This might get long, so bear with me.
Why Salmon flies? I saw tying salmon flies as a challenge, and I wanted to be able to tie them well. So i embarked on learning some skills and techniques which are not necessarily adhered to in the tying of more simple fishing flies. I learned the techniques from tying winged wet flies, as well as Rangeley style streamers.
Are they easier to tie? They're not anymore difficult to tie than any other kind of fly if you remember to stick to some well established principles, but they do take somewhat longer to tie ( sometimes up to 6-8 hours)
In terms of preference for them - i get easily bored when I have to knock out a dozen fishing flies - last night i could only muster three and thenI had to stop. I could sit for hours prepping material and working out proportions on a salmon fly, and not see the time go by. The reward at the end is a well tied fly, provided you are disciplined enough to follow all the skills and knowledge you've built up in the learning process. For me that has been a two year journey, and I'm still learning everyday how to tweak what i do in order to get the result i want in the end. You never learn enough when tying these flies, and all that knowledge can be applied to other aspects of tying, as well as life!
As for the historical perspective, its true there are not a lot of folks in the world who can tie Atlantic salmon flies well, or at least display quality, as compared to the number of fishermen who tie flies for fishing. I'd say we're talking in the thousandths of 1% range. So, in order to preserve the art, some folks need to keep the flame burning. I see myself as one of those, who, while not strictly detail orientated about the origins and history of every single fly, can still tie them and preserve the knowledge and skills necessary to pass on to future generations.
I started tying flies when i was 11. I did that for a few years, then high school, college and life got in the way. I started tying again about 3 years ago (i'm now 34) and began the classics journey just two years ago. Its fair to say I've focused mostly on classic flies for the last two years (not including dry flies, which is something i want to learn)
I guess you could say I took up tying again to gain some perspective in my life and to become more disciplined and patient, whether or not i have, you'll have to ask my wife.
Thanks to one and all who check in on the flies i post, whether or not you leave a comment.
I don't post them for comments, but i do appreciate that they are viewed. If nothing else you see what is capable with some hard work (2 years) and perseverance. Maybe one day, some kid (or even adult) will see the flies and decide to give them a go to preserve the knowledge. Its not everyone's cup of tea to tie flies like these, but I know when i couldn't tie them i certainly enjoyed looking at the great work of other classic fly tyers.
Eunan
