“Influence” according to the wisdom of Merriam Webster is “to have an effect on the condition or development of”. I’ve been fortunate to have met some great fly tiers over the years that have been strong influences on my own tying style. Some of them were very well known and achieved recognition on a very wide scale, while others of equally proficient talent never saw the time in the spotlight they deserved. Russ Mowry of Latrobe tied a series of unique fly patterns that had a strong following in the Pine Creek Valley of northcentral Pennsylvania. I remember seeing his flies for the first time as a teenager, years before I finally met the man that tied them. I remember watching him tying flies at a desk littered with prepared tying materials and enveloped in a cloud of smoke as he talked and laughed about his love for tying them. Russ tied some very interesting parachute flies to imitate the larger mayflies like the Green and Brown Drakes. His “Pine Creek Special” is still tied and fished by anglers in that area. He was also the co-originator of the famous Green Weenie. His dry flies featured burnt wings tied spent, with a sight post that served as a base for a parachute hackle to be wrapped around. In the end, he created a fly design that sat tight in the film like real mayfly spinners do, floated well and was easier to see in the fading light of the evening. While my own parachute spinner patterns to imitate the big bugs are tied very differently than the Mowry flies I first saw years ago; there’s a touch of Russ’s influence evident in them. I spent part of this past weekend spinning up a batch of my Parachute DNA Coffin Fly Spinners for a customer. This week’s pic is a tribute a man that influenced its design. Thanks Russ. Till next week …… www.ramsayflies.com #daiichihooks #regalvise #naturesspirit #whitingfarms
