Washington Fly Fishing Forum banner

Mentors

27K views 25 replies 23 participants last post by  Westelyea 
#1 ·
The following people have graciously promised their time, experience and skills in helping us become better tiers. These mentors are at your disposal for questions, confidential critiques, discussions on flytying, and general hands-on or online assistance.

Please feel free to PM them (click on their name for profile page) and initiate contact. In return, all that is required is a willingness to learn and a bit of effort on your part.

Mark Mercer

I've been tying about 30 years, I think? I've tied just about everything and tied commercially for about 9 years, small time just a few shops, mostly tied stillwater, steelhead and saltwater. Became interested in Spey and Dee flies at that time, I sold and fished them for steelhead and later got into the classic salmon flies. I've tied a few intruder type flies but don't really chase steel anymore so I've not tied a lot of newer patterns for them.
I'll help anyone who thinks I could help them, I would mostly be interested helping online but a face to face might be possible as well, I live in Port Orchard.







Bill Warner

1. How long have you been tying? I've been tying since about 1958. My ability was flat until I had a class about 1985-1990 and then things took an exponential jump. Now I can handle most flies but don't have the patience for salmon flies.
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? I'm mostly a sunken fly fisher so would be interested in mentoring nymphs, wet flies, soft hackles and emergers. I am also versed in dry flies but don't fish them much. Remember 85% of a fishes diet is below the surface.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) I could mentor a beginner or early-intermediate but think once a person is a journeyman intermediate he/she is at my level.
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) I can mentor face-to-face, on the water or online. This may require a blindfold to ensure secrecy of local public lakes.
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? I'm in Moses Lake over in Grant county and have a lot of reasonably close local lakes to access. Also near Rocky Ford which I fished over 30 times in 2012 and caught fish there most trips.
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience. I'm basically self taught but had a couple of lessons about 25 years into my experience. The lessons caused me to destroy my earlier creations. I'd use the Drunken Dragon SBS as an example. Also my Mother's Day Caddis in the 2013 soft hackle swap. Those are two fly types listed above. Nymphs and soft hackles. I also do a fair amount of chironomids and have participated in previous swaps.







Richard Olmstead

1. How long have you been tying? - About 12-13 years
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? - I tie trout flies mainly; both still and moving water. Dries, nymphs, softhackles, streamers, are what I tie most, for fresh water mostly.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) - Anyone with more than moderate skills probably won't be looking for a mentor, so I'll say 1-5)
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) - both
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? - Lake Forest Park, north King Co.
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience.
I started tying by taking a class at my local fly shop about 12-13 years ago. I have tied all manner of flies, including salmon and steelhead for fresh and saltwater, but no longer fish or tie for them. So, now I mostly fish for trout in both streams and lakes and tie a broad range of patterns, both imitative and attractor. I participate in a group that meets once a month to share patterns and tie flies together.







Eric Hanson

1. How long have you been tying? - About 10 years
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? - I tie pretty much anything but have a fondness for streamers.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) - Anyone who thinks I can teach them something. You're never good enough not to learn.
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) - both
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? - Hansville, North Kitsap
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience.
I started tying when I lived in the UK even before I knew how to fly fish. I had a friend who would basically buy me materials in exchange for flies. When I moved back to the states to MT, I half heartedly got into flyfishing but still kept tying. When I moved to SD, the flyfishing bug took hold and I was fishing every chance I could get, both stillwater and rivers. I then moved to WA and started my foray into saltwater flyfishing. I dabble in custom fly tying and used to do every swap I could. I'm basically self taught but have a sharp razor handy at all times.





 
See less See more
12
#10 ·
I'd be happy to help folks too, however most of them don't put their location on their profile so I don't know if they are close enough for me to volunteer......
I agree with this, that is why I think I'll do more SBS. ScottP in my opinion then is the greatest mentor to all of us!
 
#20 ·
The following people have graciously promised their time, experience and skills in helping us become better tiers. These mentors are at your disposal for questions, confidential critiques, discussions on flytying, and general hands-on or online assistance.

Please feel free to PM them (click on their name for profile page) and initiate contact. In return, all that is required is a willingness to learn and a bit of effort on your part.

Mark Mercer

I've been tying about 30 years, I think? I've tied just about everything and tied commercially for about 9 years, small time just a few shops, mostly tied stillwater, steelhead and saltwater. Became interested in Spey and Dee flies at that time, I sold and fished them for steelhead and later got into the classic salmon flies. I've tied a few intruder type flies but don't really chase steel anymore so I've not tied a lot of newer patterns for them.
I'll help anyone who thinks I could help them, I would mostly be interested helping online but a face to face might be possible as well, I live in Port Orchard.








Bill Warner

1. How long have you been tying? I've been tying since about 1958. My ability was flat until I had a class about 1985-1990 and then things took an exponential jump. Now I can handle most flies but don't have the patience for salmon flies.
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? I'm mostly a sunken fly fisher so would be interested in mentoring nymphs, wet flies, soft hackles and emergers. I am also versed in dry flies but don't fish them much. Remember 85% of a fishes diet is below the surface.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) I could mentor a beginner or early-intermediate but think once a person is a journeyman intermediate he/she is at my level.
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) I can mentor face-to-face, on the water or online. This may require a blindfold to ensure secrecy of local public lakes.
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? I'm in Moses Lake over in Grant county and have a lot of reasonably close local lakes to access. Also near Rocky Ford which I fished over 30 times in 2012 and caught fish there most trips.
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience. I'm basically self taught but had a couple of lessons about 25 years into my experience. The lessons caused me to destroy my earlier creations. I'd use the Drunken Dragon SBS as an example. Also my Mother's Day Caddis in the 2013 soft hackle swap. Those are two fly types listed above. Nymphs and soft hackles. I also do a fair amount of chironomids and have participated in previous swaps.








Richard Olmstead

1. How long have you been tying? - About 12-13 years
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? - I tie trout flies mainly; both still and moving water. Dries, nymphs, softhackles, streamers, are what I tie most, for fresh water mostly.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) - Anyone with more than moderate skills probably won't be looking for a mentor, so I'll say 1-5)
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) - both
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? - Lake Forest Park, north King Co.
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience.
I started tying by taking a class at my local fly shop about 12-13 years ago. I have tied all manner of flies, including salmon and steelhead for fresh and saltwater, but no longer fish or tie for them. So, now I mostly fish for trout in both streams and lakes and tie a broad range of patterns, both imitative and attractor. I participate in a group that meets once a month to share patterns and tie flies together.








Eric Hanson

1. How long have you been tying? - About 10 years
2. What style / type of flies are you interested in mentoring on? - I tie pretty much anything but have a fondness for streamers.
3. What experience level of tier are you willing to mentor? (1 - 10, 1 being a complete beginner) - Anyone who thinks I can teach them something. You're never good enough not to learn.
4. How are you willing to mentor? (face-to-face, online, both) - both
5. If face-to-face, where to do you live? - Hansville, North Kitsap
6. Short paragraph about your tying experience.
I started tying when I lived in the UK even before I knew how to fly fish. I had a friend who would basically buy me materials in exchange for flies. When I moved back to the states to MT, I half heartedly got into flyfishing but still kept tying. When I moved to SD, the flyfishing bug took hold and I was fishing every chance I could get, both stillwater and rivers. I then moved to WA and started my foray into saltwater flyfishing. I dabble in custom fly tying and used to do every swap I could. I'm basically self taught but have a sharp razor handy at all times.






wow thanks, i have never treid tying, but will come back to this if i decide to try. crazy, huh, 20 years chasing fish with fly rod, not one time tried tying
 
#21 · (Edited)
Just want to share as an ex-pat Pacific NWer, there is a vibrant group of folks tying flies one day a month in the high desert of NM, two hours from the nearest trout, led by a volunteer "professional." A few of the group also host a group dedicated to military veterans which meets separately in a member's home. A lot of good can happen tying a fly to catch a fish with a brain the size of a pea but the smarts to outwit most any of us!
 
#22 ·
Just want to share as an ex-pat Pacific NWer, there is a vibrant group of folks tying flies one day a month in the high desert of NM, two hours from the nearest trout, led by a volunteer "professional." A few of the group also host a group dedicated to military veterans which meets separately in a member's home. A lot of good can happen tying a fly to catch a fish with the brain the size of a pea but the smarts to outwit most any of us!
Yup, that's how Project Healing Waters was born over a decade ago.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mark Dankel
#23 ·
When I lived in Ellensburg Iron Horse Brewing used to host Fly Tying on like the third Tuesday of the month or something. Seems like a good way to go; set around over a beer, do some BS-ing and Fly Tying. I now live in Auburn, we have a neighborhood Pub where I asked the owner about it once... he didn't say no. Anybody else in the south sound area...? God knows I could use the help learning, I'm really green!
 
#24 ·
Down here in the Land of Enchantment we do not meet in a bar for our club's monthly fly tyin' evening meeting :( but in the Las Cruces hdq of New Mexico Fish and Game's conference room. They provide our group a key to the bldg; we let ourselves in after hours and lock up when we leave. Like most conference rooms, it has rows of long tables, good lighting and an LED projector we can hook up so the lead instructor may beam a close-up of his tying onto the screen using a small camera aimed at his vice. It's pretty slick. It's the same place we hold our club meetings once a month. Since joining these hombres I've seen anywhere from a dozen to 20+ show up - most with their own kit but the club provides a vice and materials for novices. Some have been tying for 50+ yrs and have forgotten 10X what I'll ever hope to know. If you listen, along with tying advice you'll also hear about entomology and lately, a lot about nymph rigging 'cuz 'round here trout spend 80% of their time eating sub-surface.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jim F.
#25 ·
Been tying since 1974. Had a friend that taught me the basics of fly tying in the beginning. Basically self-taught. Bought several books on fly tying. However, I moved to Newport, WA and had a professional fly tier teach me a lot on fly tying. One thing he taught me was, Good materials are critical to good fly tying. Get good materials and you'll tie better flies. Cheap hackle makes for cheap looking flies. I wish I had, had YOUTUBE available in 1974 it would have upped the tying curve by leaps and bounds. Over the years I've had good friends and fellow tiers teach me a lot.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top