing into species other than trout and typical warm water targets.
Back when I started you learned from the few available books at the time or if you were lucky like I was, from some old timers who shared their 40+ years of experience tying fancy wets and Catskill style dry flies. You can still get some hands on tying experience at clubs and fly fishing shows as well as learning from the plethora of books out there, but it’s the online video that has taken over the role of fly tying professor. Despite the change in how one learns to tie flies or tie new patterns, the fact remains that fly tying is a locus of some basic tying skills and techniques, a variety of material handling techniques, the proper application of quality materials and the dexterity and ingenuity of the tier. The pro tiers who produce those artistic, well-proportioned and beautiful flies like the fly at the left by Pro Tyer Luke Stacy have taken that locus to its pinnacle.