Wet Flies...

Over the weekend I went out to the Fishing Creek Angler B&B for a weekend of fly tying under the tutelage of a master fly tier by the name of Don Bastian. I have known Don for many years, fished with him a few times and spent many hours at his table at area fly shows chatting about traditional wet flies. He is THE authority on traditional wet flies and probably one of the best tiers in the world of these forgotten patterns.   Hatches Magazine has been showcasing some of Don's work with their feature on the Ray Bergman Collection.   This photographic collection of traditional wet fly patterns, recipes, and notes, when completed, will contain four-hundred eighty-three flies selected from Ray Bergman’s books.

Seven of us spent a weekend eating and drinking far to much and even managed to tie a few flies.  We actually did quite a bit of fly tying, much more than anticipated.  Our hosts Lee and Mary Ann at the Fishing Creek Angler were awesome and the accommodations were excellent.  I would highly recommend this B&B that caters to fisherman and features a full service fly shop.

I have always been fascinated and somewhat intimidated by these beautiful flies. I am still fascinated but no longer intimidated, with the knowledge gained this weekend I will be spending a lot of time perfecting traditional wet flies.