I was born in New Jersey and have lived in many different states since. I currently reside in Minnesota and here is where I discovered fly fishing/ tying. I was always into fishing but it wasn't until a sporting goods store near me was going out of business and offered heavy discounts that I got my first fly rod and fly tying materials. Subsequently landing a few fish I was hooked. Nowadays I am a pike bum. I love them, pike flies are my bread and butter. Musky flies too but I'm more into pike. I became friends with Gunnar Brammer who has been a sort of fly tying mentor to me. I am known for composite brush BEAST flies. Rigging composite brushes of bucktail and squimpish and constructing the entire fly in the brush, head and shoulders. They are super durable as pike are hard on flies. I also am heavily influenced by Bob Popovics doing classical beasts. My Instagram is @augustonthefly and my etsy shop Augustonthefly.etsy.com

I am an avid fly fishing junkie, fly tying is my favorite thing to do and I enjoy chasing all types of fish with a fly rod. I think about 10 years ago I came to the realization that every fish is fun to catch when you are the designer of the bait. There’s something special about sitting home on a Friday night tying flies for whichever species you will be hunting this weekend. I love giving my creations to friends for them to try and I collect feedback and make adjustments until I can make the pattern do what I want it to do…..catch fish! 

Brian Sheppard, a lifelong avid outdoorsman, is a native of Florida and Indiana. He learned to fly fish at age 13 while summering in bucolic Blairstown, NJ. Taught by family friend and respected angler/author Bob Romano, he was instantly hooked. The next natural step was tying his own flies but it only became a passion once linking up a tying group of fishing buddies when Brian moved to New York City. From there Brian created CityFly, a NY/NJ/CT licensed guide service, custom fly shop, and fly fishing education. A large focus of CityFly is on the urbanite looking to learn in the city's natural resources, such as Central Park, and then get out there to utilized learned skills in the wild. In addition to CityFly, Brian is also professional actor with a master in fine art from Butler University. When not working, Brian enjoys surfing, camping, hiking, cooking, and enjoying all New York City has to offer.

For flies & guided fishing : www.gofishnyc.com

I enjoy fly-tying for bass most of all. (baitfish flies in particular) I will occasionally tie for all species both freshwater and saltwater in order to better my abilities. I restock local flybraries on a regular basis and teach lessons at the local fly shops from time to time. I love fly tying because it lets my creativity flow and relaxes me. It allows me to have freedom and make whatever comes to mind

Carl Harris of CGH Custom Tackle has been tying flies for over 30 years. He was born and raised in Southern New Jersey. His innovative stylistic creations have been recently published in Tail Fly Fishing magazine in issues 45 and 49.  He published a how to article on his novel Soft Chew Wiggler 2.0 and then another showcase segment on his various must have patterns in the “Inside the Box” saltwater flies for fall. He is also the creator of the ingenious CGH Swim Tail which can be found in fly shops across the globe. The CGH Swim Tail encompasses a unique flutter action in the water to attract fish which can be added into almost any type of fly pattern. He enjoys fly fishing for both freshwater and saltwater species with his wife and testing his new designs and lineups with her on a regular basis. Incorporating depth with design along with three dimensional ideas is what he does best. Check out his other designs and accessories atcghcustomtackle.com.

I have been a fly fisher for 15 years and have become a more advanced fly tier in the past year. I have been guiding for 4 years and own my guide service. I teach and run the fly fishing program at Dartmouth College, in which I have included a fly-tying section where the student will tie their own flies to use in the field portion of the class when we all go to the river.

The reason I want to be on the pro team is that I believe with my days on the water guiding or even in the classroom, plus the flies I tie for sale to my clients and people who put orders in off my pages I believe that I will be getting the name of the company out there to people and also fellow fly Tyers. My presence in social media with guiding was not always there as I was guiding and running a resorts fly fishing program where photos were not allowed of people in my classes or trips on the water.

I’m Colin Archer, aka “The Average Angler”. I have been fly fishing for 30 years and fumbling with fly tying for half of that. My fly fishing journey has taken me from the stockie streams for trout in New Jersey to the Upper Delaware in New York to now exclusively for striped bass anywhere they swim. I am obsessed and in love with striped bass. Along the way I became a fly-fishing guide and Captain running walk and wade and boat trips. That journey continues to be documented in my blog, The Average Angler,  theaverageangler.blogspot.com.

     Throughout the years I have been more of a fly buyer than fly tyer especially when it came to the freshwater imitations. Larger saltwater patterns are a little more forgiving and easier to tie due to their size, the materials used, and how they are fished. Squimpish Flies materials are perfect for the patterns I tie and are not only great for expert tyers but more importantly for beginner tyers as well. 

      In the new world of fly tying and social media, where “hero fly shots” may intimidate and discourage people from tying, know that your flies are great if you enjoy the sport and if they are lucky enough to fool and catch fish. There is a part of this where flies are tied to catch fishermen more so than the species we choose to pursue. Just enjoy it all as there’s nothing like catching fish on flies you have tied yourself. Just enjoy the ride.

My name is Dan Dau and I am lucky enough to live in June lake California at the edge of the eastern sierra mountains. Trout grow to trophy sizes within a short walk from my back door and through the years of learning to fish for these unique monsters came a love for tying big meaty streamers.

I was born, raised and reside on the east coast of Canada, on Cape Breton Island. Ranked one of the most beautiful islands in the world multiple times. I value not only the beautiful scenery, but also the amazing fisheries we have here. I grew up on the water, taught sailing and loved the outdoors my whole life.

I got back into fishing by ice fishing with some buddies in 2017, which very quickly progressed into fly fishing and then tying to follow. 

I now am a commercial fly tyer of predator flies, a multi-species angler, father to one, soon to be two little boys and am also engaged. Life is busy - I am a "sleep when you're dead" kind of person.

I started The Fly Perspective as a YouTube channel to display my fishing videos. I rarely take the GoPro with me anymore but have adapted the image into an outlet to express my passion for predator fly tying and fishing.

My name is David Buduén and I live in NYC. I’ve been flyfishing and flytying for over 35 years. I love flytying because you can take new and old materials put them together to create a pattern. I’m a father of 2 kids which I love teaching them how to fly tie. In my free time if I’m not flyfishing I’m flytying. I have the best of both worlds in fishing freshwater or saltwater. Catch me on Instagram: @ UptownDave69

I enjoy fly tying and fly fishing, but being a father of 2 means more time tying than fishing at the present time. I am from the east coast of Canada where I grew up fly fishing for anything that would take the fly (trout, salmon, striped bass). Now living in the Nation's Capital where I target bass, pike and mainly musky. As long as it's on the fly I'm happy.

Jason resides in Berthoud, Colorado, where he enjoys fishing and tying for the many different species the area offers. He has been fly fishing/tying for over 30 years. Since his beginnings in the sport, he has become a demonstration tier, full-time commercial tier, speaker, writer & guide.

Along this journey, Jason has formed several rewarding partnerships with great companies in the fly fishing industry. Some of these include Ahrex Hooks, Anadromous Fly Co, Cortland lines, Firehole Outdoors, Nature’s Spirit, Regal Vises, Upavon Fly Fishing, Raidzap, Lagartun and of course Squimpish. Many days you will find him at Arbor Anglers in Lafayette, CO, teaching tying classes or just hanging out sharing his knowledge of local fisheries. When not in the shop, he can be found guiding and operating a tying business where he ties streamer patterns, deer hair bass bugs, pike/musky flies, carp flies, trout bugs, and more for shops/guides. If he’s not in the shop, at the vise, or on the water you can find him tying or speaking at shows/shop events across the country.

I am a father to an amazing two year old little girl and husband to my beautiful wife. While my fly tying hobby only began a year and half ago, I have found that I love trying new patterns and new materials while continuing to perfect my own style of tying. I try to tie as often as possible (or as often as my toddler will let me!) and each day I get better and better. I also love the community of fly tiers that I have met on social media since I started. In addition to tying in my spare time I enjoy fly fishing, offshore fishing, hunting, and spending time with my girls. Catch me on Instagram @ KINO986.

As far back as I can remember, I loved to fish. Growing up in a small mountain town in Colorado afforded me countless opportunities to chase trout and other cold water high altitude.species. Summer vacations to grandma and grandpas house on the lake in Minnesota gave me the warm water bug. On those vacations, if I wasn't sleeping, I was probably on that dock and, when old enough, out in the boat. In high school  is when I picked up a fly rod and belly boat. The addiction to fly fishing only continued to grow as I began college but the cash supply was dropping. So out of necessity I bought a $45 beginner fly-tying kit from McGuckin Hardware and proceeded to teach myself how to tie flies. I still remember the first fish I caught on a fly and the fly. It was an averaged sized Boulder Creek brown trout on a weird white marabou streamer/nymph type fly. Since then I haven't bought a single fly.  I really enjoy tying flies of all types and learning and then hopefully perfecting new techniques as well as experimenting with different materials. I only tie flies for me to actually fish and not just to frame. I've tied flies for everywhere that I've fished including flesh flies for rainbows on the Kenai, Crazy Charlies for monster bones around Oahu, huge articulating streamers for mutant pike from the Rocky Mountain Arsenal or crawfish imitations for bruiser carp along the Front Range of Colorado.

Initially growing up in West Virginia and then moving to upstate New York as a kid, I have always been surrounded by water and nature. I have been fly fishing for almost 20 years and started tying when my Dad gifted me a tying set at 12. Over the years, I tied intermittently, but I became absolutely obsessed with tying flies for musky, pike, and other large saltwater predators within the last few years. I learned a lot from watching tyers such as Nicklaus Bauer, Bob Popovic, Gunnar Brammer, and my friend Brita Fordice. It has also allowed me to find an incredible fly-tying community, several of whom I know will be lifelong friends. 

I am a veterinarian and also a watercolor artist. Both contribute to my understanding of color, design, physiology, and behavior in the thought process when I tie. You can catch my ties and fishing adventures from my Instagram account: @girl_withthe_muskytattoo

Raised in a small town in Southern Indiana, a love of fishing, hunting, and wildlife was instilled in Joe at a young age. After 14 years enlisted in the Army, he found Project Healing Waters and his curiosity in fly fishing and tying bloomed into a love and obsession. He started tying in November 2015 and placed second in Project Healing Waters National Fly Tying Contest in 2017. Joe received the Everett Drake Fly Tying Award in 2018. Joe ties flies for all warm, cold, and salt water species with a focus on Deerhair flies. His realistic art flies like the hummingbirds, pheasant, Grinch, Baby Yoda, Bald Eagle, Kingfisher, and others have been sent across the globe. He believes the most important thing anyone in this hobby can do is to get kids out on the water and/or behind a vise.

His pro team and ambassador  affiliations, Regal Vise, Natures Spirit Fly Tying, Squimpish Flies, Dette Flies, Partridge  Hooks. Willowemoc creek dist. Dr. Slick tools, Solarez Uv, J. Stockard fly fishing, Wade-Deep hats and clothing, Catchflo shoes, Fly Trap Fly Holder, and Semperfly Fly Rods.

Streamer tying fanatic, that loves to invent new patterns.  Pushing the boundaries in both fresh and salt water for 25 years! 

My name is Kevin Jackson, and for the past six years I’ve called Costa Rica home. Growing up in Pennsylvania nurtured a love of rivers and trout fishing, and my addiction to tying flies started at age 8. I moved to New England for college, and spent the next 15 years there, eventually working as a fisheries biologist. My time spent working the rocky coastlines for striped bass really got me interested in the saltwater side of fly fishing. But in 2018 I decided to move south, for new fisheries and warmer climates.

Tying your own flies is a necessity when you live in Costa Rica. For one, flies aren’t readily available for purchase here. And second, Costa Rica has a diverse range of species that can be caught on the fly. One day we can be targeting rainbow trout, the next day roosterfish, and then finishing up with tarpon. We have to have flies for each species, so we spend a lot of time at the vise!  

Check out our adventures on Instagram at @flyfishingcostarica, or visit our website at www.flyfishingcostarica.com.

My name is Kim Mutaw, and I was born and raised in Southern California. I caught my first trout when I was five years old and have enjoyed going on fishing adventures with my dad ever since. When the pandemic hit, and we all went on lockdown, I wanted to find a different way to experience fly fishing, even though I couldn’t travel to get to the trout water I loved, so I took up fly tying and haven’t looked back. I tie everything from the tiniest of nymphs to the largest of musky flies and frequently spin up my own dubbing brushes for use in my fly designs. I challenge myself to constantly learn new techniques and materials so that I can be a solid, all-around tier. I own a small business called The Flies That Bind (www.thefliesthatbind.com) that offers nymphs, streamers, trout assortments, and custom ordering. My goal is to continue to learn, improve, tie at fly fishing shows, and design signature patterns that get picked up for production.

In its entirety, fishing is the early wake-up, hastily made coffee, wet-from-yesterday gear, moonset plus sunrise, glassed off water, first cast with no hookups, first sight and first strike. It's also places near and far: solitude, fellowship, new friends, and connecting to family. Tying is the continuation of all of that off the water. A hand-tied fly has, in every wrap, an experience sewn into it. Each tie is spawned from some place in time during the epic struggle between fish and fisher.

Having grown up on Canada's West Coast  I've had a real passion for over 60 years pursuing trout, salmon, steelhead, panfish and basically anything that swims in salt and fresh water. After relocating to Alberta's Prairies, with the excellent fisheries of the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains nearby, I continued with the pursuit of large trout and have turned my attention the past 5 years almost exclusively to seeking out large pike on the fly.

I started tying flies at 10 years old, after raiding my mom's sewing kit, to create jigs to pursue the Spring herring run, and never looked back. 

My passion now lies in tying and designing streamers, having exhausted tying dries and nymphs throughout my life and I love the creativity involved as well as the results at the waters for more and bigger fish. Find me on Instagram @highflyertyer

My name is Kyle Chanitz, and I’m originally from upstate New York. After being discharged from the army in 2012, I moved to SW Virginia where I was introduced to fly fishing and fly tying through Project Healing Waters, where I started tying flies before I even started fishing. By the end of the year I was a volunteer. I have since served as a National ambassador, which was a great honor. 

I’ve always loved the fishing part of the sport— casting on an isolated Appalachian native stream is one of my favorite things in the world. I’d say it’s imitation fly tying that really inspires me, though, everything from mayfly & caddis to Redhorse Suckers and Mullet streamers. Articulated flies and large musky flies, as well as 2-5 inch bait fish are also some of my favorites to tie, whether they be articulated or not. But there’s almost nothing I don’t have experience tying, and whatever I’m working on, I really love combining old school materials with new and innovating techniques. I truly take pride in my ability to be versatile at the vise and with my materials, techniques and patterns. I’m constantly dissecting or reinventing both my own , and tried and true patterns, which I feel helps me continue to grow and improve while also evolving my own unique style. You can definitely see and get a feel for my style just looking at my Logo on Instagram 

@DirtyDozenOnTheFly and then I have my main page @Kyle_Chanitz_Fly_Tying

Laura has been an undeniable trout bum since the first rainbow she caught on the fly several years ago. Since then, she hascompletely immersed herself in everything the sport has to offer; from the bugs to the gear. The passion Laura has for flyfishing has carried over in her tying; tying everything from flies that pay homage to her Jersey Shore roots to the famed flies ofthe Catskills, where she currently calls home. She believes tying gives her the creative opportunity to mix her knowledge ofwhat fish eat and art; tying creates the chance to come face to face with a beautiful fish- which is priceless. Laura can mostlybe found either wade fishing or rowing her drift boat on the Upper Delaware in search of a hungry trout.Follow along with her adventure on instagram @thefeatherflinger

Michael Ozkaya has been tying flies for over 20 years, living on the east end of Long Island. When he’s not chasing stripers or albies he’s tying flies commercially/privately and streaming live fly tying lessons on twitch.tv/lifliesmike

Fly fishing has been a passion of mine for over 25 years. It has allowed me to create lifelong relationships as well travel across our country fishing some amazing places. I turned my passion into a business in 2018 tying custom flies for both fresh and saltwater. There’s really nothing more exciting than seeing a fish eat a fly you tied. Every fish I catch is filled with the same excitement as the first one I caught, and that is what keeps me coming back as well as wanting to explore new waters.

-Mack Bryson Instagram @southeasternflyworks www.southeasternflyworks.com

My name is Matthew and I am from Northern Ireland. I am an all round angler and fly tyer, I target alot of species and I love fly fishing. Its brings alot of different challenges. We are lucky to have some great places to fish for pike and trout in Ireland.

My name is Matt Bailey, and I am an avid fly fisherman and fly tyer from New Hampshire. As far back as I can remember, I have loved fishing and the outdoors. My grandfather got me into fishing at a young age, and I've been obsessed ever since. I am lucky enough to live in an area with access to beautiful freshwater and saltwater fisheries. Recently, I have become completely addicted to fishing for Striped Bass in the salt and tying flies for the occasion, with strong influence from Bob Popovics. I enjoy tying as much as I enjoy fishing at this point, in different ways.

Being a Flyfisherman ResidingI fell in love with the sport and lifestyle of Fly fishing while attending Lock Haven University in Pa. It came as a challenge from a professor by the name of Dr. Walsh. He watched me catch fish from the bank of the local river the day prior. “I’ve seen you can catch Fish, but real men fly fish.” - Dr. Walsh stated. In response, I laughed and said,” Listen, I’m going to fly fish, get sponsored to do it, and be better than you.” This joking moment shifted my life forever. I continued through college, earning acknowledgment/awards for Track and Field and Football, which led me to compete professionally. At the end of my first professional season, I decided to stay close to home. I wanted to be close to my daughter who was 2 years old at the time and pursue a life on the Fly. In years to come, I would be offered to help pioneer an outdoor inclusion initiative to get inner-city kids off the street and into the outdoors alongside the living legend Joe Humphreys. Covid put a stop to this, but it didn’t stop my desire to help the youth. So what do I do now? you may ask. Well, when I’m not on the water, I work or spend time with my family. I work for a local middle school, assisting kids with different learning abilities. While working there, I’ve seen an opportunity for outdoor educational programs. With the help of my co-founder, we took a shot and pitched the program idea. Fast forward to now, and I’m delighted to share that the program just concluded its inaugural term. In addition, the fly fishing and outdoor educational program for the middle school and high school is the first of its kind in all the surrounding school districts. in the armpit of America (i.e. New Jersey) you would think I would be bitter but the truth is here in northwest Nj we have a very diverse fishery. I Grew up tossing shiners under a bobber for whatever would eat them. It wasn’t until I got a pickerel to take a swipe at a stick bait that I truly got hooked. The visual eat is what I fell in love with and what I still chase to this day. Throwing streamers for big predatory fish in my home waters is where you can find me on any given weekend. We have great opportunities right in my backyard and some great fisheries a stones toss away. Time at the vise is what keeps me connected to the water while I’m off it. Smallmouth, Largemouth, Pickerel, Pike, and Musky. I’ll chase anything that is above its weight class.

My name is Remington Allred, and I’m from Shoshone, Idaho. I’ve never subscribed to the idea that fly fishing is for trout only, and my tying style shows precisely that. I consider myself more accomplished as a fly tier, but even tiers must get out and test flies!

I’ve been fly fishing since I was 7-8 and have been dedicated to tying since 2010. My tying style is… big flies. I love the process of building out a silhouette of the forage I’m imitating. Gunnar Brammer, Kelly Galloup, and Blane Chocklett heavily inspire me. Those guys were instrumental in my learning new methodologies, and I could never thank them enough.

I target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and carp locally. My latest obsession has been carp on the fly - it scratches that saltwater itch while being much closer to home. Carp are technically demanding and the best freshwater fish to hone your ability for accurate casts and learn to fight a big fish. I make at least one trip every other year to Florida because I love flying and fishing the salt. It’s my kind of fish; every other fish out there wants to eat something half its size, and more importantly, my kind of fly tying!

My name is Rich Thomas with Stay Fly Custom Flies, based out of New Jersey, USA, where I was born and raised. In my youth, my fishing career started like most, with some worms and a spin combo. As time progressed, and my obsession grew, I found fly fishing and fly tying. When I began this journey, it was only supposed to be something to pass the time and maybe save a little money but, as the years went by, my need for new and different experiences grew, evolving my tying to a new level by branching out to all different forms of flies, and meeting a ton of awesome friends and colleagues along the way. As my commitment to the sport increased, so did my results. I have tied everything from a tiny size 28 Elk Hair Caddis, to flies as big as a 10/0 Musky Deceiver. To date, Stay Fly flies have been sent out to 19 countries, resulting in over 60 different species on the fly. That is what keeps me so dedicated to the craft, knowing that something I am able to produce will lead to either myself or another individual gaining a memory that can be re-lived for years to come. For more information or pictures of some of the flies I tie and fish I catch please head over to my Instagram: @STAYFLY_NJ to stay up to date.

A Fly tyer, Fly fisherman, and father of two awesome girls who love to come fishing with me.

Grew up in the Lake District, UK. I’d say I've been fishing on and off for 20 years. But more so in the last 5 years as a means of escapism from daily life. Fly tying came about by accident and something I just fell into, but took off big time as an addiction, striving for perfection, whatever that is.  Starting with trout flies and moving to bass and pike flies. Using Bob Popovics and Paul Monaghan to learn bucktail techniques and moved on to synthetics when my friend Stu, gave me some advice. I discovered squimpish after some shopping around to make some brushes and I've never looked back. 

Instagram : @hedge_fly

I am a 14 year old from Vermont and travel to Maine in the summers, I love to target big game fish like Striped-bass, pike and musky. 

My name is Scott Barham and I reside in Ontario. I'm a stone throw away from the Grand River where I do most of my fishing for bass, pike and trout.....but my real passion is chasing musky and tying the flies to entice them. I'm a father of 2 wonderful girls, an amazing wife, and my dog "King" weighs more than average human. Find me on Instagram @flytyingtuna

My name is Shane Schuster, and I am a Firefighter/Paramedic in the Reno/Tahoe area, but I  now live in Bend, Oregon on the Deschutes River. I have an immense passion for fly tying and fly fishing. I have been tying flies for just over 12 years now and aspire to become a full-time fly-fishing guide and fly tier when I retire from the fire service. In the last few years, I’ve worked with groups such as High Fives, Cast Hope, and Casting for Recovery’s Denver Chapter and their fly fishing programs. I have also been picked up by multiple pro teams, Frosty Fly, Semperfli, Renomed USA, Rambler Vice and  Blade, and Lid Rig. I also tie for five Fly shops: Fly FishingSpecialties in Sacramento CA, Trout Creek Outfitters in Truckee, CA; Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters in Lake Tahoe Ca, Confluence fly Shop in Ben,d OR; and Spawn Flyfishing, an online store in Washington state. I have a steady and growing social media following on Instagram, Tik Tok and

Facebook, with a YouTube channel in the works. For the last six or more years, I have enjoyed tying multiple times at Fly Fishing Specialties and Trout Creek Outfitters, Confluence Fly shop for their featured tyer nights, and other fly-tying events, with many more in the works. A few highlights of the last several years were my first appearance/invite at the Sacramento Sportsman’s expo and the previous four consecutive years at the Fly Fishing show in Denver Co and Pleasanton CA. I was a featured tyer at the expo and the fly fishing show in Denver/ Pleasanton on Tyers Row. I will be doing both conventions again this year with the addition of Albany OR and Bellevue Washington Fly shows. 

Steve Maldonado, a Native of Colorado, is an avid fisherman and fly designer. Steve is a nationally recognized fly designer who has several of his patterns with Umpqua Feather Merchants. Steve is also a recognized speaker on fishing streamers. Steve has done Flyfishing presentations and teaching demos all over the US. From his experience with river tuning,  different applications, and tips and techniques, Steve's approach to fishing streamers is second to none. Steve has had several articles published on his Umpqua patterns for Golden Dorado the Jungle Junkie and Junkie Jr by Landon Mayer in Fly Fishermans Destinations Magazine as well as LOOP Magazine, Articles by Nick Torres on Golden Dorado in Northern Argentina. Steve has fished across the Globe and is a true lover of the salt, with Tarpon his #1. Steve is always willing to teach his techniques to all comers. An UMPQUA Signature Fly Designer,  Scientific Anglers Southern Rockies Pro, for CO,  NM, and UT, Regal Pro, Semperfli,  Fishpond, Costa, Nature's Spirit, Ahrex,  Latera's, Solarez, and the List goes on. 

Hi, my name is Tone Troiano and I’m a degenerate fly angler. I started fly fishing over a decade ago living in California, for Trout, Salmon, Steelhead, Bass and Striper, primarily. I’ve fished the west coast and Alaska, honing my skills and exploring some of the most remote waters in the nation for wild fish before relocating to MA and cutting my teeth a bit more in the salt during the coastal striper migrations, following and stalking them all along the New England coastline. From there, I moved to south FL to really immerse myself in a warm water fishery with new species, techniques and challenges. I enjoy tying bigger baitfish patterns, but understand the need for smaller crustaceans around these parts too. I’ll keep whippin’ while they keep sippin’. I love to share my experiences on and off the water with our community, and eagerly learn new styles and techniques from fellow tiers and anglers. Check out some of my evolving works on Instagram @Tone___ and let me know what you think or want to see next!

Being a Flyfisherman Residing in the armpit of America (i.e. New Jersey) you would think I would be bitter but the truth is here in northwest Nj we have a very diverse fishery. I Grew up tossing shiners under a bobber for whatever would eat them. It wasn’t until I got a pickerel to take a swipe at a stick bait that I truly got hooked. The visual eat is what I fell in love with and what I still chase to this day. Throwing streamers for big predatory fish in my home waters is where you can find me on any given weekend. We have great opportunities right in my backyard and some great fisheries a stones toss away. Time at the vise is what keeps me connected to the water while I’m off it. Smallmouth, Largemouth, Pickerel, Pike, and Musky. I’ll chase anything that is above its weight class.

Tim Flagler is the owner of Tightline Productions, L.L.C., a video production company located in Califon, NJ. Although he produces video programs on a wide range of topics, his specialty is fly fishing. Tim is a well-known fly-tying instructor. His YouTube videos are some of the best in the business, and his YouTube channel, practicalpatterns.com, currently has over 112,000 subscribers and 36 million views. Almost every week, he produces a new fly tying or “how to” video, which appears not only on his YouTube channel but also on Midcurrent and the Orvis News fly fishing blog. They’re also featured on Trout Unlimited’s national website and in the Orvis Learning Center. In addition, he has a regular column, “Beginner’s Masterclass with Tim Flagler” in Fly Tyer magazine, which selected Tim as their “Fly Tyer of the Year”  in their Winter 2022 issue. Many of Tim’s tying videos take the viewer well beyond just the tying of the fly and show what it looks like underwater, what natural it represents, and how it can be fished.

Tim’s a fixture at the Fly Fishing Shows - giving presentations, teaching classes, and often as a Featured Tier. He enjoys guiding year-round for South Branch Outfitters (formerly Shannon’s Fly & Tackle)in Califon, NJ.. He hosts annual trips to Patagonia in the spring and to the Kootenai River in MT in the summer. He’ll be hosting trips to Iceland starting in the fall of 2024.

I am Wesley Phillips, a member of the fly fishing and fly tying community. The fishing experience gives me great joy, even more so when I can share it with others through conversation, sharing a tide, or passing off a fly to be tried and tested. There is no limit to what or where my involvement in this wonderful pastime will bring me and those I share it with.  

In its entirety, fishing is the early wake-up, hastily made coffee, wet-from-yesterday gear, moonset plus sunrise, glassed off water, first cast with no hookups, first sight and first strike. It's also places near and far: solitude, fellowship, new friends, and connecting to family. Tying is the continuation of all of that off the water. A hand-tied fly has, in every wrap, an experience sewn into it. Each tie is spawned from some place in time during the epic struggle between fish and fisher.