We can all trace our paths back to the beginning of something, back to the roots. I was an 11 year-old kid that was always drawn to the water and inquisitive about what happens in that mysterious world below the waterline. I decided at that ripe age that I wanted to be a fly tyer and set off on a journey that continues to this day. The first flies I attempted to learn back then were traditional wet flies and “The Knoll Guide to Trout Flies”, Helen Shaw’s “Fly Tying” and Ray Bergman’s “Trout” were my books of choice. I read and re-read them to try to learn this art form. I was limited to basic materials I could procure from my mother’s sewing basket, our chicken house and a limited inventory of supplies at a local shop. The early flies looked nothing like the sleek paintings in those books, but I managed to learn to fish them and continue to practice. The wet flies of choice back then were a wet Black Ant and a Royal Coachman dropper combination, and occasionally a Coachman or Leadwing Coachman. Other fly styles became new challenges and pursuits along the way; but every once in a while, I find myself going back and tying those flies of my childhood and swimming them on a down and across cast. As you might imagine, they still work some pretty cool magic. Till next week ….. www.ramsayflies.com #DaiichiHook #RegalVise #ItsAboutTheFish #PAWild
