Best Tyer Ever?

[Poopdeck 0]

I read that but forgot about it. I think we finally rounded out that list.

[mikechell 0]

LOL

[Mike West 0]

I Didnt read all the posts but theres no such thing as the best tyier.

 

First off all we really have to choose from are people that have been Published ,YouTube, Blogs BBB Boards etc

 

There are 1000s of tiers across the world who dont do or have any of this exsposer.

 

We have many many talented tiers right here.

 

The few tiers that stand out in my mind is Graham Owen, Fred Hannie & Dronlee

 

And for Deerhair work for me its Tim England, he blazed the trail that many others followed.

[oldtrout58 0]

Keyser Söze

[Fisherboy0301 0]

 

 

like i posted above "too many styles of flies to pick the "best" tyer"

 

tying a fly in hand is merely a process adopted by a handful or so of tyers (some notable) or by someone who want to see if they can do it. it doesnt make you the "best tyer ever"

 

tying a size 32 royal wulff is attempted by numerous tyers but the outcome is usually a shoddily tyed fly because of the materials being too large for such size hooks. it doesnt make you the "best tyer ever"

I agree with your first sentence.

 

That said, I once watched Lee Wullf tie a Royal Wulff in hand on a size 28 hook, while holding a conversation.(I can still remember the conversation.) It was by no means a shoddily tied fly. He was in his 80's at the time. You'd be hard pressed to convince me that anyone was a better tyer. Not saying he was the best, just that there was nobody better (there are many people you could say the same of.)

I agree. I don't see how anyone could forget Lee Wulff. He was the best in my opinion. Who else has a whole series (or style) named after them? I till use the Wulff flies.

Joe

 

(sorry Joe didnt mean to edit this. Still getting used to the edit button being where the quote button was before I was a moderator!)

 

Charlie Smith, Bob Clouser, Left Kreh, Joe Brooks...

[tjm 0]

 

Graham Owen, Fred Hannie & Dronlee

Never heard of them. What makes them better than Carrie Stevens or Frank Sawyer or Zane Grey?

[mikechell 0]

 

 

Graham Owen, Fred Hannie & Dronlee

Never heard of them. What makes them better than Carrie Stevens or Frank Sawyer or Zane Grey?

 

As has been stated before ... it's all a matter of opinion. I've met Fred, and his fly tying skill is amazing.

Dron Lee is a regular contributor here ... and his use of non-conventional materials and his excellent flies are superlative.

 

Plus ... none of your selections, tjm, have posted a new pattern for at least a decade or two !!!

[Mike West 0]

 

 

Graham Owen, Fred Hannie & Dronlee

 

Never heard of them. What makes them better than Carrie Stevens or Frank Sawyer or Zane Grey?

I never said it makes them better than any of you guys you listed. If you read my post I said theres no such thing as the best fly tier

And as Mikechell said its all a matter of opinion.

These are just the guys that inspire me to do better along with a few dozen others.

Ive met Lee Wulff three times in my life. I watched him tie a grey hackle peacock in his hand sitting right next to me at the LBCC(I was 13)

Does that make him the best tyier...Hell no

His he a legend...Hell yes! Im

 

Its just a hobby and there are so many talented tiers out there that you cant google and 1000s more that dont post.

No such such thing as the best tier...Silly Thread really other than tiers pop up you never heard of so you can google them and look them up.

 

There was a guy out of Japan about 25-30 years ago that tied a common House Fly that was so real you couldnt tell the difference.

That guy would get my vote for the best fly tier in the world. Im

[thejwalkertn 0]

This is the great thing about "art." In a previous life I was a drummer and it was a common question "Who's the best drummer?" There are so many interpretations of the word "Best." John Bonham (Led Zepplin) was a solid drummer that could demand a huge sound and feel from a small kit. Buddy Rich (Jazz Drummer) was amazingly fast and metaphorically danced around the kit. In the end it was easier to list a top 5 / top 10 based on an ability to influence some positive movement in the art.

 

As a new fly tyer I've only scratched the surface of recognizing the masters. Off-hand I only could recognize Dave Whitlock, Bob Clouser, Lefty Kreh. Enjoying this thread for giving me some new reading material.

[Micke.H 0]

I think Davey McPhail

[tjm 0]

 

There was a guy out of Japan about 25-30 years ago that tied a common House Fly that was so real you couldnt tell the difference.

I can't remember the name but those flies looked real in pictures.

 

As a new fly tyer I've only scratched the surface of recognizing the masters. Off-hand I only could recognize Dave Whitlock, Bob Clouser, Lefty Kreh. Enjoying this thread for giving me some new reading material.

I looked around to see if this had come up before and found this great listing of folks that tied some flies; http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=81721

[fishingbobnelson 0]

I think a better list would be who are your favorite tyers. I like a couple of West Coast guys David McNeese and "Polly" Rosborough.

[DrLogik 0]

I'm going to go in a different direction here because of my love of Catskill flies and tyers. The best American fly tyer of all time in my opinion is legendary Catskill tyer, Reuben Cross. His flies are very rare, very expensive and beautiful. Best living fly tyer is hard to say. Although the modern Catskill tyers are not well known outside of that community they tie beautiful flies.

 

There are so many fly categories and masters of each that it is difficult to say who is the best. It would be worthwhile to rank the best tyer in each category.

 

I look at quality and consistency of the fly, materials used, complexity and difficulty as well. I will tell you this, the best fly tyer who I have personally witnessed tie flies is Dave Brandt.

[NJpatbee 0]

So many excellent tiers that I could not pick just one. Most influential for my tying are Harry and Elsie Darbee, Vince Marinaro, Dick Talleur, and John Barr. I would also like to add Sylvester Nemes for advocating the original soft hackle flies from the North Country of England.

[DarrellP 0]

Define best. Most innovative, precise, does beautiful work, ties the most difficult flies, most prolific, etc.? Genre of flies? Salmon, Trout, Salmon/steelhead, Warm water? The question is a bit broad and subjective. AK Best does some amazing work. Ed Engle, Lefty Kreh, Clouser, Gapen, Craven, Popovichs, and on and on. Bob Lemay ties some precise stuff that works. St Apte? Ron Alcott?

 

In my opinion Sid Glasso was one of the very best.