Declan Tuffy - Ireland

I am fortunate to have grown up beside a Salmon river (The river Moy in Co. Mayo Ireland) I always loved fishing for as long as I can remember. I had my first salmon at the ripe old age of 13 and been fishing salmon ever since. It's hard to believe that is over 30 years ago.

Unlike most I started fly tying by tying salmon flies mostly to fish and then as I improved to tie flies to fund my fishing tackle and materials.

I remember finding an old classic Salmon Fly and marveled at its beauty. I had to learn so I bought Paul Jorgensen book (The Classic Salmon Fly) and taught myself to tie classics. I then later took Classic salmon fly work shops with Marvin Nolte ( I learned a lot) and had the opportunity to tie with such noted tiers such as Robert Gillespie, Ted Malone,Paul Little, Peter Dunne, Peter Kealy, Brian Burnett, Stack Scoville, and Miko Steinberg to mention but a few.

Today Fly tying and Fly fishing still enthralls me to my very core both now as it did then as a ten year old boy.