Fly Tiers
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George Daniel George Daniel began fly fishing at age six in Potter County, Pennsylvania. Growing up along a native brook trout fishery designated as a “kids only section” and, being the only kid in the village who fished, George was able to fly fish and practice a lot, so he developed a true passion for it. Through his early teens, much of his fly fishing knowledge was self-taught. However, when George was 14, his family relocated to central Pennsylvania, where, at a local fly shop, he found himself talking to his fly fishing idol, Joe Humphreys. Joe kindly took George under his wing and began providing him with his first, formalized fly fishing instruction. When George was just 16-years-old, Joe began to provide instruction on all levels, e.g. the basic cast to advanced nymphing casts. George credits Joe for the bulk of his knowledge, but also graciously acknowledges many national and international fly fishing professionals who have worked with him during the past. Later, George had an opportunity to try out for Fly Fishing Team USA in Bend, Oregon. After qualifying for the team, George had the opportunity to compete in five World Fly Fishing Championships, coach both the US Youth Team and Fly Fishing Team USA in four World Championships. During this time, George has had an opportunity to travel the globe and learn from many of the best anglers in the world. George is a two-time US National Fly Fishing Champion and was ranked as high as 5th in the world. George’s true passion is in fly fishing education. He appears at clubs and fly fishing shows around the country, where he conducts lectures and seminars. He also logs more than 280 days a year on waters near and far. George is not only the author of two highly regarded and best selling books, he has also published articles in Fly Fisherman, American Angler and Fly Tyer magazines. His most recent book, Nymphing: New Angles and Tactics was recently released. George is an ambassador for a number of fly fishing companies including Orvis, Tacky Fly Boxes, FlyCraft Boats, Regal Vises, Competitive Angler Tying Supplies, Golden Trout Lanyards, and Loon. |
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Pat Cohen Pat Cohen lives in upstate New York. He began fly fishing in 2008 and has been tying flies since January of 2009. Pat is a full time commercial fly tyer and regularly teach classes, does presentations and demos at events, fly shops and clubs across the east coast. His specialty is deer hair bass bugs, but has a string passion for all types of streamers and carp flies. www.rusuperfly.com |
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Brad Buzzy Brad Buzzi has been tying flies commercially since 2004 and is the owner of BuzFly and the current President of The Atlantic Saltwater Flyrodders. He specializes in saltwater flies for the Northeast and East Central Coast of Florida targeting primarily Stripped Bass, Bluefish, Weakfish/Sea Trout, Albacore, Snook, Redfish, Cobia and Jack Crevalle to name a few. Some of his signature flies are Crease Flies, Gooey Flies, Epoxy Sand Eels and Dubbing Brush Flies. He grew up fishing the Jersey Shore from Sandy Hook to Island Beach State park cutting his teeth on Snappers and Fluke when he was a very young boy leaning how to fish. As he grew older, he started to fish for Stripped Bass, Bluefish, Weakfish and Albacore. In the mid 80's his fishing expanded to fishing the East Coast of Florida, especially around Melbourne and Stuart. It was during this time he discovered Snook and never looked back. www.BuzFly.com |
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Jacob Morrison He's not famous yet but at thirteen he's working on it. Jake tied at his first show this fall at The International Fly Tying Symposium . He started tying at six and in the last couple of years has come into his own picking up many styles. Jake has been fly fishing the salmon river with double ganders for six years and caught his first fish on the fly at four. Jake will be at Tie One On tying a streamer pattern that is simple that anyone can learn and catches a lot fish. |
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Steelhead Steve Steve has spent numerous years guiding and fishing the GLR . Through out those years he has had the pleasure of guiding his clients to some spectacular trophy fish while taking a few of his own. Besides tying fly patterns for migratory fish he spends ample time tying patterns to tempt trophy fish from all over NY. Through out his years fly fishing he has spent a great deal of time in the Finger Lakes Region, Adirondacks and Catskill Region chasing fish on the dry to slinging big steamers and everything in between. |
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Nicole March Nicole has been fishing since the age of 3 on the lakes and ponds in Upstate New York. Her time on the water is usually spent 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 on to others, the knowledge she has absorbed so far makes it all the more enjoyable. Nicole is an Endorsed Tyer for Regal Vise, an active member of the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild, the Assistant Project Lead for the Project Healing Waters in New City, N.Y. and recently created a youth coloring & activity book for the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum. |
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Zach Anderson Zach has been commercially tying flies and working in fly shops for years. He has a habit of following the fish and has spent a significant amount of time fishing Lake Erie & Ontario tributaries, The Croton watershed, The Upper Delaware and Montana. Currently, Zach guides for Baxter House River Outfitters. Throughout the off season he can be found tying flies for the Baxter House and Dette Trout Flies. flyfishbackcountry@gmail.com |
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Isak Kulalic I have been fly fishing and tying flies since I was 11 years old. In recent years, my interests have leaned toward tying classic salmon flies. |
| Dan Thomas | |
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Lou DiGenna Louis Digena is a Regal Endorsed fly tier, and on the Solarez, Flymen Fishing Company, Willowemoc Creek, and Ewing teams. Lou’s background in fly tying includes 25+ years experience with a commitment to designing patterns with the K.I.S.S. rule (Keep It Simple Stupid). He primarily targets trout, bluegill, and toothy predator throughout the United States. His home waters are in the northeast where he prefers fishing for Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, and Pickerel. He enjoys tying traditional patterns and creating new flies like CE Crayfish (Close Enough), which is deadly on trout and smallmouth. For more patterns and info visit flyandfin.blogspot.com |
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Bart Lombardo Bart Lombardo has been fly fishing and fly tying for over forty years. Although he travels the country to fish for trout and salmon and chases fish in the salt, his true passion is warm water fly fishing for bass, panfish and other warm water species. As an endorsed fly tier for REGAL VISE he enjoys teaching others about the art of fly tying. He regularly conducts fly tying classes for organizations like Orvis, LL Bean and Trout Unlimited. Due to popularity of his website Panfish On The Fly and his interest in warm water fly fishing he has been featured guest on a number of podcasts including The Warm Water Fly Fishing Podcast, Tenkara USA's Tenkara Cast, and The Orvis Fly Fishing Podcast with Tom Rosenbauer. Bart’s main interest in fly tying is developing new patterns to target panfish, bass and other warm water species. He is a member of a number of pro-staffs in the fly tying industry including Regal Vise, Solarez, Ewing Hackle and Flymen Fishing Company His website is www.panfishonthefly.com and he can be contacted via email at info@panfishonthefly.com. |
| Nick Mango | |
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Craig Buckbee Craig is an FFI Master Certified Casting Instructor and a licensed guide in NY, specializing in the Delaware system where he has fished for over thirty years. He also works as a casting instructor at The Wulff School of Fly Fishing. Competing in ACA casting tournaments, he has won medals in national tournaments. Recently he has been spending time abroad, interviewing fish in Argentina, Kiribati, Greenland and Iceland. Craig is an HMH Vise Pro, and on Industry Guide programs for several fine gear manufacturers. |
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Mike Beckley Mike started tying flies at age of 14, specializing in Catskill flies. He love to learn and practive all tying styles and contines to hone his skills. Mike recently began to study and tie Rangeley streamers. Late in 2018 Mike became very passionate with instructing fly tying and helping both new and old tiers learn new skills and improve their techniques. When you are at a show or just see him hanging around, feel free to ask for a demonstration or ask any other question you may have. Mike works under the name Dead_Guy_Fly on social media. People often ask about the name. Mike has been a world class power-lifter for quite some time. He has become very accomplished in the Deadlift. Mike holds world and state records in the lift. He currently sits #2 in the 220 pound, 40-45 masters division with a dead-lift of 750 pounds, 5.1 pounds off the #1 position. Dead_Guy_Fly became a catchy way for Mike to express the two things he is most passionate about and known for. |
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Dom Greico Dominick Greico has been trout fishing and fly tying for most of his life. A lifelong resident of Upstate New York, he has spent much of his free time exploring the vast Adirondack Park and the endless trout streams the State has to offer. His passion for fly fishing often leads him to the State of Montana in the summer to fish his favorite rivers and mountain lakes. He was fortunate to learn the art of fly tying many years ago from some of the most seasoned outdoorsman in the area. Dominick pays homage to his mentors by continually refining the patterns he was taught. He has a mission of incorporating modern materials and techniques while maintaining the core qualities of these tried and true fly patterns. |
| Mike Small | |
| Dominic Petruzzi | |
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Cory Unczur Cody Unczur grew up fishing the small creeks and ponds around the southern Adirondacks and Mohawk Valley. He began fly fishing in 2010, and started tying in 2015. A current resident of Syracuse, he fell in love with two-handed casting and classic salmon flies after a trip to the Salmon River. Cody’s current tying draws inspiration from the vintage patterns used on the rivers Spey and Dee. |
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Brandon Creekbaum Brandon Creekbaum is fairly new to the art of fly tying, with only tying since August 2017, his workmanship is very promising and will have great potential with the right people mentoring him. Being born at 24 weeks Brandon has overcome several obstacles in his life, one in which you and I probably take for granted everyday… the gift of sight. Brandon has limited vision so this makes the art of fly tying even more of a challenge to him, but I think this makes his attention to detail that much more of a priority in his flies. He loves the challenge and the passion people bring to this tying artwork, the possibilities are endless. Brandon is currently an ambassador to several different sites, he belongs to the Buckeye United Fly Fishers and meet with them regularly. Check out his sites on Instagram and Facebook - I have a feeling you will be hearing and seeing more from this young enthusiast, can’t wait to see what he will bring to the table. |
| Michael Ozkaya | |
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Brian Slavinski New York State licensed guide and owner of Cattaraugus on the Fly guide service. Brian is a native Western New Yorker and has spent his adult life designing flies and working on presentation techniques that are required to be successful on the local waters. For the past 20 years he has been specializing in the use of two handed rods and swinging flies on New York’s famous Cattaraugus Creek. During the off season he can be found fishing the beautiful Atlantic salmon rivers of Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula in the late spring and in late summer exploring Northern British Columbia looking for summer run steelhead. . |
| Daniel Podobed | |
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Julian Motola Julian primarily fishes the Delaware River System with occasional trips to the Adirondacks and Lake Ontario Tributaries. He ties an array of flies, though his favorite ties are Catskill style dry flies and caddis dries. The study of entomology, hydrology, and trout behaviors associated with fly tying and fishing fuel Julian’s passion for fly fishing. Julian works for the NYSDOH protecting the people and environment in the Sullivan Catskill region and is relocating to Livingston Manor this spring. |
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Fred Klein My journey in pursuit of trout with the fly began over 42 years ago with an old fly rod and a home made wooden fly vice. What a gift that was. The woods and waters of Pennsylvania, the Appalachian Mountains and beyond have brought a life of admiration for the wilderness, forests, wildlife, and a thirst for “what lies beyond the next bend in the stream and over the mountain”. Fly fishing and the woods life is a lifestyle in which everyday I am involved in tying flies, fly fishing, trapping and hunting. My primary focus on the art and history of fly tying, which is a rich and romantic culmination of woodsmen, artists and literature that lies at the heart of early American history. The flies from the 1800’s and early 1900’s tell a story of their originators. The men and women in pursuit of wild trout and salmon; their names are in the annals of history with their flies, and their stories. I tie framed fly plates for display as well as flies for the waters, from oil paintings in classic books by Charles F. Orvis, Mary Orvis Marbury, Carrie Stevens, Herb Welch, and Ray Bergman as well as many patterns that I have developed in the old tradition. With a website on fly tying history, grizzlykingfly.com as well as an active presence on social media, I hope to carry on the tradition of fly tying and fishing with wet flies, streamers and dry flies from this golden era of fly fishing. I have and continue to write articles involving a number of top contemporary fly tyers that are passionate about continuing the traditional fly casting methods. There is a lively and interested new generation diving into this great woodland sport, and they are excited to learn and continue in the traditional methods. I, along with my associates, are excited to pass this on and maybe they will also find the thrill of swinging an old wet fly or streamer downstream. |
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Dave Brandt Living on the fringe of the Catskills has allowed Dave to meet, become good friends with and learn firsthand from many of the legendary fishers and fly tyers of the area, including Art Flick, Harry & Elsie Darbee, Walt, Winnie & Mary Dette, Lee & Joan Wulff and many others. Over the years he's been involved with Trout Unlimited, The Federation of Fly Fishers, United Fly Tyers, The Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum, The American Museum of Fly Fishing and The Catskill Fly Tyers Guild. He has been a part of the Fly Fishing Show circuit for many years. An early interest in the making of bamboo fly rods allowed him the privilege of doing most of the drawings for "A Master's Guide To Building A Bamboo Fly Rod", by Everett Garrison with Hoagy Carmichael. Teaching both fly tying and fly fishing has become an important part of his off-stream fishing life, having been an instructor with the Wullf Fishing School for the last 28 years. These endeavors have made fishing, for Dave at least, not simply a hobby but rather a way of life. |