Stephen has been fly fishing and fly tying for thirty years. For the last ten or fifteen years he has developed a preference for small streams and the flats and mangroves of saltwater. Although both are fly fishing, he considers them to be completely different activities.
Fishing small streams takes him back to a time when fishing was about fishing; not about the latest fly, line taper, rod action or destination. He prefers stalking fish and making the proper cast and presentation to competing with other anglers for a spot on the river.
Saltwater fishing places an emphasis on making accurate casts to moving targets in sometimes very difficult conditions. It can also take you to some of the wildest places you have ever been.
Stephen is proficient at tying many types of flies. Some of his favorites are North Country flies (sometimes called spiders or soft hackles) and Puglisi style saltwater flies. The North Country flies consist of minimal materials and look easy to tie. However, the challenge for the tyer is using the right material in the correct amount in the appropriate place; then the sum is greater than the parts. The Puglisi style flies are fairly intricate and time consuming to tie but the finished product is worth the effort.
