I have always had a healthy interest in any craft that delivers a handmade product. Many years ago, one of my favourite television programmes was “HANDS”. The programme focused on Irish traditional crafts of all sorts ranging from book binding to the manufacture of hurling sticks. The programme was an extremely stimulating and absorbing watch.
For me, fly dressing has always been a very enjoyable and important extension of fly fishing. A combination of the history and traditions retains both my interest and passion in the sport.
I enjoy and appreciate all aspects of fly dressing and find it extremely stimulating and challenging to learn the different skills and techniques required to dress the wide range of flies and patterns that exists from Classic Salmon patterns to micro patterns for the educated trout.
I feel extremely fortunate to have been invited to attend Fly Fairs and demonstrate the making of fishing flies in several countries including Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, USA, and the UK, meeting many extremely interesting and skilled individuals.
Although I have a healthy interest in new and modern materials, I have an even larger appetite for traditional flies both salmon and trout and I am always drawn back to natural materials.
I spend a lot of my free time experimenting with natural dyes obtained from everyday items such as onion skins and enjoy the challenge of trying to re-produce the subtle colours required to copy natural insects. My aim is simply to gain a better understanding of the skills used and the problems that were encountered by the fly dressers of days long gone. Achieving that level of understanding will add to the satisfaction I already receive from this fascinating and rewarding passion.
