IFTS Part Deux

Cool stuff abounds at the Symposium and I for one can see why so many people go back year after year... it is an enlarged family and one I am grateful to have been welcomed into. I met some amazing folk who tie flies that are just out of this world. I can't list them all... I'd just end up insulting someone.

However, I'll mention a couple of cool items...

Number one... the vise I tied on and brought home... Regal Revolution with the tube fly adapter and spare standard jaws. The vise is a WOW! Well built and user friendly, it will undoubtedly see me off this planet and allow generations after me to tie as well.

Number two... the much coveted Ekich Bobbin... WOW 2! If you think it is expensive I assure you that when you use it you'll see that it isn't expensive at all... the first time I tied with it I was astounded that a bobbin could have bells and whistles on it! And Faruk is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. Genius!

International Fly Tying Symposium

This time last week I was in the US - Somerset, New Jersey to be precise! Chuck Furimsky had invited me to be part of the 20th Anniversary Show! Well WOW! I was made very welcome after the TSA pat down and the obligatory finger and thumb prints left at the airport.

One of the highlights this year that I'll reflect on in my next post... BUT the Phantom appeared as expected!! It was PHUN!!

Introducing the Phantom Phly Tyer...

Isn't he or isn't he a member of the team... well look at this way, he's our version of BBC Topgear's "Stig". Highly talented and respected but prefers to cloak himself in mystery when using Bug-Bond... well that ain't strictly true as he's shown folk some darned neat tying of late... but we'll play along a while :)

Apparently I have to wear a sweater when I meet him... is that so he recognises me or is it cold in that cave?

So it will be the joining of forces at the weekend... watch this space.

Be seeing you soon Two Hatz!

The Falklands Flasher

Back to who's fishing what and where... another Bug-Bond user is stationed in the Falkland Islands (not quite as far south as the Cape but close enough for it to qualify as the most southerly caught fish on a Bug-Bond built fly).

When I opened the email I was stunned at Matthew's sea trout catches... all done in daylight I believe and he's been kind eough to allow me to show the photos and provide the recipe for his "Falklands Flasher"!

"The recipe is:

Hook: B175 8 or 10

Body: Lead wire with Orange Holographic Tinsel overlaid with Pearl Mylar Tinsel encapsulated in Bug Bond

Tail: Orange Holographic Tinsel, Amber Krystal Flash and Orange Marabou.

Eyes: 3mm Real Eyes Plus encapsulated in Bug Bond

The name is: er… Falklands Flasher!

The fish are all caught in the main river systems of the Falkland’s (of which there are many), they are Sea Trout and Brown (although they are the same fish). Brown Trout were introduced into the Falkland’s in the 1940’s and thrive in the cold, pure, peaty waters. The Sea Trout ‘run’ twice per year, once at the start of the season In Sep and again in Feb – Mar."

The Bug-Bond Team.....

The long awaited introduction to THE team... where they have a business or website I have linked these to their photo... click the photo and find out about the team member in greater detail...

Barry Ord Clarke (United Kingdom/Norway)


Born in England, Barry Ord Clarke is an internationally acclaimed and much published photographer and writer. He is a regular contributor to numerous fishing magazines world wide. He has also written, Co written and contributed to more than 25 books about fly tying and fly fishing.

Specialising in game fishing and hunting, his work has taken him all over the world, more than 40 different countries. He is also employed as a consultant to the worlds largest hook manufacturer, O Mustad & Son.

For the past 14 years Barry has lived in Norway with his family in the town of Skien, where he spends his free time fishing and elk & deer hunting.

Andy Elliott (Ireland)

I started my fly tying career four years ago after a trip to SEAi in Wexford
The majority of my customers are salt water fly fishers, a lot of my work these days is custom, catering for the more demanding salt water fly fishing guides
I supply guides all over the UK and Ireland, a few in Europe and recently had an order from Japan. My favourite aspect of fly tying must be getting a brief from a guide and working with them to produce a pattern that works in their fishing environment. Jim Hendrick blogged my work a few months ago...

“One of the huge benefits of working with a creative fly tier like Andy is his ability to build and then re-build flies according to specific requirements. Different materials behave differently at different times so it’s a constant process of fishing trial and error met with exceptional failure or success. Andy has an intuitive and artistic understanding of material relationships and behaviour and combined with my specific colour and movement emulation requests he has managed to produce the best bass flies I have fished with. I will continue to work closely with him on this adventure continuously searching for the Wexford Range - such is my confidence combined with hours upon hours of work, that at this stage of my bass fly fishing I will very seldom fish with any other fly other than one we have worked on together!” Jim Hendrick, Wexford

Simon Graham (South Africa/Finland)

Although born in England I grew up in Durban South Africa where I lived for over 25yrs and generally spent all my spare time as a saltwater fly-fisherman. I eventually moved back to the UK in 94 where I used it as a base for me to fund my fly-fishing and birding travels around the globe and have been fortunate to have fly-fished in several European countries as well as Australia, New Zealand, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Cuba & Russia. I became hooked on fly-fishing for pike during a nine month stint over in the Netherlands in 95….and the rest is history really!
In 2004 I moved to Replot island which is part of the Kvarken world natural heritage site found on the west coast of Finland where I now run my own pike fly fishing tours business called http://www.balticpiketours.com & have my own brand of pike & saltwater flies called http://www.balticpikeflies.com which I market throughout Scandinavia & the Baltic countries. I spend on average 180 days fly-fishing for pike and If I’m not out chucking fluff at pike I’m behind my vice where I spend between 8 – 12hrs a day especially during the winter months. Its safe to say that pike on the fly is an addiction which has slowly consumed my life to an extent that I'm never truly happy until I’ve caught my next one especially if it’s with a new fly I've tied. My blog http://www.pikeflyfishingarticles.blogspot covers all aspects of the sport especially my flies.

I run pike fly fishing and fly tying workshops and am heavily involved with the promotion of catch and release at schools and fishing guide courses around Scandinavia with regards to pike.

Ulf Hagstrom (Sweden)

It all tracks back to my father. If he hadn't brought me along with him on his fishing days when I was a child I would never have gotten this lifelong love affair with fishing.
Born and raised in Stockholm Sweden in the mid 70's I grew up fishing for Pike in the Baltic Sea. I discovered fly fishing late in life, never knowing what I missed until I met and became friends with some fanatic fly fishermen in 1997.
I am in love with adrenaline rush of dry fly fishing and in the magic nature of the Scandinavian north I am as close as I can be to heaven.
Fly tying for me is as big of a passion as fly fishing is. My approach is to try to tie flies that can lure the pickiest of fish and at the same time would look great framed on the wall. Initially I got inspired by fly tying masters like Poul Jorgensen, Gary Lafontaine, Hans van Klinken, Oliver Edwards and more, nowadays I find myself more inspired by studying the real insects in their own environment.
I have two clear divisions of my fly tying; the first is flies for trout and grayling with a realistic touch. My goal is to design patterns that would look just as good in a frame on the wall to the human eye as it would look on the end of a leader attracting the fish. My second passion in fly tying is big nasty pike flies designed to attract the fresh water "monsters" that patrol the weed banks of any lake.

Dougie Loughridge (Scotland)

I have been a keen flytier for the last 18 of my 33 years. Although I love catching any species on the fly, my main passion is for Pike. Like many tiers, I love experimenting and designing variations on fly patterns, particularly those baitfish and streamer patterns designed to catch this wonderful predator. Being a consultant for Fulling Mill and part of the Partridge International Pro-Team, I am very proud to be joining the Bug-Bond team.

Chris Newsome (USA)


Chris Newsome spends his days guiding anglers on the Chesapeake Bay of Virginia. When not on the water or enjoying time with his family, he can be found behind the tying table trying to create a better “mouse trap” for his anglers. Newsome’s efforts in fly tying seek to improve durability and fishability of saltwater fly patterns. His flies have been featured in numerous books and magazines in the USA. Chris declares, “Bug-Bond is changing my whole approach to fly tying. The skies the limit when it comes to incorporating Bug-Bond into more effective fly patterns”

Johan Put (Netherlands)


My name is Johan Put and I am from the Netherlands.

I am working as a development technician in the paper industry.

I am fishing from the day I can remember, I must have been 5 years old when I fish for the fist time.

The love for fishing and nature has been with me since.

I started fly fishing and fly tying in 1990. My passion in fly tying goes out to the realistic flies, including fishable and art flies, it is to me a big kick to recreate a bug as good as possible. In some flies I spent more then 40 hours of tying, but when the end result is finish it gives me a great satisfaction.

Every day I am behind the vise, spending many hours trying new stuff and try to improve my skills, tying is sometimes even more important to me then fishing.

Chris Reed (United Kingdom)

I do know that Chris a Cheshire born and bred flytyer started tying flies at the age of 12… he ties a variety of flies for fishing whether it is trout, salmon or saltwater destination fishing. An accomplished tyer and the first fly tyer to sample the Bug-Bond back in 2009 before it was officially launched.

Chris Reeves (United Kingdom)

I have been a fisherman all my life and a fly angler for nearly 25 years.
I began fly fishing at Barn Elms reservoir in West London and progressed via small stillwaters to the large reservoirs, becoming a successful competition angler
I then moved on to the challenge of chalkstreams before fishing further afield in many “destination fisheries” including Alaska, Chile, Argentina, California, The Bahamas and Florida. I fish for trout at least twice a week in the season and also hunt Pike on the local stretches of the River Thames.
I started tying my own flies some 20 years ago. I was self taught and quickly realised the value of good instruction and how scarce it was so became an Instructor under the S and TA STANIC banner, later becoming part of GAIA. Since then I have taught privately and also in Adult education at my local college.
My favourite flies are Chalkstream dries and Irish Loch flies but I love tying all styles and regularly tie Saltwater, Salmon and Pike flies too.
I am a member of the Fly Dressers Guild and chairman of the Surrey branch,
I have been a Whiting Pro team tier since 2005, I am a member of the newly formed e Partridge Pro team, I am also on the pro tiers team for Nymph head products of the United States and recently joined the “Bug Bond” team too.
I give regular talks at Fishing clubs and branches of the Fly Dressers Guild.
I have been guiding on Bewl water, Farmoor and to a lesser extent on the southern Chalkstreams, where I take anglers to the public stretches such as Wherwell on the Test and the Lower Itchen fishery. I also run or help out at corporate days on local waters.


Barry Reynolds (USA)


Needs no introduction to those who fly fish for pike. Barry has written a number of books on the subject and his film In Pursuit of the Waterwolf has left many inspired to go fly rodding for pike.

Chris Sandford (United Kingdom)

An actor by profession, Chris is best remembered for his numerous TV and film roles in the 60’s and 70’s, namely as Coronation Street’s singing window cleaner ‘Walter Potts’ and ‘Sid’ one of Tommy Steele’s mates in the movie “Half a Sixpence”.

In the late eighties and nineties, Chris worked in the sound recording production business and is one of Britain’s best-known commercial voiceover artists - selling us everything from bathroom cleaners to chewing gum!

Over the last decade, Chris Sandford’s name has also become synonymous with the world of fishing and his collection of vintage fishing tackle ranks amongst the finest in the UK. His knowledge of the subject is reflected in his regular articles in the angling press. He is currently enjoying great popularity with his column in 'Fly Fishing and Fly Tying'. He also writes for 'Waterlog' magazine for which he has twice been awarded 'Humorous Writer of the Year' for his wry comment on angling at large.

His international angling TV series, ‘Just Fishin’...with Chris Sandford produced in 2002, continues to enjoy regular airings on the Discovery Channel. He also appears regularly on Sky TV’s ‘Tight Lines’ featuring his fly-fishing and fly tying skills.

His first book, “The Best of British Baits”, which traces the history of artificial lures from Izaac Walton’s silk minnow through to the 1930’s, has become a bestseller among tackle collectors worldwide.

His recent book ‘A Wellie Full of Water’, chronicles ten years of his ‘Waterlog’ articles.

His new book ‘Flytyers Flies.The Flies That Catch Fish’ was launched in November last year. (2009) Medlar Press.

Similar to TV’s ‘Antiques Roadshow’, The Chris Sandford Vintage Fishing Tackle Roadshow is seen regularly at game fairs and angling exhibitions across the country, giving valuations and advice on vintage tackle collecting. This project raises money for SPARKS (SPort Aiding medical Research for KidS).

Steve Silverio (USA)

Tying flies since the age of fourteen on a “homemade rotary vise”, Steve has ventured into all forms of the fly-tying art. Known primarily for his innovative saltwater & large predator flies, Steve has developed patterns for many species from striped bass to sailfish and is constantly experimenting with new natural materials for his designs. Combining classic dressings with modern concepts, his flies are an amalgam of tradition and simplicity.
He regularly appears at various tying forums, local, regional, & international, and demonstrates his craft at various fly shops along the east coast. His Polar Pony flies are featured in the 2008 winter issue of Fly Tyer Magazine and two of his patterns have been included in a recent release, “Passion for Pike”, by his friend Ad Swier, a well known Pike fisherman, artist, author, and founder of the Dutch Fly Fair.
Currently, Steve is a member of Regal Vise Company’s developmental team and has cooperated in the design of their new in-line rotary model, the Revolution. He is also a pro staff tier for Regal, Mustad-Partridge USA and Bug-Bond.
Because I live in the Mid Atlantic area, I often fish for stripers, bluefish & false albacore; however I also am not far from good trout streams & smallmouth rivers as well as several fine lakes that contain largemouth bass, pickerel & pike. My three favorite species to fish & tie flies for are striped bass, pike & Atlantic salmon.
While I have no single favorite tyer, I have several whose inventiveness, style, clean lines & tying techniques I greatly admire. Among those are; Carrie Stevens, Bob Warren, Syd Glasso, Warren Duncan, Charlie Chute, Daniel Dufour, Kenichiro Sawada, Marcelo Morales, Bob Popovics and others.

You will note that I count a majority of salmon fly tyers among the names I list. I believe that the discipline of dressing salmon flies is the most challenging form of flytying and contributing greatly to the development of a flytyer’s skill, and for that reason should be pursued. A solid foundation of tying skills enables the tyer to experiment with new techniques that build on those of the past.
Essentially, fly tying provides the fly fisherman with a more complete experience of his unique sport, one which is based on originality & creativity. It is only natural then that the creative response to fly tying is to experiment with existing patterns, consider new materials and formulate original concepts that develop from experiences on streams, rivers, lakes or in the salt. Fly tyers are constantly trying to solve the riddle of how to get fish to respond positively to the bits of fur & feathers we eagerly offer them. It is in the very nature of the fly tying art to respond creatively to this desire.

Riny Sluiter (Netherlands)

I am from Kampen in the Netherlands. My homewater is a big river called the IJssel, I am also surrounded by many good waters in the region of Kampen.

I have been tying flies for several years now. I tie all kinds of flies, dry flies, nymphs, streamers, saltwater flies and tubeflies.

I am a regular tier at fairs; I also do workshops at home for flyfishing clubs and shops. In Kampen we have our own flyfishing club called The Kingfisher. I am in charge of almost all the activities. It's a job I thoroughly enjoy of doing.