I gave this some thought and quite a few topics came to mind relating the techniques and other concerns involving the tying of flies for fishing or display. Well, I decided not to address specific tying issues in this, the first article. It will be followed by many others that do delve into the tying of the flies. Instead, let’s see where this board has come in its very short existence and where it might go in the future.
When I found this board, I guess I was one of the first to start posting. That was maybe in September or October of 2004 or shortly after that. The salmon board was started in August 2004 so it isn’t even a year and a half old at this writing. The number of world wide viewers has grown tremendously in that short time.
The following statistics show some interesting trends. Only the passage of time will show if they will continue but I am betting that they do.
Salmon Section Posts
August 2004: 120
September 2004: 235
October 2004: 878
November 2004: 546
December 2004: 517
January 2005: 891
February 2005: 870
March 2005: 1211
April 2005: 1114
May 2005: 627
June 2005: 835
July 2005: 625
August 2005: 1072
September 2005: 1021
October 2005: 1713
November 2005: 2224
Total posts for the entire website during the same period
August 2004: 4454
September 2004: 3742
October 2004: 5164
November 2004: 6393
December 2004: 5561
January 2005: 8959
February 2005: 6176
March 2005: 6302
April 2005: 4845
May 2005: 4452
June 2005: 4852
July 2005: 2552
August 2005: 3887
September 2005: 3846
October 2005: 4271
November 2005: 4550
I am a bit surprised that the total posts for the entire website is almost identical from August 2004 and November 2005. I don’t know why that would be so I will let the management explain that at another time.
The relevant numbers for us on the Salmon board are that there were only 120 posts in August 2004 and a whopping 2224 posts in November of 2005! The latter number and the total posts for the website show me that this board has become one of, if not, the most read and posted to board on the website. This is thanks to all of you, the readers who make the board what it is today.
We’ve seen flies from every level of perfection from messy but effective fishing flies to antiseptically perfect fully dressed ones destined to hang over a fireplace somewhere and everything between.
We have also witnessed (and this really makes me happy) many tyers who are starting to tie the fancies (what I sometimes call fully dressed flies). We’ve seen their growing pains and growth in a relatively short time. If this craft (and, I consider tying a craft rather than art although a convincing argument can be made that some of it could be art) is to grow and continue after our passing, new tyers must take up where the experienced leave off. This board is becoming responsible for making this happen. Certainly it isn’t responsible for every new tyer out there but it is for many. Tyers of the fully dressed flies is really a very small community world wide and it is good to see it expanding.
I have said it before; we are living in the golden age of tying in general and especially tying the fully dressed classics and even more, the freestyle flies. Never before, have tyers from every corner of the world been able to discuss and share instantly as we can now through the internet. There are more books available on the topic and as new tyers find out how much fun we have tying these flies, the craft seems to not only be in good hands, it will flourish in years to come.
If you have any suggestions for topics for the monthly issues of this magazine, let the moderators or administrators know. You may even want to write one yourself. Bottom line is that this website and in particular, this board will be what you make of it.
Happy Trails!
Ronn
This week’s typing tip is in response to a question by Hatches reader, Nick S. from Boise, ID. Nick wanted to know if we had any suggestions for a small, lightweight fly tying vise to use streamside, or on backcountry fly-in/ hike-in fly fishing trips.
GLOBE PEQUOT ( THE LYONS PRESS, FALCON), November 1997
Binding Type: Hardcover
Retail Price: $16.95 at the Hatches Store
ISBN: 1-55821-067-9
“The trout’s biggest advantage is selectivity, and we can counteract it only by knowing the insects that make up his diet. This is the reason for the study of stream entomology by the angler, and it is often the weak link in his skill.”
-Ernest Schwiebert
Trout Stream Insects: An Orvis Streamside Guide is by no means a new book. However, since it was first published in 1990, it has successfully been introducing novice …
Called the “bobbin of bobbins,” Marc Petitjean’s “Thread Through Bobbin,” aims to solve a few classic design limitations of standard bobbins.
Sand Creek is a pretty little piece of trout water that harbors some very fussy fish. Clear water in a small creek demands a quiet approach; casting from the bank is a good strategy when fishing small flies to springtime trout. Photo by Russ Forney
Springtime in Wyoming can be pretty elusive. Just when the first flush of prairie wildflowers sweetens the air, the next storm buries them under a foot of snow. Somewhere between the first Meadowlark and the last new calf, winter finally begins to relax its icy grip. …
With rubber legs showing up in more and more fly patterns, one common problem fly tier’s are facing is that they get in the way when tying a whip finish knot. In this week’s Tying Tips, Hatches Magazine staff member Alex Cerveniak shares three quick and easy ways to keep those rubber legs out of the way.
|  Hatches is an annual publication with a strong devotion to professional writing, beautiful photography and informative articles pertaining to both the artistic and practical aspects of fly tying. Each issue features 13 featured articles that span a massive 96 pages.
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