A little bit about my flies...

I started tying realistic flies to fish with. It began with all natural materials and traditional techniques. It soon became apparent that some materials had to change when I started selling my flies. The prices I asked per dozen were much higher than normal and questions of durability started to arise. In doing so I know I stretched the limits of what is considered a proper fly. I sealed the deer hair and thread bodies with flexament and changed the appendages to monofilament. The flies became more durable and my asking price acceptable. So over the years since, when I tyed a presentation fly, it was only logical and practical to use the same materials and techniques that I had used to build what little reputation I had. This is a fact that still drives (everybody uses "my good friend" so I'll just say "my friend") Bob Mead crazy. He doesn't like the mono legs and antenna on any of my flies. I do however still tye a presentation fly from time to time with all natural materials, after all they were originally designed to be tyed that way.



Since I brought Bob into this (at this time he doesn't know this blog exists) I need to add one more element to my tying. An element that helped little by little put my life back in place and brought me full circle back to my tying. The element is Bob Mead....There are others I have and will always be thankful to but from day one when my wife, my life, my tying partner died. He 's talked to me when I needed it, to lift me up when I couldn't. He backed me, like he was my brother, when I felt no one else was there. He gently guided and encouraged me when I needed it most. If from this time on anything good ever comes because I tyed a fly, it will be because of Bob Mead.