What got you started tying flies? How long ago? Did you have a mentor?
I started tying flies in the mid-70's as best as I can calculate. My wife bought me a cheap fly tying kit for Christmas and that got me started.
The vise lasted about two weeks.
I then purchased a Sunrise AA vise which lasted me until the first quality vise came along, an HMH. When the Dyna-King vise came out I bought a "Supreme" Model, and have been tying on a Dyna-King vise of one kind or another ever since. I think I own eight or nine different models. Most of the time I tie on a Barracuda Indexer and also the Saltwater Model, which I feel is the most ergonomic vise on the market. The term saltwater is too restrictive. It is a wonderful vise for tying drys, streamers, etc.
I only knew one person who tied flies and he was in his seventies, so his tying and fishing activities were quite restricted. He showed me how to tie an Adams, and that was it. In the Seventies there were only a few books at the public library, and videos/DVD's were not in anyone's imagination. I stumbled along on my own and did the best I could. What helped me was tying commercially for NetCraft, located in Toledo just a few blocks from my house, and for a few years I tied very simple bonefish flies for Boca Paila Lodge in Mexico.
The real turning point in my tying came in 1985 when I attended my first Federation of Fly Fishers Conclave in West Yellowstone, MT. I took a Warmwater Class from Jimmy Nix and Billy Munn, who were probably the two best bass bug tiers in North America at that time. Both of them had won the Buz Buszek Award, so that should give you an idea about their competency. What I learned from them in two days would have taken 15 years on my own. It was so exciting to learn from those guys. It was like taking golf lessons from Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson! The ironic thing about that class was that I hadn't signed up for any classes in advance. This was the only fly tieing class that had any openings. What a break!
[The Buz Buszek Award is an award plaque presented annually by the Federation of Fly Fishers to that person who has made significant contributions to the arts of fly tying. Ed.]
After that class I went home and practiced like a madman. The next year I went back to the conclave and took Jimmy's class again. There were two other instructors involved in this class, Joe Robinson and Mitch Whitney, both from Texas. Several years later while I was attending a personnel conference in San Antonio, TX, I took an afternoon off and drove to Austin to take another lesson from Joe. Both of those guys were also very instrumental in helping me polish my hair skills.
In l989 I was asked by Al Beatty to be a demonstration tier at the Conclave. That was like being selected to play in the All-Star Baseball game. I remember I was quite nervous but got through the first day OK. After that I wasn't nervous again.
Two other notables were very influential in teaching me the fine points of tying, Wayne Luallen and Marvin Nolte, both winners of the Buszek Award. If you want to learn, there is no substitute for studying with the best people you can find. Sometimes that involves attending conclaves or traveling to take a class with a master tier.
I also studied tying Atlantic Salmon flies with Bill Hunter, John Vanderhoof, and Ron Alcott. Tying the "classics" is a wonderful way to polish material handling skills and thread control. I strongly recommend that every tier take a class on the classics even if you don't plan to continue tying them. The skills learned will benefit your trout fly tying more than you could ever imagine.
In the early 90's I assisted Marvin Nolte a couple of years teaching the Atlantic Salmon Class at the International Conclave. Being a teacher makes one analyze the how and why of everything one does.
Of course, there are others who helped me along the way, though too numerous to mention here. I tried to take at least one course every year at the International Conclave. As Poul Jorgensen once said, "you never graduate from the school of fly tying."
In 2004 you won the FFF Buz Buszek Memorial Award; what did that award mean to you?
Winning the Buszek Award is, as my good friend Glenn Weisner once said, "like winning the Heisman Trophy of fly tying." I would say the best part of winning this award is the knowledge of the thoughtful input by many other fly tiers and those in a position to recognize that a person is doing something well. Being recognized by one's peers is the highest recognition one can achieve.
You travel to a lot of shows and teach a lot of classes; how important is teaching others to you?
I graduated from The University of Toledo with a degree in Education and taught four years of junior high school business and social studies, mostly history and geography. Teaching is always something I wanted to do. My main influence was my high school history teacher during my sophomore year at DeVilbiss High School in Toledo. I wanted to be a teacher after spending in year in Clark Folgate's class.
As for my teaching fly-tying, the main reason I do it now is so others don't have to suffer through what I endured in my first 10 years as a tier. The learning curve is very low when one doesn't have anyone else teaching them the finer points. I have a saying; "you can't teach yourself something you don't know anything about." Would you have a self-taught brain surgeon operate on your head? Of course, there are those who learn fly tying and other skills with no others helping them, but it takes considerably longer to reach a high lever of proficiency. Having a competent instructor speeds up the process and the enjoyment and self satisfaction comes more quickly.
Obviously you tie a lot of deer hair flies; is there any other style of fly that you really enjoy tying?
I enjoy tying all types of flies. The only fly style I don't find as satisfying is tying nymphs. My favorite flies besides hair bugs are dry flies and streamers. Western Steelhead patterns and saltwater flies I find also to be quite enjoyable. Because deer hair is my specialty I find myself tying them more often because of requests from collectors to buy them, as well as those who want some for fishing.
Many people are overwhelmed when they first start working with deer hair; what advice can you give them?
Read the article I wrote for the current (May 2006) issue of "Fly Fisherman." That summarizes all of the key elements of tying hair bugs. The three most important elements are: having good quality hair, good tools, and gel-spun thread (GSP.) Then, practice!
I can't emphasize the tools enough. Too many tiers try to get by with the cheapest tools available, which just do not do the job. It is like having one arm tied behind one's back. Just today I had a lady call and order all the essentials mentioned in the article including the thread, tools, hair, head cement, etc. The total cost was $150. The tools will last forever, with a little sharpening of the scissors every now and then, of course. Yes, the thread and deer hair have to be replaced every so often but the cost of these items is minimal.
Trimming hair can be nerve-wracking when first starting out; do you have any tips to make trimming easier?
The most important part of obtaining a symmetrical bug is to employ a structured system for trimming. I briefly describe this in the Fly Fisherman article. For all patterns, I trim the bottom of the fly first. I'll do the top or face of the bug second. The sides are done last using the width of the face or front of the bug as a guidepost. Always make sure the amount of hair on either side of the hook eye is the same. Look at the fly from the front toward the bend of the hook. Use your scissors as calipers for measuring to make sure the fly has balance and symmetry. These are techniques I learned in Jimmy Nix's classes.
For instance, the face on a typical flat-faced popper should be about the same width as the gape of the hook being used. It is assumed that all bass bugs are tied on a wide-gaped hook such as a Mustad 3366, Targus 8089, Daiichi 2720 or Partridge CS54BN (which has an extra wide gape.) There are other wide gape hooks that also may be used. If the fly looks too large for the size of the hook, it probably is. Take off more hair. Don't be afraid to take off more hair. The worst thing that can happen is that you will have to take a razor blade to the fly and do it over. I still do this if I don't like what I've tied. The razor blade is the fly tier's best friend.
You teach that different sections of a deer hide are better for particular applications; how important is it to select the right hair?
You cannot tie good hair bugs with poor hair regardless of how good your skills might be. That is why I started processing my own deer hides 25 years ago. I do an average of 60 hides a year. This allows me to obtain premium quality materials for my customers and my own tying. Every Whitetail and Mule deer is unique in terms of their hair. The factors that affect the quality of deer hair are heredity, age and diet. No two whitetail are exactly the same in terms of their hair. I would say I have at least 80 deer hides stored in my garage and no two are the same. Keep in mind I am talking about natural hair, not dyed hair. There are several suppliers that provide me with excellent quality dyed hair.
I wrote an extensive article on hair in the March/April l995 issue of The American Angler, which probably tells you more than you are interested in knowing about all the ungulates (hoofed animals.)
For bass bugs there are only three sub-species (out of 17) of whitetail that are used and they are all from the northern latitudes. These are the Borealis Whitetail, a.k.a., Northern Woodland Whitetail, the Dakota Whitetail, and the Northwestern Whitetail. If you are interested, I believe the next issue of Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Journal (Frank Amato Publications) will run an article on the subject of compara-dun hair. That article is fly-specific but will give you some insight into other hair that you might find interesting.
Do you dye your own hair? If so, can you recommend a brand of dye? What process do you use?
I dye mostly bucktail and hackle. Once in a while I will dye some hair, usually after bleaching it. My time is very limited running the shop plus doing all of the "honey-do" chores, teaching, doing shows, and trying to get a little fishing in that I leave the hair dyeing to others. As far as dye I use primarily Veniard dyes from England, and also some Rit dye that you can find at the local grocery store. The other company that is good is Fly Dye that is in Connecticut ( I believe.) They advertise in "The Fly Tyer." Bob Gormely is the owner and he has a nice broad selection of colors. All of these are acid dyes and it is necessary to mix white or clear vinegar with the dye solution to make the dye set in the material.
One reader wrote: "I pull, I push, I use equipment and sweat, but for the life of me I can't get a super tight pack!!!!! I shove them back until I can't budge them a millimeter, but after I shave them they're still mushy. Is there any advice you can give?"
There are two parts to obtaining a dense hair body. The most important factor is using enough hair. Typically, if I am spinning a hair bug, each clump of hair is equal to four #2 wooden pencils in size. Packing the hair is important, but that step is not what make the hair dense. If you don't use enough hair you can use a hydraulic jack and it won't make the body dense.
The other step is to use gel-spun thread, between 100 and 130 denier, and put maximum pressure on the hair without cutting the hair.
Most of the time anemic-looking bodies are caused by using too little hair. Just work on increasing the quantity. Be cautious that you don't try to use too much hair. There is a point of diminishing return in this process. Try to stay around four pencils and you should be OK.
Another point many tiers don't recognize is that the diameter of each hair is also a factor. I am able to achieve the densest body with medium-coarse hair vs. a super-coarse hair that is found on the rump of a good whitetail hide. If you will send me $3 for postage and handling with your name and address, I will send you a couple samples which I will mark and then you can experiment with hair to understand what I am talking about. My address is 7060 Whitetail Court, Toledo, OH 43617.
Is there a certain type of thread that is best when working with deer hair? How important is the thread choice when deer hair is involved?
Let me say right off the bat that I think Kevlar isnota good thread for fly-tying, regardless of its strength. In the article I wrote for Fly Fisherman (May 2006) there is considerable discussion about thread. What I have found works far better than any other thread is gel-spun polyethylene (GSP), which was invented by Allied Signal in the early l980's. Honeywell purchased Allied Signal and is the only manufacturer of this thread in North America.
Gel-spun is two-to-three times stronger than nylon or polyester of the same denier. I use Gudebrod GX2 thread (130 denier) which is an ideal thread both in strength, size, and suppleness to do hair bugs. For small hair trout flies, I use Bennechi 55 denier and WAPSI 50 denier. These gel-spun threads are smaller that UNI 8/0, Danville 6/0, Gudebrod 8/0, Bennechi 12/0, Gordon Griffith 14/0 (all are between 67 and 72 denier) and are at least twice as strong and a third thinner.
What amazes me about gel-spun is that it has been available for 18 years yet few, if any, fly shops stock it or even know about the material! I have written an article on this thread. If you would like a copy please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the above address, and I will mail you a copy. Also, gel-spun is stronger than Kevlar for the same denier. Many shops try to push Kevlar. I would suggest using Danville's Flat Waxed Nylon before Kevlar.
What brand and style of scissors do you recommend for trimming?
For most tiers I would recommend Anvil Ultimate scissors, in both straight and curved tips. After a phone call to Anvil about four weeks ago they honored my request to double-serrate their hair scissors. These will now be a standard stock item. The cost on these is around $20. These are a higher quality product than the less expensive imported hair scissors and hold their edge much longer. I tie a considerable number of hair flies each year and I get mine sharpened about every 18 -20 months. The average tier would probably need theirs sharpened every four or five years.
Casting deer hair flies can be a daunting task; what do you recommend for a rod and line combination?
I recommend a nine-weight rod and a bass bug taper line with a 6-foot leader having a 17-20lb. tippet for bass bugs in hook sizes 3/0; 2/0; 1/0. Some might argue that a nine-weight is too much rod; however, the weight of a typical nine-weight vs. eight-weight rod is less than a half-ounce. For years I fished with two rod weights - 6 and 9. I use the nine for bass, bonefish, permit, pike, barracuda, baby tarpon, lake trout, etc; the six, for trout and panfish. About five years ago I started using a four-weight for panfish.
As far as line brands there are a number of good quality bass bug taper lines including Cortland, Scientific Angler, Rio, Wulff, Air Flo, etc. I don't think you will have any difficulty with any of these, and I am not trying to be diplomatic. I have used them all and each works quite well. If you fish for pike I suggest a Cortland Pike line, which doubles nicely as a bass bug line.
The most important skill is "double-hauling." Double-hauling makes throwing wind-resistant bugs much easier on you. The rod does more of the work and you exert less effort. If you don't know how to double-haul take a lesson from a competent casting instructor. If one isn't avaiable in your area purchase one of Lefty Kreh's casting DVD's.
One other point about fly lines. KEEP YOUR LINES CLEAN! Your lines will last longer and shoot better. The newer lines, such as Scientific Angler with AST, doesn't mean you don't have to clean the line. Use a SA cleaning pad or a rag. It isn't necessary to use a silicone-based cleaner on these new high tech lines. I did that once and found out it made the floating line sink! When you purchase a new line check with the dealer for proper care instructions. If the dealer can't give a firm answer call the company.
Personally I like the lines where a cleaner can be used, because I believe I can obtain a much slicker surface. I clean my line after each day of fishing. If I am bonefishing I'll often clean the line twice during the day and again at the end of the day after washing down my equipment with fresh water.
You will get years of good service out of your line if you take care of it.
How important is it for deer hair flies to have eyes? Do they play a role in attracting fish to strike or is it more to catch the fisherman?
The eyes on a deer hair bass bug are just to impress your fishing and fly-tying friends. The bass is looking up at the fly and the probability that they can see the eyes is remote. How a bass bug is fished is much more important than whether it has eyes.
For subsurface flies such as Lefty's Deceiver, I think the eyes do make a difference. Many articles have been written on this subject and the general consensus is that eyes on streamers do attract fish. It would make an interesting study if someone could set up a controlled situation where flies with and without eyes could be tested.
I think the confidence of the angler also plays a part in this scenario. If the angler believes in the fly and fishes the fly in an alluring manner, the probability of a strike is much greater.
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