Fly Fishers International (FFI) is pleased to offer FREE fly fishing instruction at the Learning Center located on the main show floor.  Basic fly-casting, fly-tying, and knots, will be taught throughout the day-every day of the Fly Fishing Show.

Fly Tiers:

Robb Alexander:  Robb grew up in Massachusetts. Here, his love for fishing was born. He spent his youth chasing fish from the lakes and streams of western Mass, to the beaches, tidal creeks, and flats of Cape Cod. Robb’s hobby became a passion. As a teen he worked for Orvis in Framingham and eventually pairing with Vinny Mcfarlane running the fly department at the Natick Outdoor Store. There, Robb began sharing his talent tying commercially, providing casting lessons, and guiding trips, all while continuing to hone his skills learning from the likes of Capt. Gill Burke, Dave Skok, Bob Popovics, and Mike Martinek Jr.

In 2008 Robb moved to North Carolina. He spent time on the southern coast as a first mate for Ocean Isle Fishing Center pursuing Marlin, Wahoo, Tuna, and King Mackerel. If Robb wasn’t out on the Atlantic he was in the Appalachian Mountains in search of small mouth and wild trout.Robb returned to Massachusetts in 2013, but his experience on water is not limited to NC and MA. Robb has fished Andros Island, Idaho, Montana, and Colorado. Currently living in Massachusetts, Robb spends his time behind the vice tying predator flies for large trout and Pike.

Jay Aylward: Jay Aylward of the Handmade Angler is a mellow fish nerd and custom fly tyer, who has been spinning for a couple of decades. The flies he ties range from tiny crippled emergers all the way to deer hair bass bugs. During the show he will be tying articulated streamers and attractor dry flies, and also taking requests. Stop by to take a look at the range of custom flies he offers, talk tying and fishing, or just watch the demonstrations. #handmadeangler #aylsflies #splatpopgulp

Matt Bailey: I am an avid fly fisherman and fly tyer from the New Hampshire. As far back as I can remember, I have loved fishing and the outdoors. My grandfather got me into fishing at a young age and I’ve been obsessed ever since. I am lucky enough to live in New England where I have access to beautiful freshwater and saltwater fisheries. Recently, I have become completely addicted to fishing for Striped Bass in the salt, as well as tying flies for the occasion, with strong influence from Bob Popovics. I honestly feel like I enjoy tying as much as I enjoy fishing at this point, just in different ways.

David Benoit: My father introduced me to fly-fishing at a very young age. I spent most of my youth fishing for brook trout in a stream near where I grew up in Upton, MA, with trips to Rangeley, Maine each year on family vacation. Military service and the Vietnam War interrupted my fly-fishing and it wasn’t till I moved to Southern New Hampshire in 1979 that I got reacquainted with the sport. I have fished numerous rivers, lakes and ponds in the 5 New England states, the New York Catskill rivers and the Canadian Maritimes, have been an FFF now FFI Master Certified Casting Instructor since 2002.I completed Sweetwater Travel’s Montana Guide School in 2004. Participated for many years as a New Hampshire “Let’s Go Fishing and Becoming an Outdoors Woman” Programs volunteer instructor.In 2012, retired and spend the summer months, May to Mid October in West Yellowstone, Montana working part time in Bob Jacklin’s Fly Shop, fishing the rivers lakes and ponds in Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas.

Scott Biron: Scott cut his teeth learning to tie flies and fly fishing back in the1960s in the North County of New Hampshire. He has fished many of the streams north of Route 26 in NH and his favorite the Androscoggin River. An active fly tying instructor for NH Fish & Game and is popular tying and instructing in regional shows. Scott was awarded the 2017 NH Traditional Arts Grant and studied under Peggy Brenner. He has a strong interest in historical NH fly tyers and their lost patterns and has published, researched, instructed as well as demonstrated many of these lost NH fly patterns. He enjoys instructing individuals of all ages in the art of fly tying and is known for including the history of these tyers and their flies in his instruction.Each year he is an volunteer instructor at NH Fish & Game’s Camp Barry’s Fish Camp where he instructs over 50 campers in fly tying and fly fishing. A member of the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild and has authored articles for the NH Wildlife Journal. He has written fly fishing curriculum for NHFG Let’s Go Fishing Program recently developing the popular Float The Remote program teaching new fly anglers how to fish in NH’s remote trout ponds out of a float tube.Scott is the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation and actively works to preserve, protect and conserve NH’s wildlife habitat and resources. He is on the Regal Vise, Partridge Hooks and Solarez Pro Staff’s and he is an Ambassador for the American Museum of Fly Fishing.

David “Uptown Dave” Buduen: My name is David Buduén and I live in NYC. I’ve been flyfishing and flytying for over 35 years. I love flytying because you can take new and old materials put them together to create a pattern. I’m a father of 2 kids which I love teaching them how to fly ty. In my free time if I’m not flyfishing I’m flytying. I have the best of both worlds in fishing freshwater or saltwater. Tight Lines David Buduen.

Brad Buzzi: Brad 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 and Jack Crevalle to name a few. 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. This year Brad will be Air Brushing and tying Popper along with tying flies with Light Cured Acrylics and Articulated Flies. Come check out his world class Bucktails that he processes and dies.

Joe Calcavecchia: Joe is a production tier, a saltwater master fly tier, and the creator of many splendid fly patterns such as the Striper Dragon and the Bonita Bear. He has been tying commercially for the past twenty-five years for fly shops in the New England region. He is also a fly designer for Spirit River. He is a master teacher in fly tying and instructs students with a jovial manner that is always infectious to everyone in attendance. Joe has taken part in many fishing Expos where he has been presented as a premier fly tier.

Louis DiGena: Lou is on the Regal Pro-Staff fly tier and the Solarez and Ewing teams with 35-plus years of experience fly tying. Lou committed to designing patterns with the K.I.S.S. rule (Keep It Simple Stupid). He primarily targets trout, smallmouth, bluegill, and toothy predators 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 C.E. Crayfish (Close Enough), Tiger Baetis, and Lou’s stonefly creeper, deadly on trout and smallmouth.

Capt. Mark Dysinger: Captain Mark has fished the New England salt most of his life. Although he is skilled in many angling methods, he is most accomplished with the fly rod. As the owner of Flyosophy Charters, he specializes in the northeast slam of striped bass, bluefish, and false albacore. Although he guides in Long Island Sound and its surrounding waters, he is also passionate about freshwater fishing and is a recognized authority on flyfishing for northern pike. Mark has fished extensively across North America, and his works have appeared in numerous print and online publications, including three books. He has been a featured innovative fly tyer for Eastern Flyfishing Magazine, and his Bunny split fly (aka Musky Bunny Twin Tail) is included in the “deadly dozen” musky patterns in Rob Tomes’ Musky on the Fly. He is an experienced teacher both on and off the water, and takes great joy in seeing others succeed. His enthusiasm and attention to detail make him a popular instructor, and his topical presentations are both informative and entertaining. Mark’s patience and enthusiasm have positively affected many fellow anglers. Mark resides on the Connecticut coast with his wife Anne and daughter Lucy.

Tim Flagler: Tim is the owner of Tightline Productions, L.L.C., a video production company located in Califon, NJ. Although he produces video programs over a wide range of topics, his specialty is fly fishing. Tim is a well-known fly tying instructor. His YouTube videos are some of the best in the business and his YouTube channel, practicalpatterns.com currently has over 106,000 subscribers and 33 million views. Almost every week he produces a new fly tying or “how to” video which appear not only on his YouTube channel but on Midcurrent and the Orvis News fly fishing blog as well. They’re also featured on Trout Unlimited’s national website and in the Orvis Learning Center. In addition, he has a regular column “Beginner’s Masterclass with Tim Flagler” in Fly Tyer magazine, which selected Tim as their “Fly Tyer of the Year” in their Winter 2022 issue. Many of Tim’s tying videos take the viewer well beyond just the tying of the fly and show what it looks like underwater, what natural it represents and how it can be fished.

Tim’s a fixture at the Fly Fishing Shows – giving presentations, teaching classes and often as a Featured Tier. He enjoys guiding year round for Shannon’s Fly & Tackle in Califon, NJ. and hosts annual trips to Patagonia in the spring and to the Kootenai River in MT in the summer. He’ll be hosting trips to Iceland starting in the fall of 2023.

David Flint: Hello, my name is Dave Flint, I’m an avid fly dresser, fly fisherman, Spey casting instructor and all round outdoorsman. I grew up fishing in the small streams of Mass, and upper New England. Our family would go tenting each year in Maine and New Hampshire. As my brother was climbing mountains, you would find me hopping rocks along the mountain streams with fishing gear. I’ve been fishing since I was a young kid but didn’t start fly fishing until I was about the age of 13.

My first fly fishing experience was in the early 70’s on the Roach River in Maine. Our family tented each year in the area and I became friends with the local camp owner in Kokadjo. One morning I watched him fly fishing, carefully maneuvering a fly in and around the currents. After successfully catching a few fish, he handed me the rod and said,” give it a try”. He showed me the type of fly he used and how to fish it. I followed his instructions and before I knew it, the line was screaming off the reel – this was no small brook trout! After a couple of leaps and with help from my new friend, my prize was brought to net. Not only had I caught my first Salmon, but it was also my first time fly fishing. The following spring, armed with my new fly rod, I spent all my time hopping rocks in the clear mountain streams. I’d dip flies in the small pools; sometimes missing a rock along the way and putting myself in the pool instead. 50 years later and I am still hopping rocks and pools.

I started dressing flies in the 80’s after joining a local club, the New England Fly Tyers. My love for dressing flies, especially Salmon flies, continues to grow. Each year, meeting new people, sharing ideas and learning new things, it’s awesome.

Through the years it’s been a privilege to contributed flies to several wonderful organizations such as the Miramichi salmon Association, Wounded Warriors project, North Atlantic Salmon Fund (certificate as Master Flytyer), and the NEFT Youth Outreach, among others. I’ve also supplied flies for some well-known books such as Rare and Unusual Fly-Tying Materials Vol. 1 & 2, Forgotten Flies and The Art of Angling Journals, along with Bonefish Fly Patterns. As well as teaching at NEFT (and local clubs) and co-produced the NEFT Video Manual of Fly Tying.

I get such a rush from tying/demonstrating at shows/events, interacting with the tyers, venders, and guests; because with that comes the opportunity to learn new things, new tricks and to share knowledge. And the opportunity to pass on my experiences and expertise to others. My passion for fly dressing flies has become a full-blown obsession.

All flies are enjoyable to dress but my favorites are Atlantic salmon and Spey flies, soft hackles and streamers run close seconds. I’ve done everything from commercial fly tying; sending Sports with my flies all over the world, to selling custom framed artwork with specialty display flies from Misty Morning Flies. These days my focus leans toward dressing and fishing full dressed salmon flies, designing, and working new ideas into old world proven patterns and designing specialty framed art pieces for people.

We meet many people in this sport but few that make a lasting impression and fewer still whom become wonderful mentors and good friends. Some, we have fished over the same waters, gone to the same shows, even been there at the same time and not known it till meeting at a much later time in life. Very strange how life works. I can count those friends on one hand.I’ve had the wonderful fortune to have good friends, Bill Wilbur and Jimmy Rusher. Billy is one of the best Salmon fly designers/ tyers in New England and has been an influential mentor. I’m grateful for his expertise and guidance (thanks Bill). Jimmy, as one of New England’s best longline instructors gave me a taste of Spey casting. Both have been good friends for many years. Jimmy didn’t know it at the time, but paved the way for me to find my new friends and team on the Farmington River; Spey Casting Northeast.Both Jerry and Lisa are the best in the Northeast/ New England area at teaching the art of Spey casting. I’m honored and grateful to part this team. So, these days you will likely find me/ us on the water playing with a two hander and sharing what we love to do.

For me this sport is a way to immerse yourself in nature and relax, whether on the water or at the bench. It’s an old sport, and needs to be passed on, shared with, new enthusiastic blood. Please, share your knowledge and experiences with others, so they may enjoy them also. Especially share it with the children, for they are the sportsmen of tomorrow.

This is what we do, it is our passion, help them experience it.

Stan Fudala: I tied my first fly at 15 years old and have never stopped since. Started fly fishing with my dad a couple of years before and then I started tying and realized that the challenge was as fun as it was different. I kept with it ever since the beginning and over the years, I learned from anyone that would share their time with me. After becoming active with several local fishing and conservation groups I started to share my skills in fly tying with others, became a certified casting instructor and have taught fishing, casting and fly tying for close to 30 years for several groups as well as NH Fish and Game. After 50 years of tying fishing and teaching my goal is to still just keep it real and honest, after all it’s still just fishing.

Dominick Greico: Dominick 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. He remains dedicated to the preservation and advancement of the art of fly tying.

Adam Hortenberry: My Name is Adam Hortenberry, I started Fly tying 2 and a half years ago. A lot of the flies I do are mostly for warm water species but I love all aspects of tying for both Fresh & salt. My inspirations for tying include Names like Dave Whitlock, Kelly Galloup, Blane Chocklette, Bob Popovics, Charley Craven and many more. Fly Fishing and Fishing in general have been my interests for as long as I can remember. catching bluegill on the fly on farm ponds with my grandpa is still one of my favorite memories. My purpose nowadays is to tie quality Flys for folks and get our younger generations involved in the sport and teaching folks my favorite patterns and ways to catch warm water species such as my favorite being the smallmouth Bass. I love seeing my videos inspire young folks and people who have been around alike, fishing & Fly fishing aren’t just a hobby for me it’s my life and my passion.

David Kolesar: David began tying flies for the trout in northeastern Pennsylvania as a kid and now ties flies for the trout and striped bass swimming the waters of New Hampshire. A member of the United Fly Tyers since the mid ‘90s David is now the current president of UFT as well as one of the club’s tying instructors. He is also a member of the New England Saltwater Fly Rodders and the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild. David has been a demonstration fly tyer at the International Fly Tying Symposium, and The Fly Fishing Show for several years and for the International Federation of Fly Fishers festivals. An IFFF certified casting instructor and David teaches fly casting and fly fishing for L. L. Bean’s Outdoor Discovery Schools and volunteers to teach fishing and fly tying for New Hampshire Fish and Game. David will be joining the New Hampshire River Guides in the coming year guiding freshwater anglers in New Hampshire.

Dan LaPointe: I started fishing the small streams and beaver ponds of the New Hampshire’s White Mountains at a very young age. My father and occasionally my grandmother would take my brother and I out with the old steel telescoping fish poles and a can of worms that we dug out of the garden to go in search of brook trout for the supper table. This is how I caught the fishing bug. I discovered fly fishing as a teenager and have been pursuing trout and other species of fish with a fly ever since. I started tying my own flies about thirty years ago beginning with a fly-tying kit my brother gave to our three sons for Christmas one year. The fly fishing and tying eventually became a small business venture in 2008 with the introduction of an online fly shop selling the flies produced at my vise. www.danflyshop.net . My fly patterns mainly evolve around trout and smallmouth bass, these are the most abundant species of game fish found in our area of northern New England. I also do custom tying for customers, which has become an interesting and important part of my tying business. The online shop has since become a real shop that we run out of our home albeit part time. I obtained my New Hampshire Fishing Guides license in 2009 and started guiding fly fishers the following year. Besides tying for my own shop I tie for several other shops and conduct tying classes at White Mountain Community College in Berlin NH. Helping interested folks, young or old learn how to tie their own flies is one of the most enjoyable aspects of tying.

Steven Leblanc: I started tying about 25 years ago. I watched my good friend Billy one day the a wollybugger, then I saw him tye classics. I’ve been tying and practicing ever since. I love to teach what I have learned and always am willing to give that secret fly to any angler.

Bob Lindquist: Bob has been fishing feathered frauds for nearly 40 years, starting as a 12 year old boy fishing Long Island’s lakes. From dabbling with stocked trout, Bob graduated to the Delaware River system and the salt waters surrounding Long Island. Bob has tied flies at national fly tying and fishing expositions for over thirty years and has been published in many fly fishing and fly tying periodicals. Having followed in the footsteps of legendary tyers like Bill Catherwood, Bob has worked extensively with deer hair designed saltwater patterns. Recent years have found him, due to a lack of time as his children were ini college, pursuing simple but highly effective trout patterns. Most recently, the temptation of Spey fishing, steelhead and Atlantic Salmon have hooked Bob! Bob has recently added a love of photography to complement his fly fishing passions.

Bart Lombardo: Bart 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 real 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 the 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 primary interest in fly tying is developing new patterns to target panfish, bass, and other warm water species. He is a member of a few pro-staffs in the fly tying industry including Solarez and Ewing Hackle. His website where he shares information about warm water fly fishing is www.panfishonthefly.com, and he can be contacted via email at [email protected].

Vinny MacFarlane: Vinny began fly fishing in the early 1980’s in the headwaters of the Margaree River in Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia. With family roots in that area he spent every summer of his youth chasing brook trout and eventually Atlantic Salmon until he graduated college in the mid 1990’s. For the past 15 years Vinny has been working for the Natick Outdoor Store’s Fly Fishing Department. He enjoys helping costumers, beginner and expert get suited up to chase every species of fish obtainable with a fly rod. Vinny also teaches a Thursday night fly tying class at the store.

Capt. Bill Murphy: Capt. Bill Murphy: 1993-1999 Fly Tying instructor for Narragansett Chapter Trout Unlimited. 1994 – 1999 Served on the Board of Directors Narragansett Charter Trout Unlimited  1995 Winner of Fly Rod & Reel magazine’s Fly Tying contest. 2001 – Present, Owner Murphy’s Fly Box / E-Z Body Products 2003 Joined Rainy’s Fly’s Designer staff. * 2005 Fly Fishing Magazine “Tips” columnist * 2005 Featured angler in Salt Water Fly Fishing magazine for “Notable Catches”.  Featured Fly Tying instructor for The Salt Water Edge series of fly tying videos. Director/Producer of Little Rhody Charters Fishing Videos on YouTube.  “Celebrity Fly Tyer” at “The Fly Fishing Show”.  Bill has fished in 5 countries including Mexico, Belize, Haiti and Aruba. He has caught over 31 species caught on fly to date. BILL IS ON THE FOLLOWING GUIDE PROGRAMS: Far Banks Pro  Rainy’s Fly’s  Fishing Solutions / I FLY  Brine Fly Innovations  Regal Engineering  Nautilus Reels  Korkers  Temple Fork Outfitters  Long Cast Products / Albie Snax Captain Bill Murphy has been fishing the salt for over 20 years and has fished from Maine to North Carolina. He has also caught everything from Stripers to Bluefin Tuna on both spinning gear and fly rod. Bill is a USCG licensed 25 ton Master with Towing Endorsement. Currently, Bill is running a Sailfish 218 equipped with a 5 piece helm enclosure, Garmin 2010 GPS/Sonar, Garmin 741xs GPS/Dual frequency Chirp Sonar/Radar, Marine Radio, Baitwell, Fresh & Saltwater washdowns, Multimedia Stereo system, Front Casting Deck and plenty of rod & gear storage. This rig is a serious fishing machine! Bill is also on the Rainy’s Fly Designer staff and currently has over 15 patterns in production. Bill is regularly invited to the International Fly Tying Symposium and The Fly Fishing Show to demonstrate his tying techniques and fly patterns. Bill is also the owner of Murphy’s Fly Box / E-Z Body Products, www.e-zbody.com and Little Rhody Charters www.littlerhodycharters.com. Bill is also a regular supporter of “Kids on the Fly” youth fly tying program.

William Newcomb: When Bill was born, he was very young so he doesn’t remember much of the event. But he absolutely recalls fishing the streams near his boyhood home. As time passed, he graduated from school and joined the Navy, and continued to fish up and down the Eastern Seaboard, the Northern Atlantic and the Caribbean. When he discovered flyfishing, the sanity men seek in life disappeared. Along with flyfishing, of course, comes flytying. On a fishing trip for salmon, he spent $20 on six flies. After seeing his friend tie a fly, he realized he could have saved that amount by tying his own. Over the years, he’s figured he spent $40,000 trying to get that $20 back. You’ll see Bill at the fishing shows. He enjoys meeting new people, swapping lies, and stealing their patterns and claiming them as his own. Unlike many of the other tyers, Bill IS a legend in his own mind.

Ted Patlen: Winner of seven fly-tying world championships, has demonstrated at fly-fishing venues from the rocky shores of the Pacific coast, across the states as well as Canada, from a 12th century convent in Italy, north to Scandinavia, to the heart of Great Britain……as well as on a hot dusty parking lot in Roscoe, New York.

Michael Perechinsky: I reside in Pennsylvania and was brought up loving the outdoors. Hunting and fishing were my sports throughout my school years. I started tying and fly-fishing in 1999. In 2000 and 2001, I placed in several tying competitions in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. My passion is tarpon on the fly. I am the owner of Pflies, a small saltwater fly-tying shop that specializes in saltwater patterns for tarpon, snook, permit, bonefish. I also tie fresh water patterns for trout and bass. There is no better feeling than having someone catch on your flies you tied!

Roger Plourde: Roger began fly fishing back in the early 1990’s and was quickly hooked on the sport. He joined the CT Fly Fishing Association and learned the fundamentals first of fly fishing and then fly tying from a great group of mentors who quickly became lifelong friends. It was an exciting journey into the world of feathers and fur, trout and salmon flies.He has enthusiastically fished his home river, the Farmington River in CT as well as many rivers in Maine, Canada, Alaska, Montana, Chile and other locales.Then, a course on tying classic salmon flies in 1998, ignited a new passion and he has been on a new mission ever since of learning thehistory, artistry and challenging techniques of the Victorian era salmon fly.In addition to fishing and tying flies, Roger also does custom picture framing and collects and sells antique fly-fishing tackle and salmon fly tying materials. Friends can usually find him in his woodworking shop in Plainville CT when he’s not out fishing.

Glen Populorum: Glen is a self-employed automotive mechanic in Illinois, who grew up canoeing and fishing many different places in both Illinois and Wisconsin. His Uncle introduced him to fly fishing at an early age, and Glen has never looked back. He decided to try his hand at tying in the early 1980’s and liked it, as it allowed him the flexibility to tie different flies depending upon their use. Glen inherited his love of travel from his Grandmother and has used it well – fishing and even guiding in the Seychelles for bonefish, Mexico for tuna and sailfish, and to Columbia and Brazil for peacock bass and payara. He is always developing new patterns for his next fishing adventure.

Ingrid Sils: An avid angler her entire life and fly tier since the mid-1970s, Ms Sils is “the woman who has worn many hats.” In the 1980s she was a fly tier and lecturer at many shows and contributed as both author and photographer to United Fly Tyer’s Roundtable and Massachusetts Out of Doors. In the 1990s her photographs were published in Sports Illustrated, Fly Fisherman, Fly Rod and Reel, The Atlantic Salmon Journal and others. Then together with Paul Schmookler, Ms Sils shared a variety of roles including tier, photographer, author, graphic designer and publisher for The Salmon Flies of Major John Popkin Traherne, Rare and Unusual Fly Tying Materials: A Natural History, Vol 1&2 and Forgotten Flies. In the early 2000s the Gold Ink award winning Art of Angling Journal was added to her accomplishments. She has enjoyed targeting a wide variety of fresh- and saltwater species with flies she tied including small- and largemouth bass, trout, Pacific and Atlantic salmon, bluefish, striped bass, tarpon, and lemon and black fin shark. In 2017 she retired from a 40-year career as a research biologist/physiologist where she contributed to over 60 scientific articles as co-author or author.

Peter Simonson: Peter Simonson has been fly tying for over 25 years, initially just creating flies needed for fishing. He enjoys tying historic streamers from the Rangeley region of Maine. Of special interest are the unnamed and other lesser-known streamer patterns of Carrie Stevens. Peter has tied at the International Fly Tying Symposium and The Fly Fishing Show for many years, as well as at smaller shows and museum events. His work was featured in Fly Tyer magazine (Autumn 2022), in We Are Fly Fishing on-line magazine (Christmas 2022), and appears at www.petersimonsonflydresser.com. Peter studied streamer tying under Mike Martinek, and credits several old-school social media sites with providing him a rich interactive learning environment for tying streamers and classic Atlantic Salmon flies. Peter is a retired signal processing systems engineer, and when he’s not tying, he enjoys fly-fishing, kayaking, and hiking. A favorite is fishing for brook trout and big land-locked salmon from pocket water and deep pools in the upper Connecticut River of New Hampshire and from the Rangeley region of Maine. Peter has two grown sons, and lives with his wife Lynne in New Hampshire, where they have been pouring money into a small farmhouse for 40 years.

Mike Stewart: Mike is a custom fly tyer and instructor. He started fishing in 1959 on the Canadian border in Vermont. He is a freshwater and saltwater fly tyer / fisherman who has had the opportunity to fish in many of the most beautiful places in and outside the US. Most of his fishing has been in New England, the Atlantic states, the Gulf Coast, and West Virginia with outings to the Rocky Mountain states, Bahamas, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Alaska, and Chile. Mike has been tying since 1982 when he taught himself to tie. Through the opportunities made available by the Connecticut Fly Fishermen’s Association, he further refined his techniques such that he was confident to be a demonstration tyer, sell his flies, and ultimately teach fly tying. His bit to pass on the art to the next generation. Mike teaches fly tying out of his home in North Granby, CT and throughout New England and New York.He is also very active with the Fly Fishers International (Life Member) where he is a past member of the FFI Board of Directors, the Fly Tying Board of Governors (currently the Secretary and Life Member), past President of the FFI Foundation Trustees and past president of the FFI North Eastern Council. Other organizations that Mike is a member include the CFFA (life member), United Fly Tyers, Catskill Fly Tyers Guild, and Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum.Mike is on a Pro Teams such as Ewing Feather Birds, Solarez Fly Tying, Peak Fishing, and Flymen Fishing Company. He is an active demonstration fly tyer and can be found at The Fly Fishing Shows, International Fly Tying Symposium, and many other regional fly fishing shows and venues.While he ties all types of flies, he especially enjoys classic wet flies. Not only are they a joy to behold, they harken back to our mutual fly fishing heritage, and, “Boy! do they catch fish.”

Robert Streeter: Rob just retired as the Outdoor Correspondent for the Albany, New York Times Union Newspaper. His articles covered all aspects of the outdoors including hunting, fishing, camping, paddling, and conservation.Rob also writes for a variety of national and even overseas magazines on fly fishing, bowhunting, and the outdoors. His favorite outdoor activities are traditional bowhunting, fly fishing, and fly tying.

Dan Thomas: I was born and raised in a small town called Carbondale located in Northeastern Pennsylvania, along the Lackawanna River and began fishing with my father at the age of three, at the various rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams that surround our area. Some of which include the Lackawaxen, Lackawanna, Susquehanna and Delaware rivers. It wasn’t until the summer of 2008 that I discovered what is now, my sheer addiction to say the least; fly fishing. It all began one afternoon, while fishing a local damn. I was rummaging through my gear when I came across a plastic container full of miscellaneous hooks, sinkers, lures, and other tackle which my father had given to me. Among these was a small cardboard box containing about 5 or 6 old dry flies. I carefully studied and admired each one in amazement. I was intrigued at the fact that someone had created these things by hand. I was reluctant at first to feed such works of art to a fish, but I had to try one out. I rigged my spinning rod with a float bubble and cast my first fly. It wasn’t but a minute later, I caught my first fish on this beautifully tied Adams. The very next day I purchased my first fly rod. For the first month or so, I purchased flies from my local Orvis dealer, as I believed I didn’t possess the patience needed to tie flies myself. It wasn’t until my father had given me an old unopened fly tying kit that he had found in his basement that I actually attempted fly tying for the first time. Now, armed with a crude rusty wing nut style vise, the obsession had begun. My current employment with the Rail Road has me traveling throughout parts of Pennsylvania, Vermont, and New York, to the Canadian border. Each year I am afforded the opportunity to fish the many great rivers along the way including, the Delaware, Hudson, Susquehanna, Battenkill, Ausable, Saranac, and Chazy, as well as Lakes George, and Champlain to name a few. I enjoy the challenge of coming up with flies for these wonderful waters and enjoy even more getting to try them out.

Mike Valla:  A native of Binghamton, NY, Mike has been fly-fishing and tying trout flies for over 50 years. Mike received his Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University where he studied fisheries biology. After a short stint in Graduate School, where he studied paleobotany, he returned to Cornell where he was employed as a Research Support Specialist in the Plant Pathology and Entomology departments. He then changed careers and studied for four years at Georgetown University where he obtained a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree.
Now retired from the Active Medical/Dental staff at Glens Falls Hospital in the Adirondacks of New York, where he practiced public health dentistry for indigent children. He has written numerous feature-length magazine articles for American Fly Fishing, Fly Fisherman, Fly Tyer and The American Fly Fisher. He has been an invited speaker locally, nationally and internationally. His presentations are focused on fly-fishing and fly-tying history. Mike is the 4th recipient of the prestigious Poul Jorgensen Golden Hook Award for his contributions to the art of fly tying.
Books:

Fly Fishing Guide to New York State NEW RELEASE (September 2023)
Favorite Flies for the Catskills (2020
Classic Streamer Fly Box. Stackpole Books (2020)
Tying and Fishing Bucktails and other Hairwings (2016)
Tying the Founding Flies (2015) S
The Founding Flies, 43 American Masters, Their Patterns and Influences (2013) The Classic Wet-Fly Box (2012).
The Classic Dry Fly Box (2010
Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies (2009)

Eric Washofer: My name is Eric Washofer and I grew up fishing freshwater as well as saltwater. I lived my whole life in NJ but didn’t fish it much. The majority of my fishing was at my families vacation house on Candlewood lake in CT where I grew up catching small and largemouth bass every chance I got. Then as I got older I would travel down to my families vacation house to fish the gulf coast of Florida which I have been doing for quite a while and love. I started fly tying as what I initially thought to be a winter hobby, but it quickly turned into an addiction. I find fly tying to be a very relaxing and creative hobby where you can constantly be learning new patterns and always put your own twist on it with material selection etc.

Lisa Weiner: Some of my earliest memories are of fishing with my Dad. I would sit on the bank and look thru his fly box. I thought the flies were some of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.I started tying flies in the winter of 2011. My Husband gave me a beginner kit, as I had been asking to learn. Ispent every spare minute tying on a t.v. tray in our living room. I think I drove our kids nuts.
Around the same time, I learnedspey casting and I am now a partner at Spey Casting North East, where I enjoy teaching two handed casting.This seemed natural, as I wanted to chase steelhead and salmon. Tying these flies is as much of a challenge as the fish themselves. But I love learning and helping others to improve their skills.The highlight of my tying career was being invited to tie at Atlantic Salmon Fly International 2018 in Miramichi, Canada. I met so many great people that have influenced my tying and love of the sport.
I hope to give back to this wonderful community, that has given me so much.

Bill Wilbur: I’ve been making flies for over 55 years, from midge trout flies to sailfish and marlin flies. But my specialty is Atlantic salmon flies. My greatest pattern design for Atlantic salmon has been the “Green Machine” Probable my next greatest pattern would be the “Pearl Herron” spey fly. I’ve tied flies for Ducks Unlimited, Basin Mills, Miramichi Salmon Association and North Atlantic Salmon Fund. From the North Atlantic Salmon Fund I received a certificate of Master Fly Tyer.

Date: January 5 - 7, 2024

Time:

January 5, 2024 : 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
January 6, 2024 : 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
January 7, 2024 : 9:00 am – 4:30 pm

Cost :

One-Day Pass: $18
Two-Day Pass: $28
Three-Day Pass: $38

Location: Royal Plaza Trade Center - 181 Boston Post Road West, Marlborough, MA 01752.

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