MEET OUR
PRO-STAFF
We at Regal Vise Company strongly believe that, as a company devoted to producing the finest quality fly tying vises on the market, it is imperative for us to support the art & craft of fly tying. Recognizing the world’s best professional fly tyers, supporting them, and acknowledging their contributions to the sport of fly fishing, is the purpose of our Pro-Staff Program.
The members who have been selected are regarded as elite tyers by their peers and have achieved a top level of proficiency in their field. It takes time, patience, skill and above all, determination to be the best at what you do. At Regal, we understand that and choose to number those members among our family of Regal professionals.
PRO-STAFF U.S.A
MICHAEL ALBANO
Michael Albano has been fly fishing and fly tying ever since his father introduced the sport to him and his brother over 25 years ago. He has dedicated the past 25 plus years honing his fly tying techniques & patterns fishing the Upper Delaware River system in NY & PA as well as the other rivers in the Catskills and throughout the country. Michael has a love for teaching fly tying and has become a regular at fly fishing and fly tying expos, showing off his skills behind the vise. He is a member of the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild and has a passion for traditional & modern Catskill flies and the history of the area. When he is not fishing or at the vise he is spending time with his wife and two children, he resides in Long Island, NY.
THOMAS BALTZ
A fly tyer since the age of 10, Thomas Baltz caught his first trout on a fly in the Jemez River in his native New Mexico. His skills as both a fly tyer and angler were developed and honed amongst the limestone valleys of Pensylvania, with fly fishers like Bill Skilton, Vince Marinaro, Charlie Fox, Gene Utech, Poul Jorgensen, Ed Shenk, Joe Humphreys, and many others. In 1976, Tom moved to Boiling Springs, PA, and got his dream job at the Yellow Breeches Fly Shop, where he met Vince Marinaro, a huge influencer in the way Tom looked at fly design and tying materials.
At the Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, PA, Tom placed first four consecutive times from 1996-1999. He has been a regular tyer at both the International Fly Tying Symposium and the Fly Fishing Show almost since their inception, as well as tyed at many other shows around the country. Since 2000, he has been an Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide, and was named the Orvis Trout Guide of the year in 2001. He is also one of the very first Regal Vise Pro-Staff members, having used our vises since the original ones were introduced years ago.
EMILY BASTIAN
Emily Bastian is the niece and protégé of well-known classic fly tyer Don Bastian. She has been fly fishing since she was eight years old, and tying flies for almost as long. Emily fishes her own flies as a rule and can tie anything from foam bugs to classic wet flies. She is a registered Maine Guide and currently works in the Hunting and Fishing department at L.L.Bean, the first woman to hold the position of department lead. Emily is also a degreed Ecologist and has worked as a National Park Ranger, Maine Game Warden, field biologist, wilderness lodge manager for AMC, fly fishing instructor, and fly fishing retail manager. She is a founding member and National Vice-Chair of Native Fish Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wild native fish.
Website: http://www.nativefishcoalition.org/
MIKE BECKLEY
Mike began tying flies 30 years ago, focusing on trout and freshwater flies. For the past few years, Classic Streamers of the New England and New York areas have grabbed his attention. Display flies, shadow boxes and wedding boutonnières have taken up most of his tying time. Instructional videos will be on the menu next. Mike loves teaching and helping others learn and fine tune their techniques as well. Feel free to contact Mike at any time if you have any tying questions or need help.
LEE BLANTON
I have been tying flies for 30 years, I enjoy teaching others how to tie as well as tips and tricks I have picked up over the year. It is my life long goal to develop warm water patterns with that classic clean fly look, similar to the flies of Dave Whitlock. I enjoy tying Deer Hair Bugs, no matter how many you have tied it can be a humbling experience.
DAVE BRANDT
Dave is a long-time casting instructor for the late Lee Wulff’s Fly Fishing School. Previously he was a drafting engineer for the Bendrix Brake Company and an instructor of fly fishing at the local university in Oneonta. Although he has never written his own book, he has chapters in several. He is also featured in fly tying videos and has been doing fly tying demos at fly fishing shows around the country for the past 30 years. Besides his family, friends, fly tying, and fly fishing, his two favorite things are Regal Vise and Newcastle.
PEGGY BRENNER
Peggy Brenner resides in New Hampshire, one hour from some of the best saltwater and freshwater fly fishing in New England. She is the winner of the Dick Nelson Fly tying Teaching Award from FlyFishersInternational in 2019. Now retired, she has had her second apprentice through the NH Council for the Arts for a year to pass on the skills. She ties for a select group of customers, as well as giving instruction with a focus on ladies and children’s classes, and presentations and demonstrations around the country for shops and clubs.
Peggy was a featured as part of the “A Graceful Rise” exhibit featuring women influential to the world of fly fishing at the American Fly Fishing Museum. Peggy is a Board member for the FFI Fly Tying Group, past President of International Women’s Fly Fishers, and Advisor to United Fly Tyers. Peggy is also a member of several pro-staff teams including Whiting Farms, Partridge of Redditch, Regal Vise, and several others. Mostly she enjoys fly fishing with her husband, Jerry, and they both like to share the sport with others.
Website: http://www.sixsistersflybox.com
JOE CALCAVECCHIA
Joe Calcavecchia is a production tier, a saltwater master fly tier, and the creator of several well-renowned fly patterns such as the Striper Dragon, Mojo Squid, and the Bonita Bear. Joe has been tying commercially for the past thirty years for fly shops in the Northeast region. He is also a fly designer for Pacific Fly Group, is on the Regal Vise and Solarez Pro Staff, and many other Pro Staffs.
He is a master teacher in fly tying and instructs students with a jovial manner that is always infectious to everyone in attendance. Joe takes part in many fishing expos where he gets to talk to and engage with visitors and showcase his style of tying, which is the KISS method – Keep It Simple Stupid.
This is why Joe loves the Regal Revolution Vise – you squeeze the clamp, put the hook in, and there is no adjustment knobs, no springs and no fuss. Ask him to tie a Clouser on the Regal Revolution and watch the vice smoke!
Website: https://saltwatercustomflies.com/
MATT CALLIES
Matt Callies was raised in San Diego, chasing bass in water hazards since he was five. When he moved to Northern California in his early twenties, fly fishing got a solid grip on him and his imagination. He started tying because flies were spendy, and he moved into his truck because houses are spendy too! From his truck, he started exploring and creating flies that mimicked what was on the bass market at the time. As the truck was about to explode with materials and gear, Matt was reintroduced to civilization. He started to guide and work as a sales rep for some of the best companies in the fly fishing industry. Matt is now the Director of Product Development for Loon Outdoors, as well as managing the sales of eight companies in the Southwest. His wife, fish bum kids, and two labs give him total support and never hesitate to spend a day on the water exploring new areas to fish.
SCOTT CESARI
Scott Cesari has been tying flies since 2004, after a vacation to Maine introduced him to the sport. It has become a wonderful compliment to (and, at times, a necessary escape from) his day job as a physical therapist at the hospital near his home in Pennsylvania. Over the years, Scott has be fortunate enough to be the recipient of several fly tying accolades and awards. He teaches tying classes and provides presentations and demonstrations to multiple organizations throughout the northeastern U.S. Scott has created displays for museums and has been invited to participate in some of the industry’s biggest shows. His work has been featured in both national and international publications, and on both radio and television programs. Feel free to contact Scott about fly tying issues – he’s happy to help!
Website: https://www.scottcesariflytying.com
BRUCE CHARD
Captain Bruce’s love and commitment to the sport of fly fishing is shown through his accomplishments within the fly fishing industry. Ever since discovering his obsession for fly fishing in his teens, Bruce knew he would turn it into his lifelong career. No time was wasted after graduating high school – he quickly started his fly fishing guiding business in the Florida Keys. Fueled by passion and determination, Bruce has become a successful, full-time Florida Keys fly fishing flats guide, with over 25 years of experience and counting. Specializing in sight fishing for bonefish, tarpon, and permit, Bruce has not only become one of the most sought after fly fishing guides in all of the Florida Keys, but also one of the top saltwater fly casting instructors in the industry.
Website: http://www.brucechard.com
JOHN COLLINS
John has been tying flies for the past 30+ years. In that time he has come up with numerous original patterns, including JC’s Electric Caddis Larva, JC’s Electric Caddis Pupa, and The Peacock March Brown Dry Fly, among others. John also has a line-up of Sculpin patterns to his credit. These include JC’s Rabbit Tail Sculpin. JC’s Soft Tail Sculpin, and The Halfback Sculpin. His specialty is custom orders, but he does tie commercially, when time allows, for Shannon’s Fly and Tackle in NJ, and Dettes Flies in Livingston Manor NY. John’s motto is: “Flies That Catch Fish. Not Just Fishermen”. No fly is released to the public until its proven to produce on the water, that it’s been fished.
He has been tying on the Northeast’s Fly Fishing Show Circuit, for the past 10 years and has done numerous videos, of his Original patterns with Tim Flagler of Tightlines Video.
Along with Regal Vise, John’s Pro Staff endorsements include Flymen Fishing Company (Beads and Sculpin Helmets), Anglers Sport Group (Daiichi Hooks), Solarez UV Resins, and Natures Spirit (Materials).
JOSEPH CORDEIRO
Fly Tying is not just a hobby for this man, it is a passion. Joe Cordeiro has been tying flies for over 25 years, with the past 10 years focusing on teaching, presenting at shows and marketing saltwater flies. While Joe has been fishing his entire life, having grown up near Cape Cod, fly-fishing has been his main focus for many years. Many of his patterns are lifelike imitations. His salt-water fly patterns have been tested in waters for their imitation to the bait they mimic. He uses all-natural materials to add to the authenticity of the product. Joe’s style and tying technique have caught the attention and admiration of many seasoned fly tiers and his passion for the art is evident.
GEORGE DANIEL
George Daniel began fly fishing at age six in Potter County, PA. Through his early teens, much of his fly-fishing knowledge was self-taught, but after a move at the age of 14, he found a local fly shop where he met his fly fishing idol, Joe Humphreys. Joe provided George with his first, formalized fly fishing instruction. While most of his knowledge came from Joe, George has experienced a lifetime of learning from many national and international fly fishing professionals he had met over the course of his career.
While he loves getting out on the river, George’s true passion is fly fishing education. After qualifying for the Fly Fishing Team USA in Oregon, he had the chance to not only compete in the World Fly Fishing Championships, but to also coach the US Youth Team and Fly Fishing Team USA in four World Championships. George also hosts lectures and seminars at fly fishing clubs and shows around the country. In addition to coaching and teaching in person, George is the author of two bestselling books, and has written for a number major fly fishing magazines.
George is a two-time US National Fly Fishing Champion and was ranked as high as 5th in the world in his field. He routinely logs more than 280 days a year on waters near and far.
Website: http://www.livinonthefly.com
LOUIS DIGENA
Lou began formally fly tying in 1988 and progressed rapidly to be a pattern innovator and instructor. He uses his fine arts background to produce patterns with a simple and studied elegance. When designing patterns, Lou follows the KISS rule (Keep It Simple Stupid). He primarily targets trout throughout the United States. His home waters are in the northeast, fishing for native Brook Trout, wild Browns, Bass, Panfish, and toothy critters. He enjoys tying traditional patterns like the Frank Sawyer’s Pheasant Tail, and Killer Bug and creating new patterns, like his Stonefly Creeper, Golden Stone, Bubble Pupa, CE Crayfish (Close Enough), SP baitfish (Simple Perch) and KISS Crane Fly Larva.
Website: https://flyandfin.blogspot.com/
FORREST DORSEY
Forrest was born and raised in Colorado where he spent endless hours fishing the South Platte River with his dad. Forrest has been fortunate enough to take his fly fishing addiction to the next level by traveling to many bucket list locations, including Alaska, Argentina, and Ireland. Forrest is proud to be an Umpqua Feather Merchants fly designer and Regal Pro Staff member. If Forrest isn’t fishing or tying flies he can be found traveling or hanging out at a local brewery with his wife and miniature dachshund.
PAT DORSEY
A native of Colorado, Pat Dorsey has been guiding for 30 years. Dorsey spends well over two hundred days a year on the water, a combination of guiding customers, hosting destination travel-trips, and personal days on the water. Dorsey is an accomplished fly tier and has originated a number of effective patterns such as the Mercury series, UV scud, Limeade, Cherry-Limeade, Paper Tiger, Top Secret Midge, Medallion Midge and the famed Black Beauty. He is a nationally known speaker, traveling the United States and sharing his passion for fly fishing at trade shows and private fishing clubs. He is active in Trout Unlimited and the conservation of cold-water fisheries. Dorsey has authored four books: Fly Fishing Tailwaters, Tying and Fishing Tailwater Flies, Colorado Guide Flies and A Fly Fishing Guide to the South Platte River
Website: http://www.patdorseyflyfishing.com
GARY DUBIEL
With over 18 years of guiding experience, Captain Gary Dubiel guides full time and spends in excess of 225 days a year on the water. He is USCG OUPV licensed and fully insured. Capt. Gary has appeared on more than 20 TV shows, in numerous magazines and books, and has had the pleasure to work with some of the finest tackle companies on the planet. His fishing experiences have taken him across the US and Canada, the Caribbean and Europe. Captain Gary is an IGFA Fly Rod World Record Holder and is the guide that changed the Pamlico Sound trophy redfishery from a night time bait fishery to a daytime artificial lure fishery. He is also the inventor of the Pop-N-Fly (a fly fishing tool technique that has changed trophy redfishing in NC), produced by the Flymen Fishing Company.
Website: https://specfever.com/
HAROLD L. ECKETT, JR.
Harold L. Eckett, Jr., has been fishing since he could walk, but started fly fishing in 2012. He tied his first fly while visiting the Norm Zeigler Fly Shop in Sanibel Island, FL, and got hooked. Norm told Harold to join a fly fishing club back in his home of Jackson, New Jersey, and that’s how he found Atlantic Saltwater Fly Rodders. Some of the most iconic tyers come out of this club, many of whom taught Harold how to tie. As a volunteer with Project Healing Waters and Heroes on the Water, he teaches veterans how to tie flies, fly fish, and fish out of a kayak. Harold enjoys tying sand eels, peanut bunkers, squid, and poppers, and enjoys fishing for stripers, redfish, snook, large and small mouth bass, bluegill, and chain pickerel. His bench vise is the Big Game Revolution and his portable is the Medallion.
ED ENGLE
Ed Engle has been an avid fly fisherman for more than 40 years. He is especially interested in small fly tactics and techniques. He initially developed his skill for fishing small flies on Colorado’s South Platte River and later tested those skills on small-fly waters throughout the United States, Europe, and South America. Ed popularized the art of tying and fishing small flies through his groundbreaking books, Tying Small Flies (Stackpole Books, 2004) and Fishing Small Flies (Stackpole Books, 2005). In 2019 Stackpole Books released Fishing and Tying Small Flies, a single volume, updated second edition of those two books. Ed teaches his small fly tying and fishing techniques at seminars, classes, and fly fishing shows throughout the United States.
Website: https://www.EdEngleFlyFishing.com
HOWIE FISCHER
In 2016, while I was living in Washington State, I picked up fly fishing as a lifelong bass fisherman. Since then, fly fishing has become one of my greatest passions, devoting time and energy to learning more about the sport, conservation, and teaching others. In 2018, I kind of fell into fly tying as a natural progression of my growing passion for fly fishing. I got started on a 30-year-old Griffin vise my father gave me along with a handful of hand me down materials and repurposed dental instruments. From there it was off to the races!
Something that I truly love about fly tying is that there is so much creative liberty in it. I for one am pretty much completely self-taught (with the help of YouTube University), and when people ask me questions about specific things, I often find myself saying, “Use whatever you have/want.” Ultimately there are only so many ways you can tie one pattern, but you can tie one pattern so many ways and find what is most productive for you. I have personally come to appreciate tying flies as a way to spend time when I can’t get on the water, and to help get away from stress and anxiety!
I am currently on staff with Altar Fly Fishing and a pro staff/ambassador for Fulling Mill, Angler’s Coffee, Renomed Scissors, Solarez, Regal Vises, Ahrex Hooks, SemperFly Rods, and Upavon Fly Tying.
TIM FLAGLER
Tim Flagler owns Tightline Productions, a video production company in Califon, NJ. Although he produces a variety of video programs, his specialty is fly fishing. Tim’s a well-known fly tying instructor whose YouTube videos are some of the best in the business. His YouTube channel, practicalpatterns.com currently has over 73,000 subscribers and almost 22 million views. His weekly videos appear not only on his YouTube channel but on Midcurrent, the Orvis fly fishing blog, Trout Unlimited’s national website and in the Orvis Learning Center. He also has a regular column “Beginner’s Masterclass with Tim Flagler” in Fly Tyer magazine.
Tim’s a fixture at the Fly Fishing Shows – giving presentations, teaching classes and often as a Featured Tier. He guides year round for Shannon’s Fly & Tackle in Califon and hosts annual trips to Patagonia in the spring and to the Kootenai River, MT starting summer of 2020.
Website: https://www.tightlinevideo.com/
TONY FRIEDRICH
Tony Friedrich is the founder of Lefty Kreh’s TieFest, the oldest and largest fly fishing show in Maryland. He is also the Vice President and Policy Director of the American Saltwater Guides Association.
Tony lives on the Chesapeake Bay. He fishes and ties flies for a myriad of species including striped bass, speckled trout, red drum, bluefish, spanish mackerel, weakfish, and flounder. The Eastern Shore is home to many freshwater species as well including largemouth bass, pickerel, white and yellow perch, and of course, northern snakeheads.
Tony is known for tying flies that are effective and durable in order to face to rigors of the saltwater environment.
DEBBIE GILLESPIE
Debbie was born in upstate South Carolina, and grew up in a fishing family. She is a full time guide at Davidson River Outfitters in Brevard, NC, where she guides for trout and smallmouth. Spending the last four years working alongside some of the best fly tyers and guides in the Southeast has accelerated her growth as a tyer. She is one of the founders of Pisgah Area Women’s Fly Fishing, and hosts weekly tying nights during the winter months, as well as classes at the fly shop. Guiding for trout and bass, as well as fishing for musky and carp, has made Debbie a versatile tyer. Her favorites to tie are small dries and big musky streamers.
DYLAN GONZALES
My name is Dylan Gonzales. I have been tying flies since 2017. I’m from Los Lunas, New Mexico. I am small town raised and proud to be that way. I primarily fish the San Juan River in Northern New Mexico, so my flies are typically based around that fishery, however, I tie a lot of different patterns from small Semi-realistic midges to Catskill style flies. I look forward to sharing my flies as I progress in fly tying, being a voice for the younger generation of tyers, and helping youth get on the vise and out on the water. I am very proud to be apart of Team Regal.
ELI GONZALES
A little about me… I am an electrician, I’ve been in construction all my life and its how I earn a living. Since we were very young, my Dad took me and my brother fishing and fly tying was just the next step. I enjoy all things when it comes to tying flies. I enjoy tying small flies for the tail waters I usually fish, but I also like to dabble in semi realistic patterns. I’m always looking for something new and better with the flies I tie, keeping it fresh and innovating. I like my steak medium rare, I enjoy a cold beer every now and then and try to keep things simple. I guess you could say, I’m just a simple fly tyer.
MATT GROBERT
Matt has been tying flies and fly fishing for over 50 years. He is an expert fly tyer and an accomplished fly fisherman who lives to better understand aquatic insects, trout, and the rivers he lives in. He’s proud to have taught all disciplines of fly fishing for over 30 years. He is the author of Fly Fishing New Jersey Trout Streams, previously wrote the weekly NJ Fly Fishing column for the The Star Ledger, was the author of Beginners Corner for the Northeast Fly Fishing Guide, and has appeared in Fly Fisherman and Fly Rod and Reel Magazines. Most recently, he is featured in dozens of instructional fly tying videos produced by Tightline Productions.
JASON HADDIX
Jason resides in Berthoud, Colorado where he enjoys fishing and tying for the many different species the area has to offer. 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 Daiichi hooks, Anadromous Fly Co, Cortland lines, Firehole Outdoors, Nature’s Spirit and of course Regal Vises.
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 also operates a guide service & commercial tying business where he ties streamer patterns, deer hair bass bugs, pike/musky flies, carp flies, trout
bugs and more for the masses. If he’s not in the shop, at the vise or on the water you can find him tying, teaching or speaking at shows/shop events across the country.
REX HANNON
Rex was born the only son of an avid fisherman, in the fly fishing mecca of Central Pennsylvania. It was obvious from an early age that Rex would become a fly fisherman, and because of where he grew up, he was lucky enough to meet and fish with many legends of the fly fishing world. As a budding fly tyer, Rex relied on his mother’s sewing kit and the local chickens for materials, until he met Buck and Sandy Metz, of Metz Hackle fame. His favorite vise is a 30-year old Regal, which he has used to tie thousands of flies, from size 28 midge to a 2/0 Tarpon Cockroach. Rex has lived a blessed life, meeting countless people willing to share their knowledge and stories. He still loves meeting people new to fishing and tying, as well as sharing in the larger story of fly fishing that belongs to us all.
DEREK HATHAZY
Derek Hathazy grew up in Western, PA chasing trout since the age of 6. Since then, he has been tying flies to catch species all over the world. Tarpon, rooster fish, queen fish, snook, sail fish and tuna have fallen victim, just to name a few. He likes to incorporate deer hair in his patterns, whether its buck tail or spinning hair. Derek is also a Montana Fly Company signature tyer.
MIKE HECK
Mike Heck has been fly fishing the beloved Cumberland Valley streams since boyhood. He was blessed to have been able to learn the art of fly fishing on some of the hardest and most famous spring creeks in the country, and has been fishing for over thirty years. He is an innovative fly tyer with several patterns credited to his name.
Mike is the author of, “Spring Creek Strategies”, and the co-author of “Tying Dry Flies” and “Keystone Fly Fishing,” and has also had articles published in Fly Fisherman, American Angler and Fish and Fly Magazine. He has appeared in the TV show, “Road Trip USA”, a Discovery channel show that aired across Europe.
Mike offers guiding for the Falling Springs, Letort, Yellow Breeches and so many great trout streams in South Central PA. He is a graduate of Penn State where he acquired a degree in Forestry.
Website: http://www.fallingsprings.com
GREG HEFFNER
Greg Heffner has been tying flies for over thirty years, and is a regular tyer at numerous fly fishing shows in the northeast. He’s fished his entire life, keeping his focus on fly fishing for the last forty years. Greg enjoys sharing his love of fishing through writing and has had articles published in Fly Tyer, Fly Fishing in New England, Mid-Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide, and the United Fly Tyers Roundtable. He has also published a book, Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed: A Fly Tyers Notebook of Favorite Patterns to Tie and Fish. A licensed New York Fishing Guide, Greg is a member of Trout Unlimited, International Federation of Fly Fishers, Theodore Gordon Fly Fishers, and the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild. He lives in the Finger Lakes Region of New York with his wife, Arlene.
DEC HOGAN
Dec Hogan’s passion for steelhead angling and the natural world is a constant part of his being. He’s equally passionate about sharing his deep affection and hard-won knowledge with others. Hogan has been pursuing steelhead at a high level for over 30 years, and throughout the pursuit has mastered the art of tying beautiful, highly functional flies that catch fish and fishers. Hogan’s thoughtful writing and superb photography has appeared in numerous books, magazines articles and the internet for the last three decades. He recently co-authored, with fellow Regal Vise pro-staffer Marty Howard, a huge, colorful book, Steelhead Fly Tying Art and Design. Hogan is also the author of the highly acclaimed book, A Passion for Steelhead.
KEVIN HOSPODAR
Kevin is a thoroughbred Yinzr, born and raised in Pittsburgh. He is self-taught in all things fly fishing, with strong roots in farm-pond bass and stocked trout. Always up for an adventure and a good story with new friends, fishing has led Kevin around the lower 48 and many other far off places. Just like his varied pursuits on the water, Kevin’s time at the fly tying vise is spread wide across many styles…. Great Lakes Steelhead, west coast steelhead, trout, bass, salmon, carp, bluegill, or whatever the next trip that he is scheming.
Kevin is the Content Director for HatchesMagazine.com, pro tier for Regal, Partridge, & Lagartun, is the proud father of 4 fun loving kids, and husband to an amazing woman.
MARTY HOWARD
Marty’s passion for fly fishing is all-encompassing. His desire to master every aspect of the sport has yielded opportunities throughout the fly fishing experience. Marty’s love for tying quickly spread into all aspects of fly fishing and within the first year of his newly formed addiction, he started tying flies for species of fish that live far from his local waters. Marty’s passion for tying has taken him all over the world in a search for fish that will take one of his finely dressed flies. Marty guides on his local stream as well as teaching fly tying and casting clinics. Marty is a member of the Utah Fly Fishing Hall of Fame, is a published author, and his fly photography is second to none. Marty has been a Regal fan for decades.
JOE JACKSON
Satoshi Yamamoto is a fly fishing outfitter and guide in Livingston, MT. A versatile tyer, he works on all kinds of trout flies, from 5-inch streamers to minute midge patterns, as well as tying most freshwater patterns as needed. His favorite flies are the imitative and delicate flies used for Livingston’s spring creeks and similar waters. His Regal Vise will forever be with him, as its performance can handle all of Satoshi’s hooks and fly tying demands.
Website: https://www.leftyanglerandflies.com
JOE KAYAFAS
Joe Kayafas is a fly-fisherman and fly-tyer originally from Pennsylvania. In 2014, he moved to Colorado to start a career as a guide and has been there ever since. An avid fisher of Trout, Joe loves tying small flies, as they make up a huge part of the diet of the fish he’s trying to entice. He is known to crank out bigger nymphs and streamers as well. Joe enjoys getting new folks into the fishing and tying game, and loves when people (including himself) catch fish using his flies.
CHRIS KRUEGER
Chris Krueger is a fly designer out of Fort Collins, CO, where he owns and operates Rocky Mountain Fly Design. Chris has spent much of his life fishing his designs throughout Colorado and Wyoming for trout and chasing warmwater species on the fly. A teacher by day and fly tier by night, Chris combines his two passions and spends much of the year teaching, tying, and demonstrating at shops and fly shows around the country.
ALLEN LANDHEER
Allen started fly fishing at the age of 11, tying at 13, and has never looked back. His early influences were Ernest Schwiebert and his then science teacher Don Baylor. He cut his teeth on the Brodhead creek and has expanded his horizons to many waters around the country . Fishing the northeastern states New York, New Jersey , Connecticut, and Massachusetts, as well as traveling to the fabled waters of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, tying flies unique to each of the waters he fished.
Allen enjoys teaching the art of fly tying at various shops and TU meetings in his home area . He also ties at most of the major fly fishing shows and does presentations for TU groups up and down the east coast.
Allen’s work is presented online with Tightline productions and in Heratage Fetherwing Streamers by Sharon Wright. He is best known for his steelhead spey flies , streamer and wet flies, although his classic Catskill dries run a very close second.
Allen is also the current vice president of the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild and is a member of several pro staffs, including Flyman Fishing, Solarez, Lagartun ,Ewing Feathers, and Partridge .
LARRY LEIGHT
Larry grew up hunting and fishing with his father in and around the Catskills and Delaware Water Shed areas in NY state, but began fly tying in 1990. He started tying just about everything, but the feather wing streamers became his passion, especially Carrie Stevens. Today he exclusively devotes his talents to tying streamers using the Carrie Stevens method in his own patterns. Many of his are named for places in and around the areas he grew up fishing.
He enjoys the privilege of being contacted and contributor towards two books, “Americans Favorite Flies” by Bryan Carter and “the Art of the Fishing Fly” by Tony Colli.
At present you can look for him fishing the coastal waters in and around Sunset Beach, NC with his wife, Karen and two Brittany Spaniels, Brienne and Jaime. Or he may be found tying at his desk, taking pictures of his flies and working on a compilation of recipes to publish.
But you can always reach him online as he appreciates sharing with others who contact him for tips or just to talk.
JESSICA LETTICH
A native Pennsylvanian, Jessica works as a corporate HR and Benefits professional and spends some of her free time pursuing fish. You can find her anywhere from her local PA streams to the upper Delaware system to a Canadian Atlantic Salmon river. To her, nothing is as cool as catching wild fish on dry flies, unless it’s getting that big tug from a salmon or other anadromous fish on a swung fly.
Jessica enjoys tying dry flies, classic Spey and Dee patterns, Syd Glasso spey style flies, and hair wing Atlantic salmon flies.
BART LOMBARDO
Bart Lombardo has been fly fishing and fly tying for over forty years. Although he travels the country to fish for trout, salmon, and chases fish in the salt, his true passion is warm-water fly fishing for bass, panfish, and other warm-water species. Bart is a trout/warm-water fly fishing guide in New Jersey, and is also on staff as a fly tying and fly fishing instructor for Orvis in Princeton, NJ. He enjoys teaching others about the art of fly tying and regularly conducts classes and demonstrations for organizations like LL Bean and Trout Unlimited, as well as various fly tying shows. Bart’s main interest in fly tying is developing new patterns to target panfish, bass, and other warm-water species.
Website: https://www.panfishonthefly.com/
PATRICK LOMBARDO
Patrick Lombardo started tying trout flies at the age of ten. Since then, he’s started Bent Barb Fly Company, providing warmwater flies from bass, to musky, to pike. He hopes to start guiding in the future. Patrick has used a Regal Vise for over 20 years, and insists that nothing beats the “Bulldog Bite.”
NICOLE MARCH
Nicole has been fishing since the age of three on the lakes and ponds in Upstate New York. She enjoys spending time in her boat fishing for bass, or on the river swinging soft hackles for trout. What she loves most about the art of tying and fishing is that it’s a never-ending learning experience with a wealth of information out there; and being able to help pass that on to others makes it all the more enjoyable. She is the fly fishing/tying instructor for sixth to eighth graders at Parks and Recreation in NJ, the current Secretary of the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild, a senior mentor of Kids on the Fly, and a contributor to Fly Tyer Magazine. She is on the pro staff of Regal Vise, Partridge Hooks, EP Flies, Solarez, Whiting Farms, and Hardy.
Website: https://thequiltedtyer.com/
LANDON MAYER
Landon Mayer has been guiding in Colorado full-time on the South Platte River for the last 21 years. His angling success is fueled by an addiction to pursuing selective quality trout on the fly. He enthusiastically teaches and demonstrates this techniques and on-river knowledge to fellow anglers and has developed innovative strategies for sighting, hooking, and landing selective trout, as well as shares his tips in his many books and videos available on his website. He is also a contributing writer for Fly Fisherman and High Country Angler, as well as being featured in many other fly fishing publications.
Landon has made several noteworthy contributions to the sport on and off the water, including traveling to fly fishing organizations around the U.S., as well as leading guided trips, fly-fishing classes, presentations, and demonstrations of his unique techniques.
As an ambassador in the fly–fishing industry, Mayer represents several lines including Simms Fly Fishing apparel and is a royalty fly designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants. He is also an advisory team member of Simms, Bauer Reels, R. L. Winston Rods, Scientific Angler, Smith Optics, Fish Pond, Yeti Coolers, Regal Vise, Fly Craft, and Casio Pro Trek watches. He resides with his wife, Michelle, and their four children in Florissant, Colorado.
Website: http://www.landonmayerflyfishing.com
STEVE MALDONADO
Steve is a Colorado native, who grew up fishing the Arkansas river system. As an UMPQUA Signature Fly Designer, he has traveled the globe fly fishing, using his unique patterns. Big Streamers are his absolute favorite for browns and saltwater. He also belongs to the Scientific Angler and Ahrex pro teams.
BOB MEAD
Bob Mead has been tying realistic style flies for more than 50 years. The Praying Mantis, Walking Stick, and Water Scorpion are just three of the art fly patterns he originated. He has contributed chapters for several books, written many magazines articles, and been featured and interviewed in major newspapers including The New York Times.
Bob is a pioneer of ultra-realistic fly-tying. Inspired five decades ago by a walking sticking bug that crawled up his pants leg, He has amazed anglers and collectors around the world with lifelike patterns tied with traditional materials and techniques. His flies have appeared as props on TV shows and in ads. Many of today’s realistic tyers credit Bob with drawing them into realistic tying.
ALLEN MCGEE
Allen McGee has been chasing trout with a fly rod for 30 years. He is the author of Tying & Fishing Soft-Hackled Nymphs (Amato, 2007), Spiders to Flymphs, and Fly-Fishing Soft-Hackles: Nymphs, Emergers and Dry Flies (Stackpole, 2017). He enjoys fishing for selective trout and employing unique soft-hackled fly design that is often species specific. Allen is also a fly designer for the Solitude Fly Company. He has fished extensively throughout the United States as well as in Ireland and South Korea. While skilled in traditional wet flies Allen also believes in using creative approaches in soft-hackled fly design in order to imitate the behavior and appearance of the naturals.
Website: https://allenmcgee.blogspot.com/
JAMES MILLARD
| Almost from birth, it seemed fairly certain that the path James would take in life would be intertwined both with the water, and the creatures that dwell within it. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, his parents quickly noticed that his fascination for anything that swims was what drew him to it. Sitting on his Grandfathers lap during a fly tying session ignited another passion, and he started tying at age 8. Fast forward to 1989, when the family moved from the East Coast to Klamath Falls, Oregon would prove to be the final nail in the coffin, with his love for rivers and the salmonids that swam in them. The path his life would take now followed those West Coast rivers. Fast forward now to college in Eugene, Oregon where James’ passion for angling took on an obsession……..casting two-handed rods for anything Sea-Run and tying the myriad of styles and patterns that go with these fish. The flies, the fish, the history, he loves it all as if it were a part of him. Sea-Run fish represent home to James, which is why he puts the thought and methodic care into every fly he ties for those fish. He loves trout fishing almost as much, and has dedicated many years to the pursuit of them with a spey rod as well. Tying flies for this pursuit has now become a second favorite tying bench activity! James chooses the Bulldog Bite of Regal for that reason: “They’re an amazing tool for the serious tier and weekend warrior alike. You get the same grip from entry level to top-end models. That says everything you need to know about these vises.” |
JOSH MILLER
Josh Miller released his first book called Euro Nymphing Tips, Tactics and Techniques through Stackpole in spring 2024. He was a member of the Fly Fishing Team USA from 2016 through 2020, and head coach of the US youth team as they won gold in the 2023 World Championship in Bosnia. He has competed in the regional and national competition circuits and has assisted in coaching four world youth fly fishing championships. Miller is a full-time guide and traveling instructor and is a signature tier for Orvis, Fulling Mill, and others. Miller endorses Thomas and Thomas rods and Scientific Anglers. He lives with his wife, Sarah, and son, Jonah, in western Pennsylvania. Check our Josh’s websites for more information: troutyeah.com and joshmillerflyfishing.com.
KIM MUTAW
Kim Mutaw currently ties a wide range of flies including nymphs, especially specifically euronymphs, for trout, trout/bass/pike/musky streamers, and saltwater flies with a focus on specifically baitfish and squid imitations.
Kim am born and raised in Southern California, and learned to fish for trout when she was five years old. She has spent my whole life being obsessed with fishing and when the pandemic started, she took up fly tying in an effort to feel connected to the sport she loved so much while not being able to actually be out on the water. She tries to learn something new every time she sits down at the vice, and strives to grow her skillset as a tier. She am a member of the Fly Tying Committee for the Pasadena Casting Club where she teaches Intermediate Fly Tying classes. She belongs to the Ahrex and Squimpish Flies Pro Teams and made my way to the Fly Fishing Show circuit in 2024. She has a small business called The Flies That Bind where she offers custom fly patterns and an assortment of ready to ship flies. Check out Kim’s website at: https://www.thefliesthatbind.com.
WILLIAM NEWCOMB
I’ve been tying flies for at least 50 years. I enjoy it, I enjoy teaching others and passing on the information to the younger generation. This way the traditions will always remain alive. This is a lifelong hobby and you are always learning new things.
WALKER PARROT
Walker has been a guide for 22 years for Davidson River Outfitters.
Website: http://www.davidsonflyfishing.com
TED PATLEN
Ted Patlen has shared his tying skills all over the world. He’s grateful to have been asked to demonstrate his work at fly-fishing venues in places ranging from his home on the Atlantic Coast to the rocky shores of the Pacific Coase, across Canada, in a 12th Century convent in Italy, north to Scandinavia, into the heart of Great Britain, as well as on a hot, dusty parking lot in Roscoe, New York.
CARL PENNINGTON
With a Thompson Model A vise and a small amount of materials, Carl Pennington began his journey into fly tying in his mid-twenties. He believed he would save himself some money learning to tie flies. As it turns out, that wasn’t the case. Thirty years later, Carl is a fly designer for the Montana Fly Co., with about eight patterns in their catalog. He specializes in trout flies, but enjoys tying just about anything. When not tying, Carl can be found fishing the many waters of his home, Colorado.
JEFF PRICE
Jeff started fly fishing for brookies in small mountain streams before eventually discovering his love of chasing smallies and panfish on top water. In an effort to find the right size and color combos for the areas he was fishing, Jeff started tying warm water flies 20 years ago. When he’s not tying at the bench or watching baseball, Jeff can be found on the water still hunting those bass and panfish. He has many patterns in his arsenal and fishes each one of them routinely, making changes and improvements until he has it just right.
JUAN RAMIREZ
Hopper Juan is a full-time fly fishing guide on the South Platte and Arkansas Rivers in Colorado. He spent the last 5 years guiding full time, learning almost every inch of both rivers. Juan is also an accomplished fly tier and is well known for his small, technical flies used to fool the smart fish in Colorado tailwaters. When not guiding and during the winters, Juan is tying flies at local fly fishing shows or tying demos. He is a pro team member of Dr. Slick, Regal Fly Tying Vises, Semperfli Tying Materials, Deer Creek, and is a signature fly designer for Montana Fly Company.
Website: http://hopperjuan.blogspot.com
HENRY RAMSAY
Henry Ramsay started his journey as a fly tyer starting at the ripe age of 11 years old. More than 45 years later, he’s still enjoying the journey. Henry ties flies nearly every day and has been truly blessed to have the opportunity to share his passion with people through social media, his own website, the classes he teaches, and by the books and magazine articles he’s written. Henry has been fortunate as a custom fly tyer to have a list of longtime customers. He’s also been fortunate to meet so many great people along the way that share the same love and enjoyment of tying flies.
Website: http://www.ramsayflies.com
MIKE RICE
Mike started fly fishing at the age of 33. In 1998, his first cast was at sunset on Missouri Key en route to Key West – it was an instant addiction. He spent two years learning to tie different patterns, fishing them with friends who are professional guides and making adjustments before launching his business in 2000. He only ties for species he has fished for – if he doesn’t fish it himself, he won’t tie it commercially. From the beginning the objective of his business has been to turn out flies that are simple, proven to catch fish, and outlast others. Every fly that has gone out from the start has been tied on a Regal.
MIKE SCHMIDT
Mike is a lifelong outdoorsman who held a fishing rod in some of his earliest memories. Fly fishing became obsession for him and tying followed quickly thereafter. Mike started his commercial tying company, Anglers Choice Flies, in 1999 and never looked back. He travels the country teaching tying to groups of people at clubs, shops and at trade shows throughout the year. If he’s not on the water, then he is likely at his Regal spinning up another bug.
Website: https://ww.anglerschoiceflies.com
GREG SENYO
Avid outdoorsman, fly fisherman, and fly tyer from Girard, Pennsylvania, Greg Senyo has dedicated the past 25 years honing his fly fishing and tying techniques while fishing and guiding Lake Erie’s tributaries. The founder and former owner of Steelhead Alley Outfitters, his patterns and techniques have been instrumental in the evolution of Great Lakes fly design. Greg is a long-time tyer for Orvis, winning their prestigious fly tyer of the year award in 2008. He is also working with Hareline Dubbin, LLC, on innovative fly tying materials.
Many of Greg’s articles, patterns, materials, and guide services have been featured in national publications, fly fishing literature, television, and other media outlets. His first book, Fusion Fly Tying Steelhead, Salmon, and Trout Flies of the Synthetic Era was released in late 2015, and was awarded Best New Fly Tying Book at ITDF/iCast 2016.
Greg is currently part of the daily operations at Schultz Outfitters in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The rest of his time is spent archery hunting in Pennsylvania, or fly fishing and hosting anglers from around the country.
Website: http://www.schultzoutfitters.com
BRIAN SHUMAKER
Brian Shumaker is a fly fishing guide and tyer specializing in smallmouth bass and other warm-water species on the rivers and streams of south central Pennsylvania, where he owns and operates Susquehanna River Guides. Brian is an accomplished fly tyer and designer, creating work for Holly Flies. As an author, he has contributed to books and written articles for many fishing publications, and is one of the co-authors of the “Keystone Fly Fishing Guide.” As a speaker, he shares his knowledge at many local and regional clubs and organizations, as well as many fishing and outdoor shows. When not on the water, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Rene.
Website: https://www.susqriverguides.com
RICH STROLIS
Rich Strolis fly patterns, although based out of the Northeast, has a strong following and relevancy across the globe, and have been tied and fished by many as a result of his library of online videos. He is a signature fly designer for the Montana Fly Company, which currently produces over 30 of his patterns. Rich is also an advisor for Thomas & Thomas Fly Rods, and on the Pro Staff of a wide array of fly tying and fly fishing companies including Hatch Reels, Partridge hooks, Solarez UV resins, Enrico Puglisi materials, and Ewing Feathers. Rich is a very well-rounded trout fisherman, but his passion lies in chasing trophy trout and various other apex predators on streamers, with a pretty impressive list of locations he had fished outside of New England. He lives in Simsbury, Connecticut, with his wife, Megan, and two daughters, Tessa and Nora. He guides on the Farmington and Housatonic Rivers as well as several others in both Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Website: https://www.catchingshadows.com
JASON TAYLOR
Former restaurateur, Jason Taylor, grew up in rural Virginia, fishing the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries, and any farm pond or creek he could find.
After a long hiatus from any serious fishing he decided to learn to fly fish in 2009, having never touched a fly rod. His fascination with fly tying began a couple of years later and continues today. His flies employ a variety of both classic and modern techniques in an effort to find harmony between the vast assortment of materials available to today’s fly tier. He also enjoys helping other tiers and fishermen, as he believes that aspect of the sport is as important as any other. Greatly influenced by Bob Popovics, David Nelson and many others, he ties most often late at night after most people have retired for the evening.
Jason enjoys stalking trout with dry flies, chasing stripers in the surf and exploring urban fisheries near his home in Philadelphia, where he lives with his wife and two children.
JEAN TORRES
Jean, also known as “Kino,” began his fly tying hobby five years ago and quickly discovered he just loves tying flies! He enjoys using unique materials to perfect his own style of tying. Kino ties as often as possible and is constantly working to become a better tyer. Additionally, he loves the community of fly tyers he has met on social media, on the water, and at shows. In addition to tying, he enjoys fly fishing, offshore fishing, hunting, and spending time with his daughters.
GLENN & ANDREA VAN BENSCHOTEN
Glenn and Andrea Lyn Van Benschoten have been fly fishing the lakes, ponds, and streams of northern New Jersey and the Catskill region of New York as husband and wife for over two decades. With a professional background in education, the couple has focused much of their time instructing newbies through magazine articles, demonstrations, and lectures throughout the northeast on a sport that can seem overwhelming to a new angler. The Vans have also authored a book “Ten Flies, Simple Ties,” which gives the newbie ten basic flies that can be used on a variety of species while utilizing and reinforcing a few fundamental techniques to tie them. Glenn is a certified New Jersey educator and Andrea has served as a casting instructor and retreat leader with Casting for Recovery. Both have worked with the Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs program and Kids on the Fly in New Jersey.
JAKE VILLWOCK
Jake Villwock, Owner and Head Guide of Relentless Fly Fishing, has been an industry professional for over 12 years. In addition to guiding, Jake is an Orvis Signature tier, blog-writer, author, fly contributor to Easter Fly Fishing magazine as well as serves on various pro-staffs of leading industry companies such as Hatch Reels, Scientific Anglers, Simms Fishing, and Regal Vises.
Website: http://www.relentlessflyfishing.com
KEN WALRATH
Ken learned to fly fish from his grandfather at the age of six. His grandfather joked if Ken kept losing his flies, he better learn to tie his own! That’s what started Ken on his fly tying career. He still has his first vise and cherishes that purchase of his own vise. His military service gave him the opportunity to fish all over the country, as well as overseas. When Ken lived on the east coast, he participated in the various fly fishing shows throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. He proudly taught fly tying for Project Healing Waters and has contributed flies to both Project Healing Waters and Casting for recovery. Ken was featured in Fly Tyer Magazine in the summer 2013 edition. In 2020 Ken retired, he and his wife and hit the road, traveling full-time throughout the United States for three years, fishing in a variety of locations. A special memory is catching his first carp on a fly rod while in south Dakota! The couple decided to settle in Oklahoma and Ken opened a fly shop. He travels to the San Juan River every year as a special fly fishing treat. He loves the opportunity to teach others fly casting and fly fishing techniques, and doing what he can to keep the sport he loves alive.
LESLIE WRIXON
With 20 years of tying experience, Leslie Wrixon has had the opportunity to fish in many places with some extremely talented anglers. She has also crossed paths with many skilled and talented tyers from whom she has learned a great deal.
Website: http://www.Ityeflies.com
SATOSHI YAMAMOTO
Satoshi Yamamoto is a fly fishing outfitter and guide in Livingston, MT. A versatile tyer, he works on all kinds of trout flies, from 5-inch streamers to minute midge patterns, as well as tying most freshwater patterns as needed. His favorite flies are the imitative and delicate flies used for Livingston’s spring creeks and similar waters. His Regal Vise will forever be with him, as its performance can handle all of Satoshi’s hooks and fly tying demands.
Website: https://www.leftyanglerandflies.com
STEVE
YEWCHUCK
Steve loves tying anything from trout flies to predator flies but specializes in meaty rodent flies to tempt the toothiest of fish.
Steve grew up in the small town of Narrowsburg, NY along the Delaware River. His love of tying flies started at a young age and has turned into a long term addiction. Guiding affords him the opportunity to do a lot of research, test his designs and develop his flies into productive patterns. He loves the aspect of design and working with foam to build big meaty predatorial fish flies. Steve is a fly designer for Montana Fly Company and also a prostaff member of Hatch Outdoors, Korkers, Rising Nets, Raidzap UV, Frosty Fly, JStockard and Partridge.
PRO-STAFF CANADA
STEVE ANDREWS
Spending hours on the river at an early age fishing for trout developed into a life long passion pursuing both Trout & Atlantic Salmon. Steve started tying flies in 2012 which became an almost overnight obsession with Atlantic Salmon flies, their design and their history.
The majority of his fly tying is spent designing and completing patterns used in Atlantic Salmon & Steelhead fishing, however traditional Catskill dry flies have also become another obsession lately.
Steve shares his passion of fly tying with multiple fly tying clubs, attending trade shows and recently creating videos for YouTube.
Website: http://www.highlandfly.com
LUC-HERVÉ BLOUIN
Luc-Hervé Blouin is just a simple guy who dedicated his life to fly fishing. He tie flies in order to catch more fish, so everything is base on action and effectiveness. Feel free to contact him for some question or info. You guys might end up fishing somewhere!
DANIEL BOLDUC
Born in Sherbrooke, on 1961, Daniel began to tie flies in 1984 under the tutelage of Paul Bean. After some winning participations in level competitions, the FQSA granted him the title of «Master Tyer».
Since the late 90’s Spey type flies have become one of his specialties. On his vise, ancient style creations tied with modern materials have come into being such as the famous LORD SPEY, SÉRAPHIN, SOLITAIRE, BLUE JOHN, CULTE, GENTILHOMME, MYTHIQUE, FOLLE DU ROI and PARADISIAK.
JIM BONI
Jim began tying and fishing at age 20, in Europe, chasing trout and grayling in the mountain streams of Italy, Austria and Slovenia. His life-long passion has since taken him to destination fly fishing hot spots around the world, from Patagonia and the Caribbean saltwater flats, to Atlantic salmon rivers in Gaspé, and the wild steelhead rivers of northern British Columbia.
While Jim enjoys fly fishing everywhere, he’s most obsessive about chasing steelhead with the swung fly and the Spey rod, and spends much of his autumn on BC’s Skeena system, before returning to Ontario to fish for Great Lakes steelhead. He’s never happier than standing deep in cold flowing water in the rain, waiting for just one more pull from these incredible fish!
Since retiring from professional ice hockey coaching, Jim’s beautifully designed steelhead flies have been in great demand, and he meticulously crafts these for discerning anglers from his home in Elora, Ontario, on the banks of the Grand River.
DENIS BOUDREAU
Denis Boudreau is a fly tyer and fisherman from Campbellton, NB. His passion for fly tying began at the age of 10 in the basement of his grandparent’s house located in Bathurst, NB. While fishing the Népisiguit River with his grandparent’s he began experimenting with different buck bugs, and using a brown bug with a pink tail that he had tied with his grandfather, he caught his first Atlantic Salmon. He has been hooked ever since!
Living in Campbellton, NB has given him the opportunity to explore the world-renowned Restigouche River. Over the last 20 years, he has spent countless hours fishing its crystal-clear waters and landed many of its beautiful salmon and trout. Always using his custom and traditional fresh water salmon fly patterns, Denis has had tremendous success while guiding at Glen Eden Salmon Lodge as well as The Restigouche Salmon Club.
With the creation of JAX FLIES, he and his son are able to nurture and further develop their shared passion while tying flies for local and international clients.
TERRY BYRNE
Terry Byrne has been an avid fly fisherman since he was 10 years old. He loves Atlantic Salmon Flies, especially dry flies, and also ties a lot of saltwater flies for his trips to the south.
Terry has been featured in Spawn and Newfoundland Sportman, and is noted as one of the premiere Atlantic Salmon anglers and tyers in Newfoundland. He started a fly fishing company with his partner Kastine Colman. Together they teach casting lessons, fly tying lessons, other courses (especially during the winter), and host trips. An upcoming film is in the works.
Regal Vises have been Terry’s choice since he first bought his own vise. He loves the craftsmanship and design, and looks forward to many more years tying on a Regal.
CLAY ERICKSON
Clay Erickson acquired his love of fishing and the outdoors from his father at a young age. Fly fishing & tying became his passion 15 years ago which lead into his own custom fly tying business. Clay takes pride in his tying and loves to see the amazing experiences and fish his customers get to enjoy from his tying expertise. In 2018, he started to get his feet wet with rod building & repair as well. Teaching his young daughters the importance of catch and release and how to respect and appreciate the outdoors has been an absolute blessing to him.
JACQUES HÉROUX
Jacques Héroux is a fly fisherman born in Québec, Canada. Now living in New Brunswick for the better part of 45 years, he has a passion for Atlantic salmon fly tying. He fishes mostly on the Miramichi and the Restigouche rivers.
Over the years, he has had a few of his salmon flies published in magazines, books and websites, written articles, and won many Fly tying contests. He has published three fly fishing books, two of them on Atlantic Salmon flies. Jacques has been a commercial fly tier for the past 30 years. He was inducted into the New Brunswick Atlantic Salmon Hall of Fame in 2009 as a fly tier. In June 2015, Jacques received the Roderick Haig-Brown award from the Canadian Wildlife Federation and in 2016, the Jean-Guy Côté award, a national award who underline the work of a Canadian who has contributed, heart and soul, to the world of fly tying. He is also president of the Dieppe Fly Tying Club.
Website: http://www.salmosalar.info
PAUL LeBLANC
Paul LeBlanc hails from Miscout Island in New Brunswick and developed a passion for fishing and hunting at an early age. In 1984 he decided to make his passion his profession. In 1986, Paul was named Fly Tyer of the Year by the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) with one of his creations, a dry fly named after his wife, the Hazel.
From 1994 to 2018, Paul owned Salmo Nature, the first Orvis shop in Montreal. He is also a founding member of the Quebec Atlantic Salmon Federation (Montreal Chapter) and the Moucheurs Montréal Métropolitain. Paul hosted a series dedicated to fly tying on Réseau des sports (RDS) from 1994 to 2004. Additionally, he is the co-author of the book 25 ans de pêche. He also contributed to Jacques Héroux’s book, Atlantic Salmon Flies.
Now retired, Paul continues to catalogue past and present flies, sharing them on his Mouche et Fantaisie Facebook group. He continues to tie flies for salmon fishing enthusiasts. He also works on The Fly Box segment for the series King of the River, produced by André Paradis.
SYLVIE MALO-CLARK
Sylvie enjoys participating in fly fishing shows as a guest fly tier, fly tying instructor and speaker in Canada and the United States. She specializes in Atlantic Salmon flies hairwing and her journey has also taken her into tying the classics. Her flies and fishing adventures have been featured in magazines as well as books. Her birds eye art fly boxes featuring a watercolor combined with Atlantic salmon flies are sought after by discriminating collectors.
Her main highlight so far is having been part of the exhibit “A Graceful Rise Women in Fly Fishing Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” at the American Museum of Fly Fishing for her flies, paintings and involvement in the sport of fly fishing. This wonderful exhibit was very significant as it opened up many opportunities. It made her realize how wonderful and vast the community of fly fishing is.
Sylvie Malo-Clark resides in Durham Bridge, New Brunswick, Canada on the banks of the Nashwaak river with her husband Peter D. Clark. She has served on the board of directors of the International Women Fly Fishers organization. She is part of the Regal Vise Pro Staff, the Partridge of Redditch hooks team and others. Most of all she enjoys sharing her love of fly fishing and making connection with anglers all around the world.
JAMES PRASEK
James was born and raised in Alberta and grew up fishing the North Saskatchewan River system. He first cut his teeth in fly fishing when he was sixteen on the Upper St. Marie’s River for cutthroat trout with his uncle. He is now the proud owner of the fly fishing guiding service River Valley Guiding Co. based out of Edmonton. He guides for everything from native trout and grayling in the Canadian Rockies to pike, walleye, and goldeye on the prairie rivers and lakes. James is a Loop Pro Staff and works exclusively with Reids Fly Shop in Edmonton. He’s spent an extensive amount of time in Central America chasing fish from the Caribbean to the Pacific including roosterfish off the beaches. James has been tying for a couple of years focusing on big 4”-16” predator patterns targeting big pike, walleye, and bull trout.
PHILIP ROWLEY
Phil has been fly fishing for over 30 years. His love of fly fishing has taken him across North and South America. A former commercial fly tyer, Phil has written for almost every major fly fishing publication in North America. He has authored three books and numerous feature articles and has been the fly tying columnist for BC Outdoors Magazine for over 10 years, as well as being featured on a number of TV shows. In 2014, Phil was the proud recipient of a Life Time Achievement Award from Fly Tyer magazine. Most recently, Phil was honored to receive the 2017 Jean-Guy Cote award for his contribution to Canadian fly tying.
In 2018 he, along with good friend Brian Chan, released a Stillwater Fly Fishing App. A unique hand-held resource specifically dedicated to the challenges of fly-fishing lakes.
When he isn’t on the water, Phil travels North America performing at outdoor shows, providing seminars, speaking to fly clubs, conducting fly-fishing schools and fly tying clinics. Phil also provides instructional stillwater guiding on the lakes located a short distance from his Edmonton area home.
Website: http://flycraftangling.com/
ROBERT TEXMO
Rob got the fly tying bug in 2007, when his wife and daughters bought him a fly-tying kit for Father’s Day. He began to tie some pretty shoddy flies that actually caught trout, and that feeling of accomplishment kept him coming back for more. In 2013, Rob had the opportunity to be taught fly tying techniques by one of the world’s top sea trout fly tyers. That was when rob really started to get serious about honing his skills. Thousands of hours of practice later and he is an artist/designer of salmon and steelhead flies, with original patterns sold in ten countries and counting. His personal mission is to share his artistry with the fly tying world and to inspire others to create their own masterpiece flies.
AMBER SERBIN
Amber grew up in Alberta, fishing in derbies with her dad as a young girl. After she graduated nursing she began working at a fishing store in-between her shifts. This is when her passion for fishing took a turn into this wild fly fishing and tying journey it is today. She craves the adrenaline of steelhead and loves pontooning the rivers of the Skeena region or chasing salmon runs in the BC Fraser Valley. She’s fished the Niagara River systems in Ontario, the Cattaraugus River in New York, and has jumped seas to the Cuban flats for bonefish, barracudas, and Mahi Mahi. In Alberta, her local hunt is for that 40-inch pike, hungry for a big articulated streamer. You can also find her getting lost in the foothills/mountains sneaking up with dries for cutties, bulls, and grayling. Amber has her hand in coordinating and guiding kids’ fishing events for local clubs, participating in kayak tournaments, and attending trade shows. She’s been an Ambassador for Fenwick, Pflueger, and Hardy for the last 7 years and enjoys spreading her fishing knowledge. Her tying began at the fly shop but didn’t pick up until the last few years when she wanted to create her own meaty patterns to entice that next big pike, and one day, a musky. Fly fishing is where her heart is at and next spring she will begin her new chapter as a local guide.
IRENE VUCKO
Irene discovered fly fishing in 2016, and has been hooked ever since. While still a novice, she won two Iron Fly competitions, became a pro-tyer for Chinook Wind Outfitters, and was featured in Fly Culture magazine. She has fished for Steelhead on the Skeena System in Northern BC and in the Great Lakes region of Southern Ontario (where she is currently based), Golden Dorado and Peacock Bass in the Amazon Jungle, Lakers and Northern Pike in the Northwest Territories, and monster Bully Trout somewhere along the Canadian Rockies. Irene looks forward to honing her craft and learning more about the sport as well as the fish – fly fishing is truly food for her soul.
CHRISTOPHER WESSEL
Christopher Wessel has 15 years of fly tying experience, starting at the age of 25. For him, fly tying is not just a hobby, but a passion. Chris splits his time between Deer Lake, Newfoundland, and Labrador.