I remember being taken by my parents to our local fishing shop, Kate Fleming, in Blairgowrie on the River Erickt at the age of six to look at the fly selections. Staring at rows and drawers of flies, wishing that my fly box could be filled with these flies and one day that I could tie flies that looked that good. My childhood holidays were easy to remember. We went fishing. Only fishing and to one river. The infamous, stunning and incomparable Findhorn was the main location for well over a century for my family’s fishing holidays. What a privilege and base to learn. To be honest my flies were pretty average for a long time. Budgies on hooks! Blobs of glue, huge heads and not a clue how to cut tails etc. I tried and tried to get my flies into Kate Fleming however Kate and Paul always let me down kindly. Looking back it’s hardly surprising as the flies didn’t have the necessary appeal and I could only tie in two colours. My pal Andy always jokes that I’m a black & yellow, orange & black, red & black etc type of fly tyer. I hope that by now I have managed to convince him otherwise. My flies have travelled with me across many waters. Whilst fishing these waters, and also working within the industry, I have been lucky enough to meet some all time greats who have taught me so much. Scotland, England, Iceland and Russia have shown me so many different techniques and ways to fish different flies in different waters and conditions. Having tied only for myself, I was terrified of tying for other people out of fear of the flies falling apart or not being worth it. Only in the last five years have I begun to feel happy enough with my flies that I started to sell the odd few here and there. I am a bit of a perfectionist so look at it this way; “If I would put them in my box, they are good enough for someone else”
