Our Grandfathers' Flies: Tying flies with furs, hair, and feathers. - Paperback

by David L. McElwain (Author)

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.

Author Biography

David Lee McElwain spent his early years in Marshfield, Missouri. He was introduced to fishing at a very early age. It only took him a few years to discover a local trout fishery located a few miles from his farm. Special weekends were spend at Bennett Spring State Parks with his grandfather, father and uncles, aunts and cousins. He learned the art of slow jigging for trout with a cane pole and a woolly worm. His 12th birthday gift determined his travels and adventures for most of his life. The intriduction of the Zebco 202 Combo Pack was "just the ticket". Every day after work you could find him by the stream slow jigging and watching several fly fisherman applying their skill. He purchased a yellow fiberglass fly rod at a yead sale for $10. This was his first fly rod. He would watch the fishermen cast and honed his skill. It took two weeks to catch a fish with his new rod and novice skill. One day one of the fly fisherman wandered down the stream and offered a bit of instruction. A friendship that was to last 30+ years began that day. Charlie Reading taught him to cast and tie flies. The skills he learned that summer from Charlie honed over the years. Through his business career and other endeavors he was always not too far from a stream where he could practice his skills which soon became flawless. Today, you can find him fishing the streams of the Rocky Mountains. He is a certified Adaptive Fly Fishing Practitioner and keeps himself busy fulfulling numerous invitations for fly tying exhibitions. He shares his gift of teachin with the likes of the Wounded Worriors and Wish of a Lifetine Foundation. He is a member of Trout Unlimited, The Federation of Fly Fishers, Adaptive Fly Fishing Association and the The Fly Dressers Guild, based in Great Britian.