one armed fly tyer...no punchline.

[tomgamber]

Ok, so I run into this cool older guy the other day at the lake while I'm out pounding fall stockies. I notice him because I am usually the only guy throwing flies but its nice to see another. As I get closer I notice the guy is a lefty...thats because his right arm isn't all there. Guy's not a bad caster but he's not picking them up as regularly as he is with the spinning rod he also has with him. He asks me what color I'm using and after a fly change he starts picking them up. So now he's catching more than me so I walk closer to ask him what pattern he changed to. Once we figure out that I had the color and he had the pattern we both start catching fish and we're chatting... He mentions that he's only been fly fishing for a couple years (he looks about 60). He also asks me if I tie my own flies and I tell him I do.

OK, so here's the point of all this...He asks me if I think he could tie flies. Of course I tell him I think he would be able to...after all the guy is tying blood knots and improved clinch knots right in front of me. I think I might run into him again. Those of you who tie a lot ever run into a one armed tier or have any advice you think might be helpful if I do run into him again.

He does have a scissors type hook on his other arm but he actually seems more comfortable using the remaining arm that ends just at the elbow. He really seems to enjoy the fly rod as he didn't pick up the spinning rod again after we solved the fly pattern. I'd like to be able to tell him something that might encourage him to actually give it a try. Anyone got anything?

 

[ian_brown]

An acquaintance told me that his plumber was working on problems in one-arm tying, in hopes of working with disabled vets. I'll see if I can get you the guy's info.

Scotch tape would probably help you get your thread started; tape the tag end on the vice, tie on, then clip the tag.

 

[plumbob]

ian - think I can save you some time. I'm probably the guy your looking for since I'm a plumber in your area and working on a book tying flies with one hand.

tomgamber- you can tell you friend that it is indeed possible to tie flies with one hand, in the book we are doing we show- woolly bugger, micky finn, caddis pupae, hares ear nymph, adams dry, Royal wulff, elk hair caddis, I think we want to try to do a soft hackle and a hopper pattern which is like a madam X. I don't use my teeth or anything made up special, its just a lot of techniques we have come up with using standard tying equipment. Short of doing quill wings and spinning deer hair we haven't found much that can't be done. Started this thing about two years ago just keeps growing plus there is a ton of photography involved. One weekend we did over 1500 shots which are all going to be redone. If he has any questions have him e-mail me at tyfly54@aol.com

 

[tomgamber]

thanks bob, I'll give it to him if I see hi again. thanks

 

[kenivory]

Lloyd Gonzales talks about having a one armed fried who ties flies in Fly Fishing Pressured Water. I'm not sure if he hangs around this forum, but I have recently seen him on troutnut.com