[Alex from GA]

In the early '50s a city park had fly tying classes. My parents bought me a Ned Grey kit and a model A vise. I rode my bike to a creek where I caught trout with my flies. Later on I lived a couple miles from Ned Grey's store and I picked his brain for help.

 

[duppyzafari]

I lost about half a box of purchased flies to the mangroves back in Cayman and thought "I'll save so much money tying my own!" and nobody was there to tell me how gravely mistaken I was.

I had ordered some flies from Chris Kincaid and they were so beautiful - those got me really excited about the idea of tying.

The blog on the Skinny Water Culture Website had a few dozen fly tying videos that Chase Hancock had filmed and those were the first ones that really got me pumped up about tying. The video production was really sharp. He didn't tie conventional patterns - they were all variations with non-traditional colors and creative use of materials. It was all totally outside the box, and I remain so thankful that I didn't realize how outside of the box it was, at the time. Fly Tying was offered as a creative exercise rather than the craft of recreating standard recipes. This is a clouser. This is a deceiver. I didn't even learn about those patterns until a long while after I began tying.

The In The Riffle videos were helpful in that the techniques and implements were explained as the fly was tied.

I had just moved to Florida when I started tying. I didn't have a kiddo yet, or a boat yet, OR any friends yet, so I had time to focus on tying. Now I have all 3 so I tie less frequently, but enjoy life more. Hahaha.

 

[mro]

early '50s a city park had fly tying classes

My dad was stationed in Southern California mid 60's.
He indulged my "fascination" of fly fishing by getting me a tying kit for my birthday and then taking me with him to the veterans park that had fly tying classes at night.
Only went a couple times but learned how to tie a Mosquito dry fly.

I think "craptastic" would be a good description of the flies I tied then.
Met Carl Hansen at a shop in largo (70's) when I lived in Florida. His advise upped my saltwater game dramatically.
Over the years I still manage to tie a few "craptastic" flies now and then.

 

[permitchaser]

My dad was stationed in Southern California mid 60's.
He indulged my "fascination" of fly fishing by getting me a tying kit for my birthday and then taking me with him to the veterans park that had fly tying classes at night.
Only went a couple times but learned how to tie a Mosquito dry fly.

I think "craptastic" would be a good description of the flies I tied then.
Met Carl Hansen at a shop in largo (70's) when I lived in Florida. His advise upped my saltwater game dramatically.
Over the years I still manage to tie a few "craptastic" flies now and then.

Craptastic flies catch fish

 

[mro]

Craptastic flies catch fish

they did

I had to quit fixing it.
Managed to cut off the pectoral fin on the other side and this side got it pushed into the body.

 

[permitchaser]

@mro man that thing would catch big leopard rainbows in Alaska. Kinda mouse looking

 

[mro]

leopard rainbows in Alaska

I've caught a boat lode of fish in Alaska, but never one of those Leopard Rainbows.
Maybe later this year.

 

[permitchaser]

I've caught a boat lode of fish in Alaska, but never one of those Leopard Rainbows.
Maybe later this year.

I could show you pictures of ones we caught but I was shooting transparencies back then. Caught them on Wolly Bugers

 

[mro]

I went to the what are you tying now thread to see my post...
It's here rather than there.
I do have an excuse, just see what I just posted in the "drinking thread"