Hello everyone!
I just found your forum today while searching the web, and I have to say it is quite the resource! I have spent a few hours looking through the posts and this looks like a great place.
Anyway, my name is Eric and I am 19-year-old student in the Midwest. I began fly tying before fly fishing believe it or not. I tied my first fly at the age of 12, using a book from the library as reference. My grandfather tied flies so my aunt was happy to provide me with tools and materials that were down in her basement. I am pretty much self-taught: I spent a year or so after I first started tying practicing techniques on and refining my own. After that (ages 13-15) I enrolled in several classes at the local fly shop to correct some mistakes I had been doing while tying.
I truly consider fly tying to be an art, and I love tying the flies more than fishing them. I haven't tied a fly or been fishing in three years, but lately (maybe the spring air coming through?) I've had a craving to start again. I have drawers full of materials waiting to be tied. I figured this would be the perfect place to rekindle the spark.
Anyone else from the Midwest, specifically the Milwaukee area?