A sense of pride....

So, I was talking to a teenager I know from the community my fiancee was teaching in last year, and of course the topic drifted to fishing. He said that he got both of his alotted salmon last season on their local river. When I asked him what he caught them on, he said he caught the second one on a Green Highlander I tied for him, but his first he caught on a Blue Charm variation I helped him/showed him how to tie last spring!
I don't mind saying, I felt pretty good about that, especially since I've been feeling kind of down about my flytying skils lately. I guess the fish don't think I'm that bad at it, so I should keep it up.

Come on May!!!

That's wonderful. Tying, unless for commercial purposes, is pretty much for our own pleasure and entertainment. I am a lousy tier but always find a sense of pleasure in it. That doesn't mean I am always satisfied with the flies I tie. Many times, I will tie a fly five or six times until I get it tied to a point I am satisfied with the way it looks. I will never be able to tie my flies, comparing them to someone elses thinking I will achieve their level of tying, but do I ever have fun.

Don't get down on yourself about your tying.

Hey Brad!

I bet you are just underestimating yourself. If your flies are catching salmon then they are good enough for anyone! ANYONE!

Since I am such a nice guy I will even prove this to you! (nice eh) So you need to tie me up about 10 dozen flies... i'll let you know!

I hope we can get together this summer for a few runs at the water. If i'm feeling super nice i'll even let you out fish me. (at least that is what I will claim).

Keep tying,

Phil

I recently just started tying my own flies and when I started catching fish with them, I felt a sense of pride also. Don't be hard on yourself about your fly-tying skills. Everyone tells me the fisherman is biggest critic of their own fly-tying. The fish don't care as much.

Humber Brad

Your name ain't Warren Duncan, whom I've met and greatly admire, so you ain't tying for presidents and high hifalutin folks, your actually tying for some thing much more critical - the fish and Atlantic's at that, and they like what your doing...

so yup you should be right proud of yourself....

Keep at it and to share a Quote from WD " Happy times at the vise and Tight lines"

PS Remember, except for New Brunswick(I was born there) and Alberta (I retired here) your liven in Gods Country.

I felt the same way about my flies at first but as others have said the fish don't care.

About 5 years ago when I was just starting to tie. I had given a few of my friends some of my flies. We were having good success with them at a small lake. I guess word got around because A fellow camper a few spots over from our group told his kids to "go over to that guy ( pointing to Me) and see if you can get him to give you some flies because He is catching all the fish. His little 6 year old daughter marched right up to me and said my daddy wants you to give us some hooks so we can catch fish. My daddy said not to tell you he sent us. So can we have some? The other two older kids looking very embarassed turned and ran. The guy himself quickly ducked out of sight into his tent. About 10 of us that were there at the camp spot laughed our heads off. She was so straightforward, cute and honest that I said of course I will. I gave her a dozen flies of what had been working all weekend. I told her to tell her daddy to come on over and they could come out fishing in my boat and I would show them how to catch fish. They had been shore fishing. She thanked me and ran happily off towards the tent , yelling all the way, Daddy I got some , Daddy I got some.

The fellow came sheepishly over and thanked us. We spent the day out in the boat and all of us caught fish. He had been not reaching fishable water at all from shore. I was quite proud that he had singled me out for this great honor. He wanted to pay for the flies and the boatride but I pointed out to him that the look on that little girls face as I handed her the flies easily paid for everything.

Believe me when I say that those flies were poorly tied. The dimensions were all off, there was enough head cement on them to repair the rip in the Titanic and they were ugly ugly ugly. BUT THE FISH DIDN'T CARE!

The only fly worth it's salt is one that catches fish. I don't care how they look and neither do the fish! You have done a wonderful thing and I cannot think of a better role model for this young man. I am proud of you. Keep up the outstanding work!:D

You should feel proud -- Im not thinking of the fish that he caught on your fly. Im think it was so good of you to teach a youngster and the fact he got one on his fly. BILL