January 9, 2014. This beautiful piece of artwork by Josh Udesen was one among many at the Denver Fly Fishing show. Visit Josh’s website to find out more about Tight Line Studio. There were lots of other creative people at the show, from artists to fly-tyers.
When I first started planning my 52 rivers trip I envisioned myself in my camper every evening tying flies. As I developed my photography skills throughout the year, I ended up spending most of my evenings editing photographs instead. Fly-tying had to wait another year. What I love about tying flies is the fact that they can be both utilitarian and fanciful. You can take an old standard fly and make it as artistic as you want or vary it just a bit to comply with your fishing needs.
Some of the best fly-tyers come to the Denver Fly-Fishing Show. I’ve met quite a few fly-tyers through my friends Pat and Carol Oglesby who are intimately involved with the Pro Team at Whiting Farms, producer of some of the most valued dry hackle used for tying flies. Some of the fly-tyers included Steve Schweitzer, Tim Jacobs, Stephen Johnson, and Mary Armstrong. As soon as I finish writing my book, I am going to try to squeeze in time in between my fishing and photography to enjoy fly-tying.
