WELCOME

"Fly-fishing and fly-tying... different things or the same thing? When you're out fishing, your mind is designing and tying imitations of the  hatching fly. When you're sitting by the vise tying it, your mind is by the water, carefully laying it out before the rising trout."

Just a thought I had right now, but I don't think I want to take credit for it as a quote. It sounds way too true not to have been said by someone else before me.

I like to think that there are two main types of fly-tiers. One of them is "the angler who ties the flies he need" and the other is "the tier who also fish with some of his flies". It's easy to fall into the second group. There's an endless amount of flies to tie, but to many anglers, the need for having them all in their boxes might not be as extreme. I can't see myself by the water needing a Norwegian flag  hopper... or a #32 mayfly... or a cigar smoking party animal. But they can be tied, so why not do that instead of stowing away the gear when the gaps in the flyboxes are filled up? Let your mind wonder... "What haven't I tied yet?"

A question most tiers often ask themselves is: "What material can I use to tie this?". A question many forget though, is the question that opens up an entirely new and extremely wide dimension of tying: "What can I tie using this material?".

Understanding that 'fly-tying' isn't just about fly-tying and that 'fly-tying material' isn't just about fly-tying material... is taking a huge leap forward towards becoming a "fly-tying fanatic".

LATEST FLY SWAP:
'Sowbug Alumni Swap'
Host: Jimmy D. Moore
Getting nostalgic...

A STEP FORWARD:
'Inline Rotation' is the name of a really good friend and tying assistant.
A look into...

DUTCH FLYFAIR 2008:
Fort Altena, Netherlands. Surrounded by royals in the fort, the court jester felt very much at home.
See some photos...

FOAM HOPPER TOUR:
Started serious, but took a turn to somewhere else.
See more...

SOWBUG 2008:
Many tiers joined up and tied a LOT of flies during those three great days.
Trip report...