David L. Mcelwain

Our Grandfathers' Flies: Tying Flies with Furs, Hair, and Feathers. David L. Mcelwain

As a fly tier for nearly 30 years, I have seen many changes in materials, fly design and sizing. Most of the new patterns we use today are contributed by a younger generation of tiers. They are better educated in the entomology of todays fisheries. We now have a large aray of materials, synthetics as well as natural. Fly tiers coming to America in the 1800s, had only natural materials available. Many of these early tiers found materials that were new to them; allowing them to create patterns to match the hatches they found in the new world. We owe a great deal of gratatude to these early pioneers. Their discoveries in the area of light refraction, creative hackle development and their perseverance, build the foundation and set the standard for how and what we tie today. We should not forget from whence our patterns came. A handful of talented and passionate tiers, two century ago, set the bar. Travel back in time with me and read their stories, tie their patterns and go fishing.