Français
The title intrigues you, doesn’t it? I won’t speak about a platform to design your own flies on the web by choosing materials … But I’ll tell you about how I learned fly tying.
I don’t know you, but I’ve always heard that all anglers are inspired by what we see in nature, so I’ll assume that this much I do know about you. Some people say that it takes an entomologist soul to tie his own flies ; an encyclopedic knowledge of each insect and it’s life cycle. I am not that guy. At least I think that today, I don’t need to observe the larvae collected in a stream to understand how to tie its fly. And as I this, I realize that this point of view may sound lame, but it is real.
My passion for fly fishing and fly tying was first inspired by magazines. In France, we are fortunate to have a large variety of magazines dedicated to fishing though only one is dedicated exclusively to fly fishing: Pêche Mouche. My first issue was in 2006 I think. I remember a fascinating article about trout sight. This really caught my attention as I often imagine how she might see me when I release her. That special moment; the last contact before a likely farewell. I love Pêche Mouche for the fly tying tutorials it offers. They are always detailed and simple to follow, not necessarily useful for everyone, but it worked for me. I never took classes. This magazine was my first teacher.
Then, eventually with the advent of the web and social networks, there was more information available and I discovered lure fishing. My awe in Japanese videos of bass anglers motivated me lured me away from the fly, no pun intended, but in recent years I returned to my love of fly fishing. And now more than ever, the web inspires me and feeds my passion. For flytying, it becomes absolutely vital. The internet is a goldmine for new fly tying ideas; to learn how to use a particular tool, find products that I’d never lay my hands on in my local store. Making a fly in front of a Youtube video showing step by step how to do this is a perfect way to learn fast. Especially since there are some excellent tutorials out there. So I decided to interview one of these people. This is Timo Kontio, who created the website Fly Tying Archive.
Maybe it’s less personal than learning live and in the flesh. Maybe it’s less sexy. But with the internet, I learned a lot. I learned to tie all kinds of hair and feathers to my hooks and I figured out how to connect with a million different products. The approach is perhaps less refined, but it seems to be in tune with the times. I think that nowadays people who are learning fly tying with books and a microscope are rare, and that’s unfortunate. But it’s the way of the world.